Description
The Missile Defense Agency is soliciting White Papers addressing proposed acquisition approaches to meet its objectives for targets, payloads and countermeasures to support the Ballistic Missile Defense System as outlined in the following draft Statement of Objectives: Statement of Objectives The Target and Countermeasures (TC) Directorate of the Missile Defense Agency is the materiel developer of all targets, payloads, and countermeasures for the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and the BMDS Elements. Responsibilities include assessment and organization of requirements, design, prototyping, development, procurement, validation, certification, product improvement, qualification testing, launch services and range support of a suite of targets and countermeasures that provide a realistic adversary capability challenge to the evolving layered missile defense system. The TC Directorate shall assure that targets and countermeasures leverage available and emerging technologies from domestic and foreign sources, and that the acquisition programs are capabilities driven, employ spiral development processes, and deliver expected performance within cost and schedule at reasonable risk. The Missile Defense Agency will therefore acquire all targets, payloads, and countermeasures (heretofore referred to as ?targets?) of the BMDS under the management of the Target and Countermeasures Directorate. The key objectives of this acquisition program are: ? Reduce target cycle time (from target purchase order through launch) while maintaining success--Implement proactive, system wide business and technical innovations in conjunction with Government processes necessary to compress target-on-the-pad cycle time in balance with acceptable performance risk and affordability. ? System level management--Establish and enforce system level management procedures over the collective span of targets execution activities. ? Cost containment--Manage the targets technical trade-space and cycle time advances in balance with a prioritized, time-phased investment strategy. To achieve these key objectives, consideration should be given (but not limited) to: ? Systems Engineering, Innovative Solutions and New Target Development o Conduct target modification, advanced concept, and new development trade studies for cycle time advantage and inventory efficiency o Support the target development process from capability specification generation through target validation and certification o Manage interface controls o Serve as a catalyst for innovation and identify opportunities to improve targets and/or development processes o Execute new target development efforts ? Provide Threat-Credible Test Articles ? Inventory and Inventory Management and Support Services o Develop processes and procedures to maintain existing inventories to include aging surveillance efforts o Ensure timely delivery of target capability that maximizes flexibility, reduces cycle time and controls costs o Integrate with existing GFE Supplies ? Launch Services and Range Support o Perform hardware integration/checkout o Conduct launch Operations o Perform data collection and reporting Interested companies capable of meeting all or part of the government's key objectives are invited to submit a not to exceed 20 page unclassified white paper outlining their recommended approach. Novel approaches are encouraged and should include but not be limited to: innovative approaches to ?buy? cycle time; developing alliances between/among industry/government entities; cost control initiatives; and incentive arrangements that ensure rewards and risks are equitably shared between government and industry partners. Proposed approaches should consider, but should not be constrained by, existing contracts or organizational relationships between the MDA, the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, AL, and the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, Albuquerque, NM. White Papers should reflect companies' experience relevant to the above objectives. White Papers should be addressed to Missile Defense Agency, 7100 Defense Pentagon, ATTN: Mr. Ken Rackers, Washington DC 20301-7100. White Papers must be received no later than 30 days after publication of this synopsis. This Request for Information (RFI) is for information and planning purposes only. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal or an announcement of solicitation. MDA anticipates hosting a series of 60-minute one-on-one discussions with firms interested in responding to this RFI during the period 25 February 2002 - 01 Mar 2002. The one-on-one discussions will be structured to respond to written questions from individual firms. Additional one-on-one sessions may be scheduled after receipt of and consideration of the White Papers. To schedule a one-on-one, contact Mr. Jim Snaman at (703) 697-2357. Costs for preparing White Papers in response to this Request for Information are not considered allowable direct costs to any contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs specified in FAR 31.205-18. White papers submitted in response to this Request for Information (RFI) will be used by MDA to develop its acquisition strategy for targets, countermeasures and payloads. Submission of a proprietary white paper may render it of limited value in the development of the acquisition strategy and future contracting vehicle/s. If you intend to include proprietary data, ensure that it is clearly marked and segregated within the body of the white paper, or included in a separate attachment. Contractor support personnel will be used to evaluate white papers submitted in response to this RFI. Individuals with access to proprietary data shall sign non-disclosure statements that shall be maintained on file and will not be allowed to submit white papers. Submission of white papers in response to this RFI constitutes permission to disclose information to contractor support personnel under these conditions. For approximate workload planning purposes, the level of flight testing conducted during any given year is dependent upon the missile defense system and element programs. Although testing cannot be predicted precisely, base planning estimates, as projected today, for the coming years are as follows: average of 12 flight tests per year ranging from 9 per year to 20 per year. The tempo of test activity is expected to increase from the level reflected in current plans.