The Army has announced that they are going to offer the various vendors interested in pursuing the Individual Carbine solicitation a chance to check their candidate’s non-firing compatibility with the following “enablers”: M9 Bayonet; M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun Systems; M203A2 Grenade Launcher; M320A1 Grenade Launcher; M23 Blank Firing Adaptor; M68 Reflex Sight w/Mount; M150 Rifle Combat Optic; PEQ-15 (Laser/Light); PEQ-15A (Infrared Aiming Laser); AN/PAS-13; Thermal Weapon Sight; AN-PSQ-23 (STORM) (Multi-functional laser system); and the Grenade Rifle Entry Munition Training Round (GREM-TP) (inert round). Some of these products are expensive as well as all but impossible to source so this move is welcomed by many in the industry.
The non-firing compatibility check will be held at HP White Labs in Maryland at a date to be determined once registration for the opportunity has concluded. Each company will get 8 hours of initial time and an additional 4 if needed as follow up. The check is for attachment and detachment of the enablers only and no ammunition or batteries will be provided by the Government or allowed by the vendors.
Instructions directly from the solicitation:
“Interested vendors must register to participate by contacting Holly Gregg via email, at holly.gregg2@us.army.mil. The registration shall end ten (10) business days effective from the first day of this original posting and will be scheduled on a first come, first-served basis. After the Registration Period (23 May to 3 June, 2011) has ended, each vendor will be assigned a time slot to conduct their Compatibility check. The amount of time for the compatibility check will be the same for all vendors. Vendors are allowed to bring multiple weapons and three (3) representatives total will be enforced due to limited arms room space. The costs associated with the usage of H.P. Whites facility during the Compatibility Checks will be provided by the Government. No Government furnished property will be removed from H.P. Whites facility. Full accountability of the Government furnished property provided for this compatibility check will be maintained.”
wow..is this starting to look like a riged deal…or am i missing something…seems like a very short time frame to have a prototype ready to test compatible equipment with…im glad the goverments helping out with this problem…just seems like a hard dead line on such a complex design thier looking for.