Night Vision Device Systems Market Research

This Request for Information (RFI) is part of a market research effort by the Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) to assess advancements in Night Vision Device (NVD) technologies that could improve Coast Guard mission performance. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. The RDC is conducting research to identify both operational and advanced prototype technologies. "Operational" in this context refers to existing technologies and equipment that are currently used in commercial and/or Government application, while "advanced prototype" in this context refers to proven and near-proven technologies that are expected to be available in the commercial and/or Government market in the next 30 to 36 months. The RDC intends to use the information collected from this RFI to conduct detailed systems analysis that quantifies and evaluates technology readiness and applicability, device or equipment capability, and acquisition (non-recurring) and life-cycle operating costs (recurring). You are invited to respond with information to assist the RDC with its market research to identify potential sources of Night Vision Device technology. BACKGROUND The Coast Guard currently outfits and deploys its surface forces with older NVD systems. We are looking for technology that improves upon the capabilities of this type of device. This RFI is requesting solutions to increase the current technical capabilities of the existing NVDs and is not limited to the type of NVD currently deployed by the USCG. SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED The Coast Guard RDC desires detailed information regarding NVD technologies. Submissions can include new applications of proven technologies but this request is not seeking any low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) concepts. The following information, or best available estimate, is requested for each proposed product/technology. If multiple products/technologies are presented by the same entity, the information should be specific to each product/technology. The information requested below will be used by the RDC to assess the benefits of NVD capabilities against typical Coast Guard missions. The following questions/statements should be addressed for each product/technology described in your response to this RFI: A. General description of your NVD capability. What products/technologies do you have that have the potential to provide night vision to small boat operators, crews and gunners? B. What agencies, governments, or other maritime service providers currently use the product/technology you described? Has this technology been used in a maritime environment by boat operators? C. If your technology is not currently available as a Commercial Off-the-Shelf product: 1. Are there any development efforts or test activities currently underway or planned to mature your product/technology and/or assess its maturity? 2. Describe the effort required to mature your advanced prototype product/technology to a fully tested, ready for production (i.e. DOD TRL 7 or higher) in terms of development time and expense. D. Please provide a response to the information requested/measures of effectiveness in the following list. (Please define all distances given in feet or inches.) 1. Description of Technology 2. Night Vision Device Type Description a. Monocular b. Binocular c. Panoramic 3. Generation Type (i.e. I, II, III, III+) 4. NVD Technical Information & Specifications a. Photo Cathode Material b. Amplification Method & Gain c. Overall magnification capability (i.e. 1X, ) d. Field of View (degrees) e. Type of Film f. Receiver Screen i. Type/color g. Power/Battery requirements i. Type/Size/Weight ii. Operating life iii. Time between recharge or change iv. Start-up time h. Auto-gating capability i. Figure of Merit (FOM) j. Operating & Storage Temperatures 5. NVD Operating & Performance Characteristics a. Physical profile of entire unit i. Dimensions & profile ii. Weight of unit iii. Description of bracket attachment required to connect to Helmet b. Fusion Capability i. Description of Inputs (i.e. Thermal, laser, video, etc.) c. Ability to view CG instrument gauges and panels below 665 nm i. Description of how this is accomplished d. Ability of NVD to focus on objects close to user e. Impact on NVD vision capability through existing USCG small boat tempered glass windshields f. Impact of NVD device on user motion sickness g. Impact of NVD on user depth perception h. Impact of immersion in sea water; Is NVD submersible? 6. Rough Order of Magnitude Cost a. Initial Purchase b. Recurring costs (annual) i. Operation ii. Maintenance iii. Parts Note: The technologies of interest are intended to be used in a maritime environment which includes exposure to sea spray, wet conditions and vibration and shock commonly encountered in a small boat maritime environment. These conditions should be addressed with respect to each product/technology. RESPONDING TO THIS MARKET RESEARCH It is desired that responses to this RFI address all of the topics discussed in the ‘SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED.' Topics may be combined or treated individually. However, if information is not available for some of the topic areas, your submission is still of interest to the Coast Guard Research and Development Center. When responding to the RFI, please include the following information: • A one page cover letter that provides a brief summary of the response and indicating if supporting documentation is included. •Amplifying information that addresses all areas of information requested by this RFI in sections "SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED." If pre-developed marketing or technical information and specification sheets are provided, please include additional information, as necessary to "fill the gaps" between pre-developed material and the information required. Digital photographs, line drawings, and illustrations that clarify descriptive text are encouraged. •A description of any information relative to what products/technologies are currently available and what additional products/technologies may become available over the next 30 to 36 months. •If multiple products/technologies are presented by the same entity, the responses to these questions should be specific to each product/technology. •Provide a list of U.S. (or international) Government contracts for products/technologies where applicable •Provide any digital photos and/or digital videos of the products/technologies in operation if able. •In order to fully analyze the responses please include justification / amplifying information (e.g. reports, videos, actual applications, etc.) which supports your responses. •Please limit electronic responses to no more than 25 pages per product/technology (supporting documentation in the form of a glossary or attachments to the RFI response will not be counted towards the 25-page limit). If your RFI response is greater than 10 MB, please provide it on DVD media and mail it to: ATTN: MS. HELEN CARNES, CONTRACTING DIVISION U.S. COAST GUARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER 1 CHELSEA STREET NEW LONDON, CT 06320-5506 •Please identify if you are a Small or Large Business •The NAICS Code for this RFI is 333314 This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. Responses to this market survey should be sent to [email protected] . PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, VOICE MAIL MESSAGES LEFT WILL NOT BE RETURNED AND EMAILS WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO. Information submitted will be reviewed by Government personnel only at the USCG RDC. The deadline for final responses to the RFI is 27 February 2015. REMINDER: UNLESS RESPONSE IS GREATER THAN 10 MB, RESPONSES MUST BE EMAILED TO: [email protected]