SOURCES SOUGHT - FAMILY OF MUZZLE BRAKES AND SUPPRESSORS (FMBS)

This synopsis is being posted to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website located at http://www.fbo.gov, the Navy Electronic Commerce on Line (NECO) website located at https://www.neco.navy.mil/, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Acquisition website located at http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/crane/working/contracting/default.aspx . FBO is the primary point of entry to be used when access to synopses and solicitations from the World Wide Web is required. However, the NECO webpage as well as the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Acquisition webpage serve as alternatives if the FBO website is unavailable. MARKET SURVEY - SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS: The Government is issuing this sources-sought announcement as part of a market survey. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division is seeking information pertaining to Significant Technological Advances in Signature Suppression for Small Arms employed by Special Operations Forces (SOF) for carbines, light machine guns, medium and heavy machine guns, and sniper rifles including, but not limited to the M4A1, MK11, MK12, MK13, MK14, MK15, MK16, MK17, MK18 CQBR, MK19 40mm MG, MK20 (SSR), M110, M9, MK23, M11, M1911A1, M27 IAR, Remington 870, Mossburg 500, M2HB, MK44/M134, MK47 ALGL, M240 family, M249, MK46 and MK48 Crew Served Weapons. This effort is named Family of Muzzle Brakes and Suppressors (FMBS) until such time as the Government may assign formal nomenclature. The FMBS effort is underway to identify marked improvement in performance over fielded signature suppression items and to extend signature suppression to designated weapons currently without signature suppression. The Weapons Accessories (WPNAC) Special Operations Peculiar Modification Kit (SOPMOD) Program managed at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is interested in receiving product information in support of the FMBS mission area. This submission may be in the form of commercial product literature, operating instructions, and/or supplemental technical documentation that define the item and associated hardware. Specific areas of interest for advanced technology are listed below. • Advancements in Materials and Designs • Point Of Impact (POI) Shift Repeatability, Reduction, and Elimination for suppressed/non-suppressed fire with both hot and cold weapons • Improvements in Flash, Sound, Thermal and Chemical Suppression • Recoil Management • Size & Weight Reduction • Improved Methods of Attachment and Integration • First-shot Flash Reduction • Improved Sustainability for Life Cycle Cost Reduction • Improvements in System Accuracy, Interoperability and Reliability • Blowback/System Pressure Management • Improvements in Tactical/Operational Suitability Potential sources should also provide any test results on the item if applicable. A technical description of the product, such as physical characteristics, operational features, performance data, photographs, and physical characteristics should be included. Submissions may be sent by any government or non-governmental entity including commercial firms, non-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education with degree-granting programs in science and/or engineering (universities), or by consortia comprising such concerns. The WPNAC Program encourages participation by small business, small disadvantaged business, HUB Zone small business, woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, and historically black colleges and universities and minority institutions (HBCUs/MIs). Papers should be for technology development, exploitation and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding. Papers will be evaluated for potential development programs including Defense Acquisition Challenge, Foreign Comparative Test, and Small Business Innovative Research. Additional objectives are to define and develop technologies which have potential for future integration into system designs. All interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit an initial synopsis (commonly referred to as white paper). This white paper should not exceed 10 pages, with an executive summary (short paragraph) on the effort, a technical description of the effort, a preliminary schedule, identification of risks, current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and a rough cost estimate. Offerors should submit the white papers electronically. Offerors who submit acceptable white papers prior to 5:00 p.m. on 04 February 2011 may be given the opportunity to brief their submissions at the USSOCOM Suppressor IPT meeting to be held in Tampa, FL in March. Specific times and places for the briefings will be coordinated through the WPNAC Program office. Submittals after this date will still be accepted, although there is no guarantee they will be evaluated. It should be noted that the Government plans to utilize employees from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Wexford Group International (WGI), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) and possibly other direct Government contractors as advisors to the Government. At the current time, NO FUNDING IS AVAILABLE for contractual efforts. This sources sought synopsis does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and it should not be construed as a commitment of any kind by the government to issue a formal solicitation or ultimately award a contract. The US Government is in no way liable to pay for or reimburse any companies or entities that respond to this announcement. Any costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will NOT be reimbursed. White papers may be submitted any time prior to expiration of this announcement. The following e-mail point of contact is provided for information regarding technical programs/technologies of interest within the warfare areas supported by the WPNAC SOPMOD Program and for submission of white papers: Mr. J. Liam Donovan, [email protected]. NSWC Crane Contracting Office Point of Contact is Dennis J. Ball, [email protected]. Reference the above Sources Sought Announcement number when responding to this notice.