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US Army Seeking Digital Printing Capability

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Natick has issued a Sources Sought Synopsis looking for companies that are capable of digitally printing on a variety of substrates (fabrics). Additionally, they must be capable of NIR and SWIR compliance. Specifically:

Natick Soldier Systems Center requires rapid printed fabrics for field/lab testing of camouflage patterns for use in woodland, transitional and arid environments that conform to visual, NIR and SWIR requirements.

The Army is interested in prints on 50/50 Nylon/Cotton Ripstop Fabric, 500D Cordura and Rayon/Para-Aramid/Nylon Ripstop Fabric.

Notice in the documentation they reference Woodland, Transitional and Arid patterns? They go on and on about this, repeating it four times which tells me that, despite the contractual machinations currently (not) underway with Crye Precision for OCP (MultiCam), Natick is committed to working with a family of camouflage consisting of a Transitional pattern combined with Bookend Woodland and Arid patterns. Perhaps someone has realized that they actually own the Scorpion pattern (seen below), a precursor to MultiCam developed for the Objective Force Warrior program and can do pretty much anything they want with it. Then again, maybe not.

At this point, the Army is in a bit of quandry, having banked on a soft transition to OCP. Now, no one seems sure if the Army will be capable of moving away from the UCP camouflage. If a friend asked me in October if I knew what was happening I’d say “yes.” If they asked me now, I’d tell a story that sounds like a plot to an episode of “Three’s Company” and say “Not so much.”

As for trying to keep up; the Army is getting pretty savvy on releasing solicitation notices that deal with developmental camouflage issues on FedBizOpps. Looks like they’ve figured out that folks are keeping an eye on them so they are issuing them without any discussion of camouflage on the actual notice. Take for instance this one. It is titled “Fabric Printing BPAs.” You have to get down into the attachments to see what is really going on. Sneaky, Sneaky. But don’t worry Army, we will keep an eye out for you to help keep you honest. Since the Army likes to alter the public record by deleting postings once they’ve been brought to light on SSD, we’ve included the meat of what the Army is looking for below.

Click to download: CAMO_BPA2_Spec23Jan2014

If you’re interested in answering up, you’ve got until February 4th.

For the full Sources Sought Synopsis visit Fabric Printing BPAs.

Tags: Natick
Posted in Camo, Contracts | 41 Comments »

Revision Awarded Contract for SPS Integrated Head Protection System

Sunday, January 12th, 2014

Essex Junction, VT, USA (January 8, 2014) -– Revision Military, a world leader in protective soldier solutions, wins a contract for PEO Soldier’s Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) Soldier Protective System (SPS). The 2 year development-to-acquisition program is to refine the U.S. Army’s next generation helmet system, a contract worth an initial $783,000 with additional options valued at $15 million.

Revision’s IHPS small arms helmet serves as the foundation for the company’s proposed head protection system. The helmet’s optimized shell design contours the shape of the wearer’s head, increasing their area of coverage and protection while reducing system weight and unneeded space. The system weighs less than existing combat helmets and includes upgradeable mandible and visor protection. It also features an innovative retention and netted suspension system with dial-in comfort settings and high-impact ballistic padding. The suite includes modular ballistic armor plates that can be applied to the helmet’s exterior for an increased level of protection.

“Revision is proud to have been selected as a development partner for the U.S. Army’s next-generation head protection system,” explains Jonathan Blanshay, CEO of Revision. “With lineage emerging from NSRDEC’s HEaDS-UP Program and our history in protecting the soldier, the IHPS is a tailorable protection suite that will increase survivability through capability and technology. The use of next generation ballistic materials and progressive manufacturing techniques has allowed for increased protection at a lighter weight. We’re proud to provide a solution that ensures soldiers’ mobility on the battlefield while allowing them to tailor the system to their mission.”

PEO Soldier’s intent for this program is to conduct iterative human factors testing leading to ballistic and non-ballistic testing and the eventual fielding of an initial quantity of 7,000 systems to a U.S. Army Brigade, prior to moving into full rate production. The Army intends the IHPS SPS system to be their next, widely fielded head protection system.

www.RevisionMilitary.com

Tags: Revision
Posted in Contracts, Helmets | Comments Off on Revision Awarded Contract for SPS Integrated Head Protection System

Thales Australia Solicitation For Weapon Accessories

Sunday, January 12th, 2014

Thales Australia is seeking Expressions of Interest for the provision of small arms accessories for an ongoing Australian Department of Defence procurement program. They will be commencing small arms accessories product analysis and testing in early 2014 under their current Land 125 Ph3C contract. Their primary area of focus is a small arms surveillance and target system ancillaries for fitment to Thale’s EF88 weapon system.

The ancillaries suite is to comprise of several elements that can be fitted by means of the STANAG 4694 rail system. These elements should provide surveillance, target acquisition, and point engagement by day and night. These elements should be compact, lightweight, simple, and robust while delivering the required performance.

The required elements:

Enhanced Day Sight Capability.

Backup/reversionary aiming capability – preference to be fitted concurrently with day sight.

Weapon Support Capability (bipod) – fitted in place of grenade launcher or foregrip.

Laser Aiming and Illumination Device (LAID) Capability – to be fitted concurrently with day sights and when in-line Image Intensifier is fitted to weapon.

Laser Aiming and Illumination Range Finding Device (LAIRD) Capability – to be fitted concurrently with day sights and when in-line Thermal Imager or Image Intensifier is fitted to weapon.

In-Line Image Intensification System (IIS) Capability – required to be fitted concurrently with Enhanced Day Sight (but not thermal imager).

In-Line Thermal Imaging System (TIS) Capability – to be fitted concurrently with Enhanced Day Sight (but not Image Intensifier).

Foregrip Capability.

More information can be found under the L125 Phase 3C Stage 2B EOI Supplier Information Template.

www.thalesgroup.com/en/australia/thales-seeking-expressions-interest-small-arms-accessories

Tags: Thales Australia
Posted in Contracts | 7 Comments »

More BAE Systems Body Armor Headed To Warfighters On The Battlefield

Wednesday, December 4th, 2013

PHOENIX, Arizona — For more than four decades, BAE Systems has partnered with customers worldwide to develop affordable, practical solutions to protect warfighters in harm’s way and bring them home safely. Under several recently issued contracts valued at a total of nearly $18 million, BAE Systems will continue to provide hard armor inserts for soldiers on the battlefield.

“The body armor is designed with the specific purpose of stopping armor-piercing bullets,” said Ashoo Agarwal, a quality engineer at BAE Systems. “Our team of engineers works hard to ensure every plate we make meets a rigorous set of requirements and standards. This commitment to quality helps protect warfighters around the world.”

Among the contracts issued is a $10.2 million order from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency for Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI); an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract award for up to $6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for SPEAR BALCS inserts and a $500,000 research and development contract from the U.S. Marine Corps for Enhanced Concealable Small Arms Protective Inserts.

Hard armor inserts are worn inside the fronts, backs, and sides of outer tactical vests and provide advanced torso protection against increased threats on the battlefield. They are fully qualified by the U.S. government through arduous and independent physical, environmental, and ballistic testing.

Since 1998, BAE Systems has produced more than 1.2 million hard body armor inserts, including ESAPI and other SAPI derivatives, under various Department of Defense contracts. BAE Systems manufactures body armor at its Phoenix, Arizona facility. Deliveries on these orders are expected to be complete by April 2015.

www.baesystems.com/

Tags: BAE Systems
Posted in Armor, Contracts, Industry | 1 Comment »

Gentex Awarded Integrated Helmet Protection System Contract For U.S. Soldier Protection System

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

Gentex Corporation was awarded a contract of $1.3 million for Phase 1 Development Testing of the Integrated Head Protection System (IHPS) component of the Soldier Protection System (SPS) by the U.S. Army. A multiple sequential contract, the overall contract value opportunity is $18 million.

The Gentex IHPS consists of an advanced, lightweight ballistic shell, an adjustable suspension system with an improved impact liner, a high stability retention system, a maxillofacial system (including visor and mandible), and passive hearing protection. The new system will be light weight with enhanced ballistic and non-ballistic protection, while providing superior comfort and fit, as well as earlier donning and doffing.

The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), which provides comprehensive contracting support to meet the needs of the Joint Warfighter worldwide.

www.gentexcorp.com

Tags: Gentex
Posted in Contracts | 5 Comments »

Ops-Core Awarded Contract To Supply UAE With Ops-Core FAST Ballistic High Cut (XP) Helmet

Thursday, November 14th, 2013

We received this announcement from Gentex for the UAE adoption of the Ops-Core FAST Helmet. It’s a great helmet and we see more widespread adoption of the design internationally. Congrats guys!

Ops-Core, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gentex Corporation and the recognized world-leader in modular integrated helmet systems for elite defense and security forces, was awarded a contract to supply the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidential Guard with its Ops-Core FAST Ballistic High Cut (XP) Helmets.

Field proven ballistic protection and modular design played a leading role in selection of the helmet by the UAE military unit. “The UAE Presidential Guard relies on gear that provides protection and performance in hostile and challenging environments,” said Chandra Sankar, vice president of Ground Systems for Gentex Corporation. “The contract affirms our customers’ confidence in the quality and capability of our products and our continued growth in international markets.”

The Ops-Core FAST Ballistic High Cut (XP) Helmet is a lightweight modular helmet system designed for protection, comfort, and stability. XP Helmets also provide a solid platform to easily add compatible accessories such as Night Vision Goggles, and Mandibles and Visors, to suit mission needs such as mission documentation, breaching/ATV exercises, and night and airborne operations.

The FAST Ballistic High Cut (XP) is part of the Ops-Core helmet system portfolio designed to provide the modern warfighter with the best equipment for every mission. Product focus ranges from fielding the lightest integrated helmets in the world to providing holistic head borne systems with the most protective coverage and situational awareness capability. Customers can choose between types of threat protection, weight and price. Different shell versions use the same liners, retention and integration components to maintain compatibility. Operators can match the best equipment with their needs and outfit more personnel with the right equipment in various positions, while keeping within budgetary and logistic constraints.

www.ops-core.com

www.gentexcorp.com

Tags: Gentex, Ops-Core
Posted in Contracts, Helmets | 7 Comments »

US Army Seeks Flame Resistant and Non-Melting, Next-to-Skin Fabrics

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Yesterday, the Army Contracting Command issued a Request for Information (RFI) / Market Survey on behalf of Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM-SCIE) and the US Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Command, (NSRDEC) in Natick, MA for Flame Resistant and Non-Melting, Next-to-Skin Fabrics.

In particular, the wish “to identify domestic products, suppliers and manufacturers as potential sources of knitted fabrics suitable for use in three next-to-skin garment types. These garment categories include:
A. Base layer underwear
B. Base layer underwear capable of maintaining a snug fit when soft ballistic protection is added.
C. Flame resistant shirts capable of maintaining fit and positioning of integrated ballistic protection.
1. Sleeve and side panel fabric (must have capability to be printed in IR compliant camouflage patterns)
2. Torso fabric”

In addition to basic information on any company that submits, the Government also needs:
-A fact sheet or white paper, detailing properties of the submitted fabrics, technical parameters, manufacturing location, relevant company background/experience and documented test/analysis information that would indicate performance properties against the required physical properties listed above.
-Five yards of each submitted fabric.
-Pricing for each submitted fabric in dollars per linear yard.

The RFI goes on to state that, “the Government may purchase up to 100 yards from one or more respondents for prototype development. ”

Most important, companies must review this document for salient performance characteristics.

Perspective companies have until November 29th, 2013 to respond. Full details are at the FBO posting.

As always, I will remind SSD readers that this is NOT a solicitation but rather a means to gather information from industry on the current state of the art. I encourage participation as these exercises influence future requirements.

Tags: Natick
Posted in Contracts, FR, Materials, PEO-Soldier | 11 Comments »

UPDATED – US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort Update – OCP Contract Documents Removed From FBO

Friday, October 18th, 2013

Curiouser and Curiouser. This morning the US Army Contracting Command removed both the Notice of Intent to negotiate a license contract with Crye Precision for Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern as well as the associated redacted J&A published one week ago, from Federal Business Opportunities which serves to notify the public of Government procurement information.

Below is a copy of the justification and approval that was removed. A J&A is a legal review of a justification to purchase a product or service from a sole source without open competition. ~~Unfortunately, we do not have screenshots of either FBO notices but if any readers have copies we will post them as updates to this story.~~

Click to view .pdf

There could be several reasons that one or the other of these public record notices might be removed, but both? Within 30 minutes of one another? It is rare that entire postings are removed. Generally, they are updated or cancelled outright but not removed altogether. We have determined that the notices were not removed by the office of the POC listed on the Notices but rather somewhere else and they were unable to explain the disappearance. All-in-all, this is odd. We are trying to determine what is going on.

UPDATE – I guess the old adage “You Can’t Run From The Internet” still rings true. Below are cached versions of the notices that were removed FedBizOpps.

Procure Government Purpose Rights for Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP)