Title: Industry Participation in upcoming Project Management Office Aircraft Survivability Equipment (PMO ASE) Electro-Optical/ Infra-Red (EO/IR) Sensor and Threat Detection Demonstration Event
Description: The US Army Contracting Command Redstone on behalf of Project Management Office Aircraft Survivability Equipment (PMO ASE) hereby notifies qualified industry vendors of an upcoming EO/IR sensor and threat detection demonstration event and is inviting them to participate. The United States Government (USG) continues the approach of partnering with industry to assess the current and future state of EO/IR sensors and threat detection systems.
The industry vendors targeted for this demonstration are those with a technical product (assessed against the Sensor Technical Data paragraph), that may or may not be on contract with PMO ASE or another USG entity. Industry vendors currently under contract with PMO ASE please contact your USG contracting officer representative about participation in the demonstration event. Industry vendors currently under contract with another USG entity please have that USG entity or COR contact PMO ASE by email at usarmy.redstone.peo-iews.mbx.pdm-mw@army.mil with their interest to participate. The USG will not provide funding for industry to participate in the demonstration event. Industry participation is solely on a non-interference basis and USG testing may not stop for any industry vendor's technical issues. This special notice is not connected to any upcoming contractual opportunity or Request for Proposal (RFP).
Due to the limited amount of allocated space at the demonstration event, the USG may limit the number of interested industry vendors to participate in the demonstration event. The selection criteria for participation in this demonstration event is described in the Technical Section below. Currently, the USG anticipates space for up to 4 vendors, however to the maximum extent possible the USG will attempt to accommodate all vendors.
Brief Demonstration Description
The EO/IR Sensor and Threat Detection Demonstration Event is occurring simultaneously as part of the Improved Threat Detection System (ITDS) test program. The ITDS test event setup is currently scheduled to begin early March 2025. There will be a variety of threat events executed during the demonstration. Required support equipment to participate in the events and detailed event schedule will be discussed with selected vendors leading up to the demonstration event. The vendors will also be required to support an in-situ calibration, which should take no more than three days to execute assuming 4 vendors.
Special Notice (SN) Schedule in Calendar Days
Special Notice Posting - Day 1
Vendor submission for SN Demonstration Event - Day 7
USG notification of selected demonstration participants - Day 14
Technical Data for System Evaluation
This demonstration event is intended to assess the maturity of state-of-the-art sensors/systems. The intent of this data collection activity is to obtain data from a classical sensor characterization perspective and when applicable, system performance timelines, (e.g., detection, track, declaration, launch range estimate, time-to-go estimation) with respect to time after launch (TAL). It is expected that at a minimum the vendor brings at least one sensor and corresponding data acquisition unit/recorder. The vendor is encouraged to bring a processor/discrimination algorithm for the USG to better understand the maturity of the system. The USG recognizes that the vendor may want to bring the data back to their facilities after the completion of the test to refine threat detection algorithms. These facilities must be with the United States of America and the data must be analyzed by cleared US citizens. If this is the case, the USG expects field results and (potentially) updated set of results to be included in the final Demonstration Report. The report is expected at most 45 days after test completion. Presentation of the final out brief of the Demonstration Report will be provided at a USG sponsored location, or the vendor may be allowed to host the USG at no cost to the USG.
In support of the demonstration, the vendor is expected to provide a detailed list of the equipment/system that will be brought to the demonstration site. Furthermore, it is expected that all sensor technical data should be provided for the specific sensor(s) brought to demonstration, as well as for any future changes that may be proposed for the system. All technical data should be provided in a tabular form, i.e., not just plots/images.
If the number of responses exceeds the available space in the test range, priority will be given in the following order:
1.) Additional sensors from vendors participating in ITDS Phase I, with all requested Sensor Technical Data (as outlined below).
2.) Vendors that were placed in the library after Phase I down select, with all requested Sensor Technical Data (as outlined below).
3.) Vendors with more advanced technologies than PM ASE currently has or is currently testing, with all requested Sensor Technical Data (as outlined below).
4.) Complete Systems (Sensor, Processor and Algorithms) with all requested Sensor Technical Data (as outlined below).
5.) Sensors with all requested data deliverables (as outlined below).
However, all vendors are required to deliver the information outlined in the Section Data Products from the demonstration event, in text or tabular form.
Sensor Technical Data
1. Normalized Total Sensor Spectral Response (NTSSR) as a function of wavelength for each applicable band. NTSSR should be sampled over the field of view of the sensor to provide understanding of any changes in the spectral response. Source of the spectral response, i.e., measured or computed, the desire is to obtain the actual set of curves (in each applicable band) as opposed to just the full width half points or the minimum and maximum spectral extent. Normalization is performed using the maximum value of the total sensor spectral response (TSSR).
2. Architecture of Focal Plane Array (FPA)/Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC)
a. Details on how ROIC works, e.g., Analog/Digital, sampling methods
b. Multi-band sampling method, e.g., stacked array, reverse bias, sequential versus simultaneous
c. Temporal simultaneity in sampling
d. Any other information specific to your architecture
3. Responsivity in units of [W/cm^2/ cpf], where cpf stands for delta counts per frame or difference in counts at all applicable frame rates..
4. Sensor native frame rate, and the frame rate used to for detection, tracking, signature extraction, and discrimination. For example, a sensor may collect data at 400Hz but processes tracks at 100Hz.
5. Sensor Duty Cycle (i.e., integration period over the frame rate
6. Pixel Bit Depth
7. Dynamic Range
8. NEI as a function of temperature Measurements at the center and edges of the Field of View (FOV). This is often a single number BUT it is desired to have the actual image used to evaluate the NEI to look at sensor uniformity.
9. Sensor Point Spread Function as a function of flux level to understand blooming effects. The term Sensor Point Spread Function is used to differentiate form the term Point Spread Function where the former captures the effects of both the optical system and the sensing elements (detector/ROIC) as a function of flux (FPA).
10. Sensor FOV
11. Sensor effective IFOV (instantaneous field of view).
12. Fill Factor
13. Sensor FPA density (i.e., 512 x 512)
14. Distortion Map/Pixel to angle conversion.
15. Bad Pixel Map, e.g., Dead Pixels, Blinking, Stuck High/Low, etc. Strategy for mitigation of bad pixels
16. Describe any characteristics associated with the sensor material and ROIC that may be unique to your system
17. Pixel Pitch
18. En-Squared Energy
19. Software to read the sensor data collected by the data acquisition unit (DAU). Matlab, is preferred, but Python or C/C++ are acceptable environments for the reader.
20. At least two sample files (in all relevant bands and integration times), that can be used to exercise the reader.
Data Products from the Demonstration Event
1. Description of image preprocessing that may have occurred in order to get the data ready for detection algorithms, e.g., Dynamic Non-Uniformity Correction (DNUC), bad pixels, temporal or spatial alignment, temporal integration, etc.
2. Post NUC Imagery from demonstration event at the native frame. This is expected to be delivered after each event, and before departing the range.
3. When applicable, Pre-processed Imagery from demonstration event prior to be ingested by a detection or tracking algorithms.
4. Reader Software updates to read all sensor data.
5. Notes of their start and end times of each event (with some comments/descriptions), so we can easily focus on the frames needed for analysis and review.
6. If a system processor was utilized, the Government expects performance assessment data that includes but is not limited to detection, tracking, declaration, launch range estimate, time-to-go estimation, etc. All these parameters are reference to time-after-launch (TAL).
Vendor Submission Instructions
Vendors considering a response to this SN must possess a current and validated U.S. SECRET Facility Clearance Level (FCL) with the ability to store, process, and generate classified data. Provide a list of industry partner team members that would be involved with collecting and analyzing the data. Any industry partner team member that does not have a secret clearance will be limited in the amount of information available to them. All parties to this Agreement shall comply with the requirements of the U.S. Department of State International Traffic in Arms Regulations (Title 22, CFR Parts 120-130), the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations (Title 15, CFR 730-774), and any other U.S. Government regulation applicable to the export/ import, re-export, or disclosure of controlled technical data to Foreign Nationals. Please send the industry partner team members' secret clearances to PMO ASE SMO Code at W6DP01-PEOIEWS ASE 6-118 and list the reason as Industry EO/IR Demonstration Event Participation . Proposed industry vendors with Foreign Control and Influence (FOCI) shall provide the Defense Security Service (DSS) FOCI mitigation instrument implemented (i.e., SSA, Proxy, etc) and any imposed limitations. This information shall be provided to PMO ASE, Security Manager, Ms. Vicky Cooper, vickie.c.cooper.civ@army.mil
The USG requests that prospective industry vendors submit an electronic response (Microsoft Office Word 2016 or higher or PDF format) of not more than (10) pages of unclassified or classified information, 8.5" x 11" paper, 12-point, Times New Roman font, with a minimum of one (1) inch margins all around, describing the vendors equipment that will be utilized at the demonstration event and other requirements discussed in this Special Notice. The following items will not count against the prospective vendor's (10)-page submission page count limit: title page, executive summary pages (although information in the executive summary shall not be relied upon to establish the prospective industry partner's satisfaction of the qualification requirements), and table of contents pages. Pages devoted solely to stating the industry partner's name, industry partner's contact name, industry partner's mailing address, position, telephone number, e-mail address, cage code, and industry vendor's Uniform Resource Locator (URL) also will not count against the five (10) page limit. Note that industry partner respondents shall designate a single point of contact for receipt of all information pursuant to this special notice. Unclassified electronic submission shall be submitted by email directly to Army Contracting Command (ACC), Contracting Officer, Ms. Ashley Bowers, ashley.w.bowers.civ@army.mil. Classified electronic submission shall be submitted by SIPR directly to PMO ASE, MW Tech Chief, Mr. Christian Enyinda, christian.i.enyinda.civ@mail.smil.mil. Industry partners that do not provide adequate qualification attributes required by the Army will not be considered to participate in the USG testing. Vendor responses are due seven (7) days after SN posting.
Classification Requirements: Vendors considering a response to this SN must ensure compliance with the US Army Version ASE Security Classification Guide (SCG). Vendors must contact PMO ASE, Security Manager, Ms. Vicky Cooper, vickie.c.cooper.civ@army.mil to be vetted for access to the ASE SCG (require vendor POC contact information and vendor cage code), once validated the SCG will be sent to the vendor POC with handling and disposition instructions. Classified responses to this SN must be shipped in accordance with DOD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), section 4. Transmission. The vendor must have the appropriate Defense Security Service (DSS) facility clearance to submit a classified response. The instructions and address for classified responses or documentation is:
USPS REGISTERED/EXPRESS INNER WRAPPING:
PEO IEW&S, PMO ASE
ATTN: (POC NAME)
PM 6726
REDSTONE ARSENAL AL 35898
USPS REGISTERED/EXPRESS OUTER WRAPPING:
PEO IEW&S, PMO ASE
ATTN: SECURITY OFFICE
PM 6726
REDSTONE ARSENAL AL 35898
FEDEX INNER WRAPPING: (CONUS ONLY)
PEO IEW&S, PMO ASE
ATTN: (POC NAME)
6726 ODYSSEY DRIVE
HUNTSVILLE, AL 35806
FEDEX OUTERWRAPPING: (CONUS ONLY)
PEO IEW&S, PMO ASE
ATTN: SECURITY OFFICE
6726 ODYSSEY DRIVE
HUNTSVILLE, AL 35806
Response Due Date
All responses are due 1200 Central time (CDT) on 24 January 2025. No phone calls will be accepted. Untimely submissions will not be accepted. Any industry vendor which does not submit a timely response to this special notice will not be permitted to participate in the USG demonstration.
