69--69--Request for Information (RFI) for a new EST II Program: The purpose of this RFI is to identify companies which have technologies and expertise that can be or have been applied to the Small Arms Training task.

TITLE: ENGAGEMENT SKILLS TRAINER (EST II) - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) dated January 12, 2012 Notice Type: RFI Response Date: 15 days after Hands on Demo of EST or NLT 5 March 2012 Original Set aside: N/A Set Aside: N/A Classification Code: 69 - Training Aids and Devices NAICS Code: 333- Machinery manufacturing/333319 - Other Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE ACQUISITION: The U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), Program Management Combined Arms Tactical Trainers (PM CATT), Project Manager for Ground Combat Tactical Trainers (PM GCTT) is contemplating a new contract for a technical refresh of fielded Engagement Skills Trainers (EST)/marksmanship trainers and their weapons to a EST II, procurement of EST II systems and EST II weapons, New Equipment Training, Pre-Planned Product Improvements (P3I) on the EST II systems and weapons , and logistic support. This contract encompasses the application of current and emerging technologies to provide the required training capability through a technical refresh of its current systems and weapons, as well as procurement of new systems and weapons. This Request for Information (RFI) solicits industry's feedback augmenting the information received in the previous EST RFI dated 24 May 2011. PEO STRI is currently developing its acquisition approach as well as the Period of Performance (POP) of the contract. However, award will be made to that offeror who offers the Best Overall Value to the Government. This acquisition will require access to information classified as "Sensitive but Unclassified" or "For Official Use Only". BACKGROUND: The current Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) is a simulator that provides marksmanship training and trains soldiers on virtually all aspects of firearms training from calibrating weapons, to weapons qualification, to collective fire scenarios in numerous environments. The EST is a unit/institutional, indoor, multipurpose, multi-lane, small arms, crew-served and individual anti-tank training simulation that saves currently required ammunition resources, operation and personnel tempo, as well as travel time and costs to and from ranges. It enables training across three different modes: individual marksmanship; small unit (collective) gunnery and tactical training; and judgmental use of force (shoot/don't shoot (S/DS)), which includes Escalation of Force/graduated response scenarios. It simulates weapon training events that lead to live-fire individual or crew weapon qualification and training events currently not resourced under Standards in Training Commission (STRAC). Squad leaders are able to control and evaluate individual, fire team, and squad performance on numerous types of small arms weapons used by U.S. forces and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The EST Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) training reduces the requirements for remedial live-fire training. Soldiers must 'pass' marksmanship gates on the EST prior to going on the live range. Using the EST capability of rifle cant, trigger pressure, and before-the-shot, during-the-shot, and after-the-shot After Action Reviews (AARs), trainers can quickly identify and correct problems thus raising confidence and first-time qualifications. Currently, the Army uses EST for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) qualification as well as night-fire qualification. INTENDED CAPABILITIES FOR NEW EST II CONTRACT: 1. Primarily EST II shall provide high fidelity marksmanship training events utilizing both performance and results feedback. Trainees must be able to zero on the EST and apply the corrections to a battle-sight zeroed weapon and get reasonable accuracy on a live-fire range. a. System point accuracy 0.2 mils with round to round ammunition dispersion based on U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) ballistics. b. Pseudo real-time Line Of Sight (LOS) correlation to the projection screen. c. Pseudo real-time Point of Aim (POA)/Point of Impact (POI) for all rounds fired. d. High fidelity After Action Review (AAR) at student and Instructor Operator Station (IOS). e. High fidelity weapon interface for Form, Fit and Function with Magazine loading. f. All U.S. Army standard Courses of Fire (COF) with results feedback on doctrine scorecard. g. Provides pre and post aim point trace for individual weapons. h. Provides burst by burst trace for machine gun weapons. 2. Ability to provide training events that support realistic physics-based modeling for environments and models with variable outcomes. 3. Sufficient intellectual property rights in the interface protocols for the Government to allow a third-party contractor to maintain and repair the system and its weapons. 4. Ability to support High Definition Television (HDTV) format interactive video training events for judgmental use of force SDS training. 5. Provide ongoing ability to integrate the Army POR for gaming (currently Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS 2) into the system. HANDS ON INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITY: 1. Respondents are invited to use the EST located at PEO STRI, Orlando, for a period of up to 2 business days from 23 January 2012 - 24 February 2012. Coordinate times with Sara Creely or MAJ Robert DeGaine. The intent is to provide a hands-on demonstration and physical inspection of the EST. (Offerors will not be allowed to install/place any equipment on current EST systems. No photos or video recording will be allowed.) Sara Creely, (407)384-5291, [email protected] MAJ Robert DeGaine, (407) 384-3732, [email protected] GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT/INFORMATION (GFE/I) TO BE PROVIDED FOR THIS ACQUISITION: (GFI TO BE PROVIDED TO OFFERORS) - As a minimum, the latest revisions of the following documents shall apply: Department of the Army Pamphlets U.S. Army Technical Manuals (TMs) TM 9-1005-319-10 M16A2, M16A3, M16A4, M4, and M4A1 dated October 1998 TM 9-1005-338-13&P Unit and Direct Support Maintenance for Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, models 500 and 590 (or equivalent TM for respective shotgun) TM 9-1240-413-12&P M68 Reflex sight dated 25 July 2004 TM 9-1240-415-13&P M145 TM 11-5855-213-10 Operator's Manual for Night Vision Sight, Individual Served Weapon, AN/PVS-4 (NSN: 5855-00-629-5334) dated 1 February 1993 TM 11-5855-262-10-1 Operator's Manual for Night Vision Goggle, AN/PVS-7A (NSN: 5855-01-228-0939) dated 15 March 1993 TM 11-5855-301-12&P Light, aiming, infrared AN/PAQ-4B & AN/PAQ-4C dated 15 May 2002 TM 11-5855-308-12&P Target Pointer/Illuminator, Aiming Light AN/PEQ-2A dated 15 May 2005 U.S. Army Field Manuals (FMs) FM 3-22.9 Change 4 to Rifle Marksmanship M16A1, M16A2/3, M16A4 and M4 Carbine dated 28 Apr 2005 FM 3-22.27 MK 19, 40-mm Grenade machine Gun, MOD 3 dated 14 Sep 2006 FM 3-22.65 Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .50 HB, M2 dated 11 par 2007 FM 3-23.35 FM 7-0 FM 7.8 ADP 3-0 Change 4 to Combat Training with Pistols, M9 and M11 dated 28 Aug 2008 training for full Spectrum Operations, Dated 12 Dec 2008 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad, Dated 22 Apr 1992 Unified Land operations, dated 10 October 2011 U.S. Army Training Circulars (TCs) TC 25-8 Training Ranges dated April 2004 Copies of DA PAMs, TMs, FMs, and TCs are available on the WWW at URL: http://www.apd.army.mil/ In addition, the following will be provided: 1. Hands on Use and Physical inspection of EST (Offerors will not be allowed to install/place any equipment on current EST systems. No photos or video recording will be allowed.) 2. System Specification - To be provided at a later date to offerors. 3. Raw data for selected scenarios (sample) - To be provided at a later date to offerors. 4. Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS 2) - To be provided after Request for Proposal (RFP) release to offerors. U.S. Army Technical Manuals (TMs) TM 9-1005-319-10 M16A2, M16A3, M16A4, M4, and M4A1 dated October 1998 TM 9-1005-338-13&P Unit and Direct Support Maintenance for Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, models 500 and 590 (or equivalent TM for respective shotgun) TM 9-1240-413-12&P M68 Reflex sight dated 25 July 2004 TM 9-1240-415-13&P M145 TM 11-5855-213-10 Operator's Manual for Night Vision Sight, Individual Served Weapon, AN/PVS-4 (NSN: 5855-00-629-5334) dated 1 February 1993 TM 11-5855-262-10-1 Operator's Manual for Night Vision Goggle, AN/PVS-7A (NSN: 5855-01-228-0939) dated 15 March 1993 TM 11-5855-301-12&P Light, aiming, infrared AN/PAQ-4B & AN/PAQ-4C dated 15 May 2002 TM 11-5855-308-12&P Target Pointer/Illuminator, Aiming Light AN/PEQ-2A dated 15 May 2005 U.S. Army Field Manuals (FMs) FM 3-22.9 Change 4 to Rifle Marksmanship M16A1, M16A2/3, M16A4 and M4 Carbine dated 28 Apr 2005 FM 3-22.27 MK 19, 40-mm Grenade machine Gun, MOD 3 dated 14 Sep 2006 FM 3-22.65 Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .50 HB, M2 dated 11 par 2007 FM 3-23.35 FM 7-0 FM 7.8 ADP 3-0 Change 4 to Combat Training with Pistols, M9 and M11 dated 28 Aug 2008 training for full Spectrum Operations, Dated 12 Dec 2008 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad, Dated 22 Apr 1992 Unified Land operations, dated 10 October 2011 U.S. Army Training Circulars (TCs) TC 25-8 Training Ranges dated April 2004 Copies of DA PAMs, TMs, FMs, and TCs are available on the WWW at URL: http://www.apd.army.mil/ In addition, the following will be provided: 1. Hands on Use and Physical inspection of EST (Offerors will not be allowed to install/place any equipment on current EST systems. No photos or video recording will be allowed.) 2. System Specification - To be provided at a later date to offerors. 3. Raw data for selected scenarios (sample) - To be provided at a later date to offerors. 4. Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS 2) - To be provided after Request for Proposal (RFP) release to offerors. GFI - TO BE PROVIDED TO AWARDEE ONLY FOR EST CONTRACT: 1. U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) Ballistics Tables. 2. Raw data for selected scenarios GFE - TO BE PROVIDED TO AWARDEE FOR TECHNICAL REFRESH OF EST EFFORT ONLY 30 DAYS AFTER AWARD OF DELIVERY ORDER FOR THE TECH REFRESH. 1. Gutted (electronics removed) EST fleet of weapons 2. EST Jun-air Compressors (30 liter) for air supply to weapons 3. EST Projection Screens (4 meters wide 2.2 meters high for each 5 lane) 4. Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS 2) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: The Government is interested in receiving your insight on the aforementioned proposed acquisition. Responses should include the following information: a) your company name, address, POC, email addresses, phone and fax numbers, and company's web page (if applicable); b) identification of business size as it relates to NAICS code 333319, i.e. US large or small business (SB), service disabled veteran business, HUB Zone, 8(a) certified business, Woman Owned SB, etc; c) short history of your firm's experience in providing marksmanship trainers; d) every page of your response must include your company's name as well as page number, i.e. page # of 25. The suggested page count is no more than 25 pages. Font is not to be smaller than 12 points. If you did not respond to the initial RFI, you may still respond to that RFI's questions as well, and these page restrictions do not apply. Submit RFI responses via e-mail by 1600 Eastern Standard Time (EST) 15 days after Hands on Demo of EST or NLT 5 March 2012, to the following e-mail address: E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] RFI QUESTIONS: A. TECH REFRESH - Please provide detailed responses (YES/OR NO WITH SUPPORTING RATIONALE IS REQUESTED) to the following questions regarding the requirement to perform a tech refresh on the current EST. 1. Can you easily convert EST gutted (electronics removed) weapons to work on your proposed EST system? 2. Is it more cost effective to reconfigure EST gutted (electronics removed) weapons for your proposed EST system, or procure new EST weapons? 3. Could any reconfigured EST gutted (electronics removed) weapons be converted to be tetherless or semi-tetherless? What would be the approximate cost impact be for tetherless or semi-tetherless? 4. What would be the proposed timeframe to have 100 weapons of the same type available (reconfigure current EST gutted weapons or have weapons for your proposed system)? 5. From time of award, how long would it take your firm to deliver to the Government the 1st 10 lane test bed technical refreshed systems with a full complement of weapons (reconfigured/retrofitted or new weapons) for validation? Testing includes i.e. auto-tracker systemic accuracy, weapon and ballistic accuracy, form, fit, function of the weapon fleet with optics, scenario validation to the U.S. Army doctrine. 6. Do you believe that your company can participate in an EST2 competition with the GFI and GFE listed above? If not, what additional GFI/GFE is necessary for the Government to conduct a competition? B. NEW EST II SYSTEMS - Please provide detailed response (YES/OR NO WITH SUPPORTING RATIONALE IS REQUESTED) to the following questions regarding the purchase of new EST II systems. 1. The Government prefers an open architecture for the interface protocols. How would your firm provide a technical approach that provides an open architecture for interface protocols? Would your firm propose providing sufficient rights to allow the Government to compete subsequent requirements of the EST 2? Please describe any proposed approach such as Gov. Purpose Rights, license agreement, priced option to procure IP rights (GPR) for interface protocols, etc. ? 2. What would be an approximate delivery schedule for ten (10) new EST II systems with full weapon complements? (The Government would NOT be providing any GFE other than the specific weapons/components stated above .) 3. Would there be any special tools/test equipment required for maintaining your EST? In accordance with FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes, (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and Proposal Costs, of the FAR. (b) Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time. CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS: PEO STRI Acquisition Center, 12350 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826-3276 Point of Contact(s); Helen Garcia, Contract Specialist, 407-208-3231 Patricia Hyland, Contracting Officer, 407-384-3754 Major DeGaine, Project Director, 407-384-3732 Pete Walton, Lead System Engineer, 407-380-4728 ORIGINAL RFI POSTING DATED 24 MAY 2011 The U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), Project Manager for Ground Combat Tactical Trainers (PM GCTT) is interested in identifying viable technologies and a new approach for the development of a EST II, Program of Record (POR) (EST 2000) to support the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) schools; Army Active Component, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard unit with a small arms training system which trains and enhances the U.S. Army Basic Pistol/ Rifle Marksmanship Program. Market Research is being conducted to identify technologies and production capabilities of industry that could support the next generation EST II Program POR. The purpose of this RFI is to identify companies which have technologies and expertise that can be or have been applied to the Small Arms Training Task. The EST II Program POR is exploring the possibilities of applying current and emerging technologies to provide the required training capability. One of the goals of this market research is to identify technical approaches which transfer the burden of marksmanship fault identification from the human instructor to the training system which could then potentially provide remediation for fault correction. The current system (EST 2000) is defined as a system which is a unit / institutional, indoor, multipurpose, multi-lane, small arms, crew-served and individual anti-tank training simulation that enables training across three different modes: individual marksmanship; small unit (collective) gunnery and tactical training; and judgmental use of force (shoot/don't shoot), which includes Escalation of Force / graduated response scenarios. Interested Sources should provide the following information: 1). Pertinent Company administrative data as to large or small business category IAW the designated NAICS. Each offeror is to identify whether or not the company is a STOC II prime. 2). Company history. 3). Identify company interest in the program as a Prime contractor or subcontractor to a prime. Each offeror is to provide recent program history (last 10 years) of company past experience in delivering small arms trainers or components of small arms trainers. 4). Identification of technologies which have potential and/or demonstrated application to the small arms training task. Each identified technology is to be categorized by Technology Readiness Level rating system. Responses to this RFI are to not exceed 15 single sided, letter sized pages. Font is not to be smaller than 12 points. This announcement is published for market research purposed only. This notice does not constitute an invitation for bids or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and is not a commitment by the U.S. Government to procure subject products. Responses in any form are not offers and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for the preparation of responses to this announcement. Submit RFI responses by 1600 Eastern Standard Time 14 June 2011, to the following email address: Cori Lampe Contract Specialist, SFAE-STRI-KOV Email: [email protected] Comments via e-mail to the designated Contract Specialist, Cori Lampe, information listed below using the attached EST II Program POR Q&A form. Questions with answers will be posted as an update to the RFI.