Description
Title: Uncooled and Cooled Imaging Sources sought for equipment to be used as part of an Imaging Infrared Reconnaissance and Surveillance Kit. The equipment includes government or non-developmental commercially available IR imaging cameras, lens systems, displays, power supplies, cables and computer data interfaces. Background: Department of Defense (DoD) Forces need to have the capability to observe a target area from long distances and under lower lighting than the present equipment provides for, under both day and night conditions. They must be able to collect, store and transmit imagery at Near Real Time (NRT) in order to respond to the commander’s Primary Intelligence Requirement (PIR) for mission support. The equipment must be small, lightweight, and reliable. Problem: The present system does not have the desired night detection, recognition and identification (discrimination) range and low light capability. SOF would like to determine if infrared hardware exists that will augment or increase the night discrimination performance. The Government is seeking a COTS/GOTS small lightweight cooled or uncooled manually operated IR camera as a solution to this problem. The camera system will be carried in a waterproof and shock resistant transit case (bag or housing) that is not part of this solicitation. The Government or its system integrator can provide integration support such as cables, threaded adapters, or brackets to connect the system to the existing digital recorder or camcorder. Requirements: 1) Thresholds (T). The hardware only solution must satisfy the following requirements. The failure to meet any of the thresholds will be cause for rejection. 1.1) The camera system must be a GOTS/COTS non-developmental item is a threshold requirement (T). Integration or machining of adapters is permissible and support is available from the systems integrator. 1.2) The camera system must be available for user assessment within one week from the end of this solicitation (T). 1.3) The camera system shall be adaptable to or use an existing 6-inch Newtonian reflective lens. The manufacturer must be able to design and provide one prototype optical assembly within six month ARO that has the ability to correct the image of the 6 inch parabolic reflector and provide near diffraction limited resolution performance for an effective F-number of 1.2 or less (T). 1.4) The camera supplier shall provide one standard manual focus lens per thermal camera with a focal length between 25mm and 75mm with F-numbers between 1.0 and 2.0 (T) or one additional secondary manual focus lens with a focal length between 100mm and 200mm with F-numbers between 1.5 and 2.5 (T). 1.5) Two-camera system are required. One must collect target energy in the Midwave Infrared, MWIR, (3 microns to 5 microns) and the other must collect target energy in the Longwave Infrared, LWIR, (8 to 12 microns) spectral bands (T). Different suppliers may be selected for the two cameras 1.6) The Camera weight (without optics and cables) must not be more than 8 pounds (T).1.7) No special tools shall be required to assemble or operate the camera or the lens (T).1.8) The camera must be operable via battery power (~12 VDC) and wall plug power adapter (~110 VAC, 60 Hz or ~220 VAC, 50 Hz) (T).1.9) The camera and lens combination must be designed for hand held operation or mounting on a tripod via a 1/4-20 thread (T). 2) Objectives (O). The solution should satisfy the following objective requirements. 2.1 The camera characteristics of the MWIR or LWIR, cooled or uncooled camera should provide under ideal scenario and environmental conditions a 50% probability of detection for a person or probability of resolving two stationary people standing one-person width apart at a range of 5 Km when used with the existing 6 inch Newtonian reflector lens system (O). 2.2) Fixed or zoom optical systems with a maximum focal length and F-numbers consistent with the performance, size and weight objectives. 2.3) The camera weight (without optics) should be 5 pounds or less (O). 2.4) Adaptable to or use existing 6 inch Newtonian reflective lens. 2.5) The camera and lens should be easily assembled and fully operational in less than 5 minutes (O) 2.7) The diameter of camera system should not be more than 150mm (6 inches) (O). 2.8) The lens and camera system when assembled should not be more than 300 mm (12 inches long) (O).2.8) Upon set up, the camera will automatically go to default settings of every required function as predetermined by offerer (O). These settings may then be changed by user if desired (O). 2.9) Any required calibrations of the cameras will be performed automatically at offerer’s pre-determined time intervals (O). This calibration may be suspended by user if desired (O). Existing Hardware Characteristics: The present system uses the Stanford Photonics ICCD model XR4/M-OP and a Fujinon CCTV a 1" format, F2.8 - F18, 34-750mm zoom lens with c-mount that weighs less than 4.2 lbs. Initial Evaluation: The offerer must provide written information (15 pages or less including all tables and photos) in Microsoft Word format that describes the product and its capabilities as they compare to the requirements listed above. In addition to the above information, offerer will present his estimate of performance evaluation for the proposed hardware based on estimates of the Probability of Detection of personnel as a function of range or probability of resolving two people standing one person width apart at a range of 5 Km when used with the (1) Existing 6 inch Newtonian Reflector, (2) Standard Lens, (3) Secondary Lens. This estimate shall use the method described in “New metric for predicting target acquisition performance” Optical Engineering Vol. 43 No. 11, November 2004 pages 2806 – 2818. Richard H. Vollmerhausen, Eddie Jacobs, and Ronald G. Driggers, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, CERDEC, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate, Fort Belvoir, Virginia 2206. In addition, proposed hardware will be evaluated by the offerer and presented in the response based on its relative: (1) Camera size, weight and power requirements; (2) Standard and secondary lens size and weight; (3) Complexity of assembly and operation; (4) Training required to operate; (5) ROM Cost per camera and per lens. The offers must also provide a preliminary Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) estimate for the following items. Ordering period is from date of the contract award and will continue 12 months after contract award. The offers must provide a preliminary schedule After Receipt of Order (ARO) for these items. ITEM (I) 0001.1; DESCRIPTION (D) Lightweight Camera Kit; QUANTITY (Q) 150; TYPE (T) FFP; PRICE (P)$____; (I) 0001.2; (D) Optional Lens; (Q) 150; (T) FFP; (P)$____; (I) 0002; (D) Training Material for Course; (Q) 10; (T) FFP; (P) $____; (I) 0003; (D) Off-Site Travel to Ft. Bragg, NC; (Q) 1; (T) NTE; (P) $____; (I) 0004; (D) Component Repair Labor; (Q) 1; (T) NTE; (P) $____; (I) 0005; (D) Component Repair Materials; (Q) 1; (T) NTE; (P) $____; (I) 0010; (D) Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL); (Q) 2; (T) NTE; (P) $____. After review of the initial submission, selected offerers may be requested to provide a camera system for field evaluation by USSOCOM personnel. The camera systems will be evaluated using images recorded on digital media. A Panasonic CF-18 Toughbook laptop computer, Sony digital recorder, or camcorders will be used to store the video. After evaluation by USSOCOM, the statement of work will be finalized and the selected offer(s) will provide a detailed cost and schedule.