On 15 May, at the start of the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, U.S. Special Operations Command, Headquarters Procurement Division issued Solicitation Number USSOCOM_RFI_ST(TALOS), a special notice seeking industry collaboration with their Science & Technology community for the development of a Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS).

Before I go any further, this sounds fantastic and this is the stuff that SSD exists for, but two observations. First, this sure looks, sounds and smells like it should be a BAA. And, once again, I have to ask, why wasn’t this project begun at any point over the past 11 years of war? At any rate, here’s what SOCOM has in mind.

A. INTRODUCTION: Science and Technology (S&T) Collaboration
This Request for Information (RFI) is NOT a Broad Agency Announcement, solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this RFI is to solicit technology demonstration candidates from Research and Development (R&D) organizations, private industry, and academia for inclusion in future experimentation events coordinated by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). USSOCOM invites industry, academia, individuals and Government labs to submit technology demonstration nominations addressing innovative technologies leading to possible Government/Industry collaboration for development of USSOCOM technology capabilities supporting a Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS). The intent is to accelerate the delivery of innovative TALOS capabilities to the Special Operations Forces (SOF) warfighter.

After review of the technology demonstration nomination submissions, the Government may invite select candidates to demonstrate their technologies at the USSOCOM sponsored S&T demonstration event. The demonstration venue will provide an opportunity for the submitter to interact with USSOCOM personnel for the purpose of USSOCOM assessing potential impact of emerging technology solutions on USSOCOM missions and capabilities. The intent is to accelerate the delivery of innovative capabilities to the SOF warfighter. Industry participation in demonstration activities does not suggest or imply that USSOCOM will procure or purchase equipment.

B. OBJECTIVE:
1. Background: These collaborative S&T demonstrations are conducted with representatives from Government R&D organizations, Academia, and Industry. S&T demonstration events provide an opportunity for technology developers to interact with operational forces and Government development personnel to determine how their technology development efforts and ideas may support or enhance SOF capability needs. The environment facilitates a collaborative working relationship between interested parties to promote the identification and assessment of emerging and mature technologies for the primary goal of accelerating the delivery of technology discoveries to the SOF warfighter. The event facilitates USSOCOM personnel to identify potential technology solutions, impacts, limitations, and utility to meet SOF technical objectives and thrust areas. Materiel solutions brought to the event should be at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 or greater. Demonstrations may be between an hour and half a day in duration and may be conducted in unimproved expeditionary-like conditions. At the discretion of USSOCOM, respondents may be asked to complete a vendor loan agreement (see attachment).

2. Demonstration Focus: Demonstrations will be conducted from 8-10 July 2013, at or near MacDill AFB, FL and will explore emerging TALOS technology solutions for the advance enhanced mobility/protection capabilities to augment the direct assaulter. The goal of these demonstrations is to identify technologies which could easily be integrated to form an initial capability within twelve months. A secondary goal is to determine the feasibility of fielding objective capabilities within three years. Any TALOS technology-based demonstration conducted at the event shall be capable of supporting a SOF unit to provide a revolutionary improvement in SOF operations. Any and all TALOS solutions must include all necessary software and hardware to accomplish the mission. Direct Assaulter enhanced mobility/protective technologies may include, but are not limited to:

a. Advanced Armor: Materials to support next generation full-body ballistic protection
b. Mobility/Agility: Enhancement platforms such as powered exoskeletons
c. Situational Awareness (SA)
d. Light/noise discipline
e. Command, Control, Communications & Computers (C4): Such as conformable & wearable antennae and wearable computers
f. Individual soldier combat ready displays: Including non-visual means of information display, and potentially utilization of cognitive thoughts and the surrounding environment to display personalized information
g. Power generation and management
h. Thermal management of suit occupant
i. Medical: Embedded monitoring, oxygen systems, wound stasis, electromechanical compensation

Proposed solutions should take into consideration “lightening the load” of the operator, mentally and/or physically.

3. Security Requirements: Vendors should not submit classified information in the technology demonstration nominations.

4. Respondents interested in conducting demonstrations using technologies like: lasers, explosives, weapons using live fire, moving equipment, vehicles, and other technologies that present an occupational hazard shall prepare and submit a safety risk assessment. The risk assessment shall address the likelihood and severity of any inherent risks as well as risk mitigation measures required to bring the resultant risk to a low level. The risk assessment shall be submitted as an attachment to the experiment nomination. Reference MIL-STD-882D for instructions and information regarding risk assessments.

YADDA, YADDA, YADDA

Technology Demonstration nominations shall be submitted electronically via SORDAC’s BAA and RFI Submission Tool at http://www.socom.mil/sordac/Pages/BAAHome.aspx (like I said, sounds like a BAA to me)

YADDA, YADDA, YADDA

You’ll be responsible for your own expenses if you’re invited to participate. (I’m paraphrasing here.)

YADDA, YADDA, YADDA

D. BASIS FOR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE:
Selection of respondents to participate will be based on the extent to which the technology represents a particular class or level of capability that can be provided to SOF.
Other considerations include:
– Technical maturity
– Relevance of or adaptability to military operations/missions
– Relevance to current operational needs
– Relevance to Event Focus Area

And then, there’s a bunch of other stuff you need to read if you are going to participate.

You’ve only got a short time to get your nomination (Response Date:
May 31, 2013 4:00 pm Eastern) in so drop what you’re doing, right now, and go read the whole thing at www.fbo.gov