1. Background: The Missile Defense Agency is responsible for developing a Ballistic Missile Defense System; integrating land, sea, air, and space based assets to defend the United States, friends, and allies, and deployed forces from ballistic missile attack. 2. Description: A. Request for Information (RFI). This is a Request for Information (RFI) on component capabilities for a for a high performance interceptor for the Missile Defense Agency. The Agency is investigating options for developing the next generation of Standard Missile Three, designated the Block IIB, and targeted for Phase 4 of the President’s Phased Adaptive Approach. From its forward deployed location, the Block IIB interceptor is designed to defeat Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM). A higher performing interceptor paired with Ballistic Missile Defense System sensors that detect and track threats with greater accuracy throughout their trajectory improves our chances of intercepting the enemy early, forces him to deploy countermeasures less effectively and improves our ability to handle raids. The Agency seeks insight into the technology to demonstrate a prototype missile within five years. Therefore, the Agency is requesting information primarily on components, boosters, and kinetic warheads concepts from industry, the national laboratories, universities and university affiliated research and development centers. B. The Agency is requesting that contractors interested in this acquisition submit a capability statement that demonstrates core capabilities, technologies, and expertise. The Agency requests you answer the following questions. Please provide any technical data that justifies your performance or maturity assessments. Describe a development and test effort to achieve technology readiness level - 6. Describe the risks of achieving high performance and actions for mitigating those risks. To achieve the performance indicated for Phase 4 of the phased adaptive approach, preliminary analysis indicates we may need to increase the burnout velocity of our current SM-3 by one third and may require more than twice the divert velocity. As an evolution of the SM-3 family of missiles, the SM-3, IIB must integrate with the Aegis Ashore Weapon System including the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System. 1. What are your component concepts for integration with the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System? Describe the propulsion characteristics of your booster stages including ballistic performance, mass fraction, and assess the maturity of the technology to reach that capability. 2. What techniques do you suggest we employ to reduce inert weight and gain velocity? 3. How do we achieve energy flexibility in the upper stage(s) and kinetic warhead? If we decide to reuse the SM-3 Block IB Kinetic Warhead, how does this affect your component concepts? 4. What is your concept for a lighter weight payload (nosecone, ejector, kinetic warhead)? 5. What Noise Equivalent Irradiance, divert impulse, and operating time do you think is achievable in a lighter weight kinetic warhead (under 30 kg)? Describe seeker, propulsion (attitude control and divert), and avionics components. 6. What are the impacts of operating in a high velocity regime? What are the key controllability characteristics? How do you separate the stages in this regime? 7. How would you communicate with the missile in flight? 8. What are the key knowledge points we must prove before entering into product development? 9. What are your suggestions for acquiring this knowledge? C. Place of performance. Not applicable. D. Government-Furnished Information (GFI) / Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE). GFI/GFE is not applicable. E. Responses: MDA is requesting interested parties submit capability statements and white papers that capture core capabilities and expertise and demonstrate applicable technologies or concepts/approaches. Responses should be provided via the MDA Advanced Technology Innovation (ATI) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), HQ0147-09-ATI-BAA, utilizing the submission instructions included in the announcement. The ATI BAA is issued under the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2), which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Contract(s) based on responses to this BAA are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provisions of PL 98-369, “The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.” The BAA is available in the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) under HQ0147-09-ATI-BAA: https://www.fbo.gov/index?&s=opportunity&mode=form&id=19b340086aee52421d2f447d77c2877a&tab=core&tabmode=list F. Marking. Submissions must comply with the instructions set forth in the BAA, HQ0147-09-ATI-BAA. Potential sources are responsible for adequately marking propriety information contained in their response. Any proprietary information MUST be marked as such on a page-by-page basis. The Government intends to use third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel as subject matter experts in the review of responses received, including the review of any marked or unmarked proprietary information provided. Appropriate non-disclosure agreements have been executed between the third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel and the Government and are on file with the Government. A submission of a response to this RFI constitutes the respondent’s acknowledgement and agreement that the information provided in the response, including any marked or unmarked proprietary or source selection information, may be disclosed to these third party, non-Government (contractor) support personnel. G. Compensation. This is a market research announcement for informational planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. Offerors are reminded that the ATI BAA is for the acquisition of basic and applied research and that part of development not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement. BAAs may be used by agencies to fulfill their requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution. If you have additional questions, please contact Ms. Elizabeth Moulder, Contracting Officer, Advanced Technology, DACV/DV, 256-450-1014,
[email protected], or Mr. H. Paul Rhodes, Director (Acting), DACV, 256-313-9427,
[email protected]. Request submissions no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the original posting of this request. The ATI BAA Contracting Officer is Ms. Janice Olson,
[email protected], (256) 313-9497.