The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense/Aegis Guided Missile Program Office is conducting market research to determine interest and capability for sources to develop, qualify, and deliver the detailed design and/or modifications to a test chamber and data acquisition systems to support the Standard Missile (SM) - 3 Block IB and IIA Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) and subsystem test activities for periodic manufacturing surveillance unit (MSU) testing for critical rocket motor hardware for the SM-3 Block IB and IIA guided missiles.  The TDACS provides steering control for the SM-3 guided missile kinetic warhead, a complex kill vehicle that is used for hit-to kill intercepts of threat ballistic missiles and reentry vehicles.  A facility is required to perform hot fire tests, in simulated altitude and temperature conditions on one TDACS for every 12 TDACS units manufactured.  This is done to surveille the manufacturing processes and assess the as-built TDACS performance against critical requirements.  The frequency of MSU testing for the SM-3 Block IB and IIA TDACS is projected to be approximately 4 to 6 TDACS per year.  

Aerojet Rocketdyne currently provides this capability, but in 2016, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced the closure of their altitude test capability at their Sacramento, CA facility.  To address the test obsolescence and maintain an acceptable test cadence for the IB and IIA MSUs, MDA/AB intends to establish the Orange Altitude Test Site (OATS) test capability at the Aerojet Rocketdyne manufacturing facility in Orange, VA, the manufacturing facility for TDACS.

The MDA is seeking a source that can: 1) provide the detailed design and modifications to the test chamber and data acquisition systems to support the SM-3 Block IB and IIA TDACS and subsystem test activities and 2) design and develop a test capability to achieve and maintain simulated altitude conditions of 90,000 to 120,000 feet (0.3 to 0.08 psi) simulated altitude during test events for at least 120 seconds.  This altitude test capability should also have the ability to thermally condition the test assets between 45 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for test events.  The performer must also have the capability and required knowledge to design and develop the necessary test cell attributes to support simulating the test conditions, to include vacuum system and test chamber cabin.  This includes being able to accommodate two 6-degree of freedom test stands, one for SM-3 Block IB and one for SM-3 Block IIA TDACS.  Additionally, the source must be capable of developing a control system and data acquisition system to support this test activity.  The control system shall be able to provide simulated kinetic warhead guidance unit commands to the TDACS during test.  The data acquisition systems must be capable of collecting 50K acceleration channels (4 channels, tri-axial), 70 each, 100 SPS temperature channels (includes facility thermocouples), 10 each, 500 SPS load channels, 7 each, 3K SPS pressure channels and Ordnance Monitoring channels. 

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME.  This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals, submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary, the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred.

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information:  1) Organization name, address, email address, web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability.  If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.

The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to 1) provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes:  compliance with tight program schedules, cost containment, meeting and tracking performance, hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.  Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submission Instructions:  Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by July 5, 2019, 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.  All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Rusty DeSantis ([email protected]).

Government Point of Contact:

Rusty DeSantis, Contracting Officer
Phone 540-663-6547
Email:  [email protected]