Solid State Active Denial Technology

SOURCES SOUGHT Solid State Active Denial TechnologyINTRODUCTIONThe US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Armaments Center (DEVCOM-AC) at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify potential sources having an interest in and technology(ies) available to provide or support development of an Active Denial System designed around solid state technology. This notice is issued on behalf of the Weapons & Software Engineering Center, Advanced Armaments Division, Directed Energy and Non-Lethal Branch of the DEVCOM-AC.The Army is looking for a system than can generate non-lethal, non-destructive “repel” or “shove” effects for Counter-Personnel use to address gaps in the capability areas of “Suppress”, “Move”, and “Deny”. Such technology would be for ground vehicle and force protection applications.The results of this market research may contribute to determining a method of procurement in the event a requirement

materializes and development and/or procurement resources become available. Based on responses to this notice/market research, this requirement may be set-aside in full or in part for small businesses, or procured through full and open competition. Multiple awards may be made. All small business set-aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding submissions.DISCLAIMERTHIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) TO BE SUBMITTED. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.PROGRAM BACKGROUNDDEVCOM AC is seeking potential sources for Solid State Active Denial Technology. Current known technology uses Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for producing a 95GHz mm wave  to generate a focused beam of directed energy (DE) causing a heating sensation to targeted individuals. The solution will provide an option to stop, deter and turn back suspicious individuals at significant standoff distances with minimal risk of permanent injury to those individuals or of collateral damage. Active Denial Technology is an Intermediate Force capability intended for use on missions that fall between Presence and the use of Lethal Force in the range of military operations, without causing unnecessary destruction or loss of life.. If a respondent offers several systems of varying size, weight, and effective range bands, please include that information in the submission.REQUIRED CAPABILITIESThe Sources Sought is intended to assess the state-of-the art of technology available in Solid State Active Denial products that could be applied to meet requirements, especially in the areas of size, weight, power and cooling, vs. effective range and cost.  If a system or concept meets some but not all of the notional requirements listed below, provide a timeline for resolving any deficiencies and verifying compliance. The Government may use information obtained, in whole or in part, to plan for a solution in terms of budget, near-term and long-range scheduling, evaluation, training and support. The Government envisions a solution for a Solid State Active Denial System that meets current notional requirements. Please provide an answer plus supporting evidence/explanation along with any relevant comments for each question in the below and in the attached table. The table attempts to acquire additional information relative to the requirements as well as knowledge to assess the technology employed, solution maturity, and areas where final requirements have not been established or are potentially classified. Responses should provide a brief description of the technology used including: waveform generation and power supply; type of non-lethal effect; and cost estimates per system. Cost estimates should address production ranges from 1-10 systems for initial testing and assessment, 11-100 systems for qualification purposes, and 101-500 systems for potential production. The response also should address requirements and questions pertaining to the attached table. BOTH capability statements (descriptions of the technologies) and the Attachment should be submitted as the response.NOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:Effective Range: The effective range from emitter to target shall be from 25m to 150m (threshold); 25m to 200m (objective). Transportation: The system shall be transportable by the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or the M1102 High Mobility 1¼ ton trailer. The complete system shall be air transportable to and from all Theaters of Operation via C-17 and C-130 aircraft. Startup: Set up time from transportation to standby mode shall be less than one hour (threshold); less than 30 minutes (objective) when performed by 3 people.Non-Lethal Effect: The target repel effect shall be immediate and continue as long as the operator engages the target or as long as the target is in the beam, to include personnel inside a vehicle. The effect shall not cause a significant injury to the targeted individual(s) or untargeted bystanders. Directionality: The system shall provide a steerable beam capable of traversing a full 360 degrees horizontal (threshold); offering full hemispherical coverage (objective). System Protection: The system shall offer ballistic protection via an armored Radome or other means  against 7.62mm Armor Piercing ball ammunition (threshold); .50 caliber Armor Piercing ammunition (objective). Life-Cycle Operation: The system shall be fully operable after storage, transportation (on and off road), handling, and environmental exposure as defined by Basic, Hot and Cold climatic conditions per Army Regulation 70-38. Engagement Rate: The system shall be able to engage a minimum of six (6) targets per minute and sustain that rate for up to one hour.  Then after a 3-hour recharging period, engage targets at the same rate for another hour. Accuracy: ≥ 90% of engagements shall result in affecting the intended human target with a visually observable response at all ranges.  This includes dismounted personnel as well as vehicle occupants. Efficacy: ≥ 95% of individuals engaged are compelled to move away. Power & Cooling: The system shall be self-contained and shall not rely on external power or cooling resources for operation.Non-Developmental Item. To the maximum, extent possible, the Solid State Active Denial System should be a non- developmental item as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2-101.Qualification. The Solid State Active Denial System must be capable of being qualified and demonstrate compliance to the listed notional requirements. This includes, but is not limited to compliance with MIL-STD-810 requirements for transportation, handling and environmental requirements for operation in climactic conditions of Basic, Hot, and Cold. Proof of or plans for a life-cycle environmentally hardened design suitable for all military environments and the associated verification process/results should be addressed in the response.Maintenance, Inspection and Repair. The Government desires a system with high durability, high reliability and minimal maintenance and inspection requirements at the field level. Any inspection, maintenance and repairs that may be necessary should be easily performed by deployed Army units.SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSAny resulting contract could potentially have a security classification at the Secret level or below (down to Unclassified). Any resulting contract shall comply with the specialty metals restriction of the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a and 2533b) in accordance with DFARS clauses 252.225-7008 and 252.225-7009.ELIGIBILITYThe applicable NAICS code for this requirement is (335999) with a Small Business Size Standard of 500 Employees. The Product Service Code (PSC) is 5865SUBMISSION DETAILSInterested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more than ten 8.5 X 11 inch pages, font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating ability to provide the products/systems listed in this Technical Description. Documentation should be in bullet format. No phone or email solicitations with regards to the status of the RFP will be accepted prior to its release.Your response to this Sources Sought, including any capabilities statement, shall be electronically submitted to the Contract Specialist, (insert contract specialist name), in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF), via email (insert the appropriate e-mail address) no later than 12:00 p.m. (Enter appropriate time zone) on XX Month 20XX and reference this synopsis number in subject line of e-mail and on all enclosed documents. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.If your organization has the potential capacity to provide the required products/systems, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, primary points of contact (POCs) and their email address, FAX, Web site address, telephone number, and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the requirements of this notice, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.(NOTE:  In accordance with FAR 10.001(b), agencies should not request potential sources to submit more than the minimum information necessary.)All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.