The United States Department of Defense, specifically the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) within the Air Force Material Command (AFMC) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for commercial items to find potential vendors who can meet its Non-Cooperative Target Tracking (NCTT) requirement for sub-scale Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The RFI has been issued in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, and includes additional information specific to this procurement.
The primary focus of the NCTT project is the procurement and installation of sensor technologies that output Time Space Position Information (TSPI) data to required recipients. The project will provide Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or modified COTS display software to stakeholders as required, along with both fixed site and mobile assets that allow for optimized local and extended range tracking. The aim of the project is to create a Test and Evaluation (T&E) infrastructure that enables safe and dependable testing for autonomy and AI-centered test missions by providing reliable, independent situational awareness for UAVs and swarms.
This RFI is focused on radar products that are available in the marketplace to support sub-scale UAS and UAS swarms tracking. The AFTC is requesting information on current product lines to include relevant information for assessing the ability of the product to track sub-scale assets, such as Radar cross section, altitude, distance, scan rates, and number of vehicles tracked simultaneously. The 412 Test Wing is also interested in identifying companies that are willing to travel to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California for an Industry Day to provide a real-world product demonstration against sub-scale UAS assets.
The NAICS code for this acquisition is 334511, with a size standard of 1,250 employees. The outcome of the Industry Day test events will support the decisions for sensor type selection, evaluation for fixed site installations, mobile asset selection and planning, and determine the best mix of radars to meet identified Key Performance Parameters (KPPs).
Companies interested in participating in the RFI and Industry Day should respond by January 27, 2023 and be prepared to demonstrate their radar and display tooling against sub-scale UAS assets, which will be provided with 90-days prior to the industry day test events.
