Description

This synopsis is issued in anticipation of a potential future procurement program. The Naval Sea Systems Command is conducting market research to determine the existence of a Force Protection – Coastal Craft type boat possessing the characteristics below. GENERAL MISSION: The Force Protection – Coastal (FP-C) Craft requires a tactically sized, highly reliable, combatant craft capable of operating from land or maritime platforms. The mission of FP-C will be to provide a capability to persistently patrol shallow littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays, and into less sheltered open water out to the Departure Sea Area (DSA) for the purpose of force protection of friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. Mission profiles include patrol of Maritime Pre-Positioning Forces (MPF) and Joint Logistics Over The Shore (JLOTS) anchorage and marshaling areas, High-Value Asset (HVA) shipping escort, and tactical surface mobility for Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations, Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) overwatch, Theater Security Cooperation (TSC), and Security Force Assistance (SFA). CRAFT REQUIREMENTS: General Note: All requirements (unless designated “desired”) are the minimum acceptable operational value. Desired requirements are capabilities that would optimize craft performance and are beyond which any gain in utility does not warrant additional expenditure. Craft employment will be Day / Night, in all weather with a minimum of 24 hour endurance with a given notional mission profile. Craft will conduct sustained continuous operations in 10 feet (Very Shallow Water (VSW) curve) depths and greater at all craft speeds. Craft to be fully capable conducting mission in NATO Sea State 3. Craft will operate versus a level II threat, including: small tactical, waterborne units, and unconventional warfare units armed with small arms, rocket propelled grenades, and machineguns, improvised explosive devices and mines. Craft will operate from a sea or expeditionary shore base, or dock ship. Mission Capabilities: Vessel Operations: with self-fendering the craft is to be capable of conducting boarding operations on vessels up to 50 tons and shoulder 25 ton vessels without incurring significant damage to the fender or the craft. Consideration should be given to boarding craft of various freeboard heights. Crew and Compliment: Two crews (on watch and off watch) of 4-5 each plus one (1) eight (8) person VBSS boarding Team – total of 16-18 people. Crews consists of: 1 Patrol Leader, 2 Coxswains, 2 Engineers, 2 weapon console operators, and 2 gunners. Weight allowances are 285 lbs/person plus 650 lbs total for additional allowance/cargo items. Messing: storage and weight allocation appropriate for two meals ready to eat (MREs) per person. Craft equipped with marine sanitation capability and potable drinking water appropriate for 24 hour mission profile. Human Factors Embark/Disembark: Embarking and disembarking of the boarding team to vessels of interest; protection of boarding team with secure seating at cruising speeds. Human Factors Habitability: Enclosed cabin with seating for 12-13 persons; Environmentally controlled (HVAC) cabin and accommodation space; Crew rest accommodations (safe for cruising speeds) for the off watch crew (4-5 persons); Sanitary head facilities with privacy; shock mitigating seating for 2 crews; Desired shock mitigating seating for VBSS Team. Secondary Capabilities: Unmanned Vehicle Interoperability: Desired – craft shall provide the capability to launch, recover, maintain, and operate various small un-manned vehicles including air, surface, and undersea. Person in the Water Recovery (PIW): Features allow the crew to retrieve a person or object with no more than two crewmembers required for the retrieval operation. One crewmember should be able to safely secure the PIW alongside the boat. The vessel shall provide for unassisted self-recovery of able-bodied crewmembers from the water. Jason’s Cradle type arrangements are to be considered. Helicopter Medical Response: Fully capable of conducting hoisting and personnel transfer operations by basket or Stokes Litter from an open space that has few obstructions and is clear of masts and antenna. Antenna used to communicate with the helicopter must not be impacted. Multi-Mission Reconfigurable Areas: Payload Space: Accommodation and/or cabin area provided for the transport of passengers, MEDVAC, unmanned vehicle command and control, detainees and berthing. Payload area provided for re-supply and logistics missions. Payload Weight: Desired payload weight capability (inclusive of the embarked VBSS team) of 7,000 lbs. (See weight definitions in the technical matrix attached) Operating Environment: Operational Water Depth: Sustained continuous operations in 10 feet (VSW curve) and greater water depths at all craft and engine speeds. Navigable Draft: 6 foot draft at full load; desired 4 foot draft at full load. Sea State Operating Environment: Fully capable of transiting and conducting mission operations in seas up to 8 feet (significant wave height 1/3) combined with 20 knot winds, ), Desire to Survive in 12 foot seas (limited to best course and speed). Operate NATO Sea State 2/Survive NATO Sea State 3, Desire to Operate NATO Sea State 3/Survive NATO Sea State 4. Water Temperatures: Desired full operations of craft and equipment in water temperatures of 28 to 95 deg. F. Air Temperatures: Desired full operations of craft and equipment in air temperatures of -20 to 125 deg. F (lower temps. for storage). Performance: Speed: Have a 25 knots cruise and top speed of 35 knots at full load (see definition in the technical matrix attached) in significant wave heights of 3 feet; Desired 40 knot top speed in the same conditions. Towing: Effectively tow another similar sized craft and be able to be towed, in the operational conditions described above. (Line tow from stern is the only acceptable tow method in a seaway, vice a calm water slow speed side tow). Turning: At cruise speed craft must be able to turn 180 Deg. Craft must be stable in high speed turns, as well as other maneuvers including all stops; Desired to turn 180 Deg. in less than 6 boat lengths at the cruise speed. Range: 24 hour, un-refueled operating endurance, a minimum range of 510 nautical miles (NM) at a profile of 35% max fuel efficiency hull speed, 50% patrol/cruise speeds (25 kts) and 15% Maximum speed (35+ kts.) in 3 ft significant wave height. Range to be calculated starting mission at full load with 10% reserve; Desired range of 600 NM. A transit fuel tank may be used to achieve the objective 600+ NM objective range at the same operational profile. Operational Usage: Desired operational objective of 2000 hours without any critical failures. Transportability: Maritime: Capable of being transported and logistical launch and recovery via a well deck, crane or deck cargo transport aboard USN and/or MSC/common US/coalition commercial ships. (Consideration of tie downs and amphibious operations kick stand). Hoisting: Lifting eyes for single point lift to allow launch/recovery or loading/unloading with at sea and/or shore side cranes as required in transport above. (Individual leg soft slings, and man portable hardware is preferred). Terrestrial: Desired improved road / highway transport objective for Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) tractor variant prime mover with an organic trailer with special permit and wide load transport restrictions. Not to be considered a constraining requirement. Air: Desired internal air in C-17 and/or C-5 transport on a trailer. The prime mover does not need to travel in the same aircraft. Not to be considered a constraining requirement. Survivability: Stability: Basic USN small craft stability criteria and single compartment damage stability. Ballistic Protection: Personnel protection is to be provided against NIJ level III type threats (Full 360 degree, modular protection for interior manned stations (i.e. the main cabin) secondarily berthing sleep areas and then passenger payload areas if separate). Desire for additional modular, up armor packages/kits coverage to protect the exterior gunners up to their midriff when standing at their weapons. These may be separate “tub” or combined protective systems. Desired mobility protection (propulsion system, propulsion support systems and control components). Desired passive RPG/IED threat protection or active protection. Weapons: Crew Served: 360 degrees of coverage with two or more Heavy Machine Gun capable foundations, to mount MK 16 Mod 8 or Mod 9 weapons stands. Remote Stabilized: Craft must accommodate a stabilized weapon forward and/or aft. Weapon System Power: Craft must provide power provisions for GAU-17 weapon at each manned and un-manned location, and power for the remote weapon system for each un-manned location. Non-Lethal: Power and foundation for Long Range Acoustic Hailing Device. Precision Engagement: Desired capability of integrating future small missile systems. Features of Construction: Boarding/disembarking persons and cargo: Provide feature(s) for pier/ platform/ seabase boarding/disembarking of persons or cargo. Feature(s) to be deployed/stowed manually by one (1) (preferably) to two (2) sailors. Feature may be easily removable or hard mounted. Arch/Mast/Cabin-Top: Craft and appendages sized for proper placement of all required components (i.e. radar, antennas, sensors, optics). If any appendage is to be stowed for normal transport or underway low obstruction avoidance, amphibious docking, it must be safely handled and easy to raise and secure and lower and secure by 1-2 men in the specified operational environment. Propulsion: Propulsion Plant : Multiple inboard diesel engines. Full instrumentation package (analog style gauges) run from engines or engine computer controller. Fuel: Desired capability of using JP-5 and JP-8 fuels (JP fuels in this case require ignition protected components throughout machinery space.) Maintenance: Desired that mechanical layout must maximize maintenance access while keeping with placement for survivability. Operation: Machinery and equipment must operate, and manned spaces comfort level maintained at all speeds and all engine RPMs at the craft’s minimum operable draft at minimum and maximum water and air temperature ranges defined herein. Electrical: System: 24V ungrounded & 12V system via a converter; dual battery bank maintenance free; battery switch(s); circuit panel breaker style, double pole protection for each circuit; reserve battery capacity for extended loiter operations. Shore and Auxiliary Power: Equipped with standard commercial shore power connection(s). If required by projected load, 220v AC 3 phase / 110v AC single phase electrical generation capability appropriate to electronics and combat systems suite. Lighting: All mission essential light sources (interior and exterior), including lighted controls and displays to be Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) compatible. Non-mission essential light sources to be securable at one place. Also Interior/exterior Deck lighting for nighttime illumination; Desired NVIS compatible deck lighting. Communications: Hardware: In general to include antennas, mounts, speakers and handsets; a VHF Marine Band radio; Loud Hailer; Tactical VHF; Tactical HF; Tactical UHF; Tactical SATCOM; Blue Force Tracker and/or Automated Identification System (AIS); Intercom (6 stations min); File transfer over tactical radios. Desired Boat to Boat Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Boat to Tactical Operations Center (TOC) Secure Data Link; Desired Unmanned Vehicle Command and Control. Navigation: Nav. Hardware: Integrated marine radar; depth sounder; electronic chart plotter; and back-up position data provided by a commercial GPS receiver. Magnetic compass; military GPS; adjustable IR strobe/follow me light. Nav. Software; Desired open architecture, nonproprietary software, classified chart capable with engine and critical systems alarms and monitoring, radio/comm’s control. (May include other aux systems control and monitoring i.e. power systems, batteries, HVAC, lighting.) Nav. Lights: Standard COLREGS Nav. lights and dual station Remote control spotlight for nighttime illumination; Desired IR Spot Light fixture or lens. Surveillance: Sensors: Desired EO/IR Device. It is anticipated that one boat will be procured in fiscal year 2010. Additional boats may be procured based on availability of funding. The quantity of boats is subject to change. Prospective firms are encouraged to submit a capability summary that does not exceed fifty (50) pages in length describing their boat and firm’s recent relevant business experience and their approach in meeting the requirements stated above. Responses should include: (a) The name and address of the contractor and where such boats would be built; (b) Point of contact including name, title, phone, and email addresses. (c) A description of proposed craft and information on how the craft meets the specified capabilities. Describe craft currently offered by the Contractor that meet, or with minor modifications might meet, the above listed requirements. All offered craft characteristics should be identified for chart comparison to the requirements listed above. If above requirements cannot be met, identify what is achievable with minor modifications; when addressing the ability to meet specific craft performance requirements please substantiate claims with data or demonstrated satisfactory performance of equivalent craft. Include available concept or detailed level profile and/or arrangement drawings. (d) To better assess and compare the offered craft data, please fill out the attached FP-C RFI Response Matrix in Microsoft Excel. (e) Identify similar craft on GSA Schedule and/or plan and schedule to get qualifying craft on GSA Schedule. (f) If any specific requirements indicate a degree of risk, please address the constraints and what mitigating design/engineering action would be pursued. (g) Estimated unit price. (h) A notional schedule for construction. (i) Whether the business is currently classified as a Large, Small, Small Disadvantaged, 8(a) and/or Woman Owned company, Hub Zone small business, Veteran Owned Small Business, or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. Offerors can offer optional craft demonstrations to demonstrate craft performance. If responders desire to provide a craft demonstration, so indicate in the RFI response including name, phone, and email address of your coordinating/scheduling point of contact. Demonstrations would last no more than one day and would be conducted at no cost to the Government. RESPONSES: Responses shall include a completed Requirements Matrix, in Microsoft Excel format, along with a separate document addressing the information requested outside of the Requirements Matrix. Email responses or inquiries should be sent to Ms. Christina Trasferini at Christina.trasferini@navy.mil and LT Scott Duncan wallace.duncan@navy.mil. To help ensure proper receipt, name the email “Force Protection – Coastal Boat Response” in the subject field. Information may also be sent hard copy with a CD attachment of the Requirements Matrix in Microsoft Excel format to the following address: Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Attention: Christina Trasferini, SEA 02222, 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue SE Stop 2020, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376. No telephone inquiries will be accepted and requests for solicitation packages will not be honored, as a solicitation has not been prepared at this time. WHEN TO SUBMIT: All responses are requested by 12 November 2009. NOTICES REGARDING SOLICITATION: Please note that this synopsis is for information purposes and to identify potential sources. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. NOTICE REGARDING PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: All submitted materials will be designated for Government Use Only. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow up information requests. Future information, if any, will be posted at the websites for FBO and NECO, the same sites where this announcement has been posted.