The Program Executive Office Special Operations Forces Warrior (PEO-SW) and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) will be holding “Industry Collaboration Days” on 24-25 October 2018. The purpose of this event is to provide industry with an opportunity for a focused engagement with members of PEO-SW and JSOC to share ideas that facilitate the delivery of innovative capabilities to Special Operations Forces (SOF).
SOFWIC will be held on Wednesday, October 24th, 2018 at the Tampa Marriott Westshore and the JCTE Solutions Event will be held on Thursday, October 25th, 2018 at Building 501E, MacDill AFB, FL 33621.
SOCOM is interested for a variety of technologies supplied by SSD readers. There won’t be a test, but you should expect to see formal requirements generated for many of these items.
In order of priority by commodity area:
(1) Ground Mobility
a. Drivetrain and Locking Differentials Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV 1.1) – Technology that will allow for transaxle replacement to increase reliability.
b. Suspension/Shock technology (GMV 1.1/LTATV/GMV 1.0)
(i) Vehicle – Suspension system related upgrades/replacement to increase performance, durability, and reliability.
(ii) Occupant – Vehicle occupant technology that improves the isolation between the input from the terrain and the corresponding input to an occupant.
c. Lifecycle Cost Reduction Light Tactical All Terrain Vehicle (LTATV), Non-Standard Commercial Vehicle (NSCV), Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV 1.0 and GMV 1.1) – Novel approaches to reduce the lifecycle costs (namely production and sustainment) associated with braking, suspension, and other vehicular systems. Current C4ISR components (antennas, mounts, cables, etc.) are expensive and long lead in nature. The Government is targeting reduced costs, improved lead times, and equivalent capability to our current SOF suite of C4ISR (LoS, SATCOM, ECMS).
d. 360 Degree Situational Awareness MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) – Armored vehicles provide protection, but at the expense of situational awareness around the vehicle. Seeking an affordable, durable, and efficient solution to enable all occupants in the vehicle to have visibility around the vehicle.
e. Payload Enhancement (GMV 1.1/LTATV) – solutions that enable the vehicle to carry more payload without significantly degrading performance.
f. Tow Bars (GMV 1.1, GMV 1.0, M-ATV) – Low Cost, lightweight, rapidly attached/utilized, rugged, durable tow bars for use on the medium and heavy family of vehicles (10k-40k lbs).
g. Battery Technology (NSCV, GMV 1.1) – Mature 12 Volt battery technology for cold temp start and/or reduced size without degrading Cold Cranking Amperage or AMP hours. Mature battery technologies that can withstand cold start scenarios down to -50 F and also extend the timeline for silent watch. Reducing size, but not performance, is ideal as well. Certified for flight is required.
h. Purpose Built NSCVs (Modular Purpose Built Chassis or common purpose built drivetrain for SUVs and Trucks) – Cost effective solutions for reduced logistics or to allow vehicles that are commercial in appearance to be reset at the end of the lifecycle instead of disposed of and re-procured. This would also allow different bodies to be interchanged on a common chassis to reduce logistical costs. The concept of Purpose Built is governed by the fact that vehicles are not modified commercial vehicles, but rather purpose built vehicles with little to no reliance on commercial vehicles. Vehicles are anticipated to be designed to mimic late model vehicles typically found in central Asia (e.g., Toyota Hilux, Toyota Land Cruiser 200, and Toyota Surf); armored against ballistic threats; 10 year vehicle life (minimum); vehicle designed for one or more resets; 4 wheel drive with heavy duty brakes and suspension to accommodate gross vehicle weight; full skid plates and running boards; diesel engines; and left hand drive.
i. Enhanced Tire Technology, including both airless and other non-pneumatic solutions (GMV 1.1, LTATV) – Novel approaches addressing wheel/tire assemblies to allow for better suitability in soft soils and other asymmetrical or unconventional warfare environments. Tire technologies to allow for a broader range of environmental terrains (sand, mud, and rock), to include non-pneumatic types.
j. Light Vehicle Safety Improvements and Accessories (LTATV) – Improvements to general safety items to include (but not limited to): seating, roll cages, stability control, driver assist functions, etc.
k. Lightweight Armor (NSCV, GMV 1.1) – Novel lightweight and cost effective technologies that can replace current heavy transparent and opaque armor solutions on vehicle platforms. Heavy armor drives adverse mobility, reduced vehicle durability, and increases in related support component costs.
l. Low Cost, High Output Alternators for NSCVs – Targeting both 12V and 28V dual alternator combinations, along with high output single 12V and dual 12V solutions. The 28VDC alternator shall have a minimum of 130A (at 28VDC) output (80A at idle) and shall fit within the current engine compartment. Any single high-output alternator shall have a minimum 260 Amp (12 Volt DC) output rating at idle and engine operating temperature of 220 degrees F. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to determine the availability of solutions to replace the existing package within NSCVs, allowing flexibility for future growth, and to clear real estate in the engine compartment if we can achieve our requirements with a lower cost and smaller solution.
m. Driver Cognitive Workload Reduction (LTATV/GMV 1.1) – means of reducing driver cognitive workload in lone driving, or convoy driving situations up to and including solutions that eliminate the need for a driver altogether.
(2) Visual Augmentation Systems (VAS):
a. Signature Reduction technologies for Targeting Laser (Out of Band and Notional Laser) – Laser designation technologies that are able to be perceived through typical and widely fielded Image Intensification technologies. Notional laser could exist only in virtual reality and be perceived through an integrated augmented reality display inside an eyepiece of Night Vision Goggles (NVG).
b. Head-mounted Devices- Looking for weight saving technologies or novel methods to move weight off of the head.
c. Hand Held Devices- Seeking size, weight, and power enhancements on handheld VAS commodities.
d. Weapon Mounted Devices Seeking size, weight, and power enhancements on weapon mounted VAS commodities.
e. Power management, virtual reality (portable).
(3) Ammunition and Weapon Systems (A&W):
a. Signature reduction for Small Arms- Sound, Flash, and Thermal.
b. Machine Gun Suppressor capable of surviving high volume/rate of fire.
c. Intermediate Caliber (.338NM) – Long Range Machine Gun 2000m to include new tripod, long range- ruggedized optics, and polymer ammunition.
e. 6.5mm Sniper Support Rifle.
f. 6.5mm Assault Machine Gun.
g. Suppressor for MK27 Gen 4.
h. Thermal Beacon Technologies (Mid Wave Thermal Spectrum) range >10NM.
i. Precision Variable powered optics capable of acquiring targets at 50-1500m and beyond.
j. Precision Aiming laser with built in range finding (up to 2000m), ballistics, and environmental sensing capable of blue tooth and Near field communications.
i. Organic Strike Assets capable of providing precision fires on ranged targets (1k-50k).
(4) Soldier Protection, Survival, and Equipment Systems (SSES):
a. Armor – Novel technologies and designs that decrease weight while increasing level of protection.
b. Lightweight Rifle Protection Ballistic Helmet – Current lightweight ballistic helmets are limited to 9mm and fragmentation protection due to the weight required to achieve rifle protection. Seeking lightweight ballistic helmet that defeats the 7.62x39mm MSC projectile at muzzle velocity.
c. Special Operations Eye Protection – Laser protection (visible and IR); ability for a single lens to adapt to various lighting conditions near instantaneously.
d. Extremity Protection for Extreme High Altitude – Airborne operations are conducted at extreme high altitudes with air temps below -40 C. These temps can lead to vasoconstriction in the extremities. Seeking active heating capabilities to reduce likelihood of vasoconstriction and maintain dexterity during these airborne operations and throughout all phases of the mission.
e. Logistics – FIAR compliant internet accessible web application (certified mixed/feeder system) for the Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) program capable of property accountability, warehouse management, logistics/supply functions, financial, and personnel management data to include the conversion of measurements to sizes using an approved algorithm for Special Operations Forces-Peculiar (SO-P) individual equipment. Integration with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) logistics enterprise is mandatory.
(5) Tactical Combat Casualty Care Medical Systems (TCCC):
a. Novel FDA approved technologies that apply to individual casualty care and casualty evacuation.
b. Active Cooling and Heating Whole Blood Storage Container – As SOF medics transition from crystalloid and colloid to whole blood for traumatic hemorrhagic resuscitation they are facing major logistical challenges due to the limited temperature range for storing and transporting whole blood far forward on the battlefield. Seeking portable active cooling and heating storage container capable of holding 1-2 units of blood within the FDA regulation temperature range for 4-5 days. The light weight container should be small enough to fit inside of or attached to the current USSOCOM Medic Aid Bag and be powered by standard commercial batteries commonly found in a deployed environment.
c. Handheld Battlefield Ultrasound – SOF medics have a requirement for a handheld ultrasound device capable of use in a battlefield environment. Due to the space and weight limitations within the Special Operations medical aid bag, the battlefield ultrasound should be limited to a single universal transducer which can be used for a range applications. The single universal transducer must be durable enough for the battlefield environment and able to function on the Android operating system.
(6) Electronic Counter Measures (ECM):
a. Increased battery power density providing the same equipment operating life at a size/weight reduction of up to 50%.
b. High performance multi-band antennas that can be used for electronic countermeasures systems, communications systems, and other functions while reducing SWAP on platforms/operators.
(7) Counter – Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS):
a. Passive radar – radar detection that operates in a passive/promiscuous mode rather than active emitting. Ability for multiple/simultaneous detections.
b. Auto Pilot detection – detection of non-RF telemetry like Pixhawk, Mavlink, etc. autopilot drone modes. Small, lightweight, low power solutions.
c. Detection – detecting drones using LTE cellular technology.
d. Kinetic Defeat – small, lightweight kinetic/hard kill solutions.
(8) Find, Fix, Finish, Exploitation, and Analyze Capabilities (F3EA).
Interested parties must respond by Aug 31, 2018 5:00 pm Eastern. Visit www.fbo.gov for full details.