Various branches of the U.S. military recently issued a series of R&D contracts for items that promise significant improvements in existing military capabilities within a number of areas. These include:
* The Air Force Research Laboratory in Kirtland Air Force Base, NM issued a $25 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (FA9451-04-D-0179) to develop high power fiber master oscillator power amplifiers for directed energy applications research. Southampton Photonics in Los Gatos, CA is contracted to fulfill all aspects of the contract in accordance with the contractor’s statement of work for the Air Force Research Laboratory, Phillips Research Site, Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Solicitation began January 2005, negotiations were complete March 2005, and work will be complete by April 2010.
* The Air Force Research Laboratory in Kirtland Air Force Base, NM also issued an $8.9 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract (FA9453-05-C-0171) to advance the state-of-the-art for strategic accelerometer technology on ballistic missiles. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc. in Cambridge, MA responded to the Broad Agency Announcement VS-04-01, topic area 14, entitled “Advanced Ballistic Missile Technologies.” The contractor’s proposal is entitled “Flexured Mass Accelerometer (FMA) Technology Development and demonstration,” and its objective is to develop a prototype of the Draper FMA with microwave readout by the first quarters of FY 2008 that demonstrates strategic grade performance in relevant benign and hostile environments. In addition, the contractor will determine the feasibility of an optical readout that enables overall size reduction and benefits from compatibility with optical gyro technology, as an alternative to microwave readouts. Solicitation began December 2003, negotiations were complete March 2005, and work will be complete by July 2008.
* The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL issued a ceiling cost $8.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the technology development and risk reduction phases of the Magneto-Inductive Signaling Device System (MISDS). The MISDS is a new system of hardware that will allow precision demolition in very shallow water regions and beach zones, where acoustic or radio signals cannot permeate. Magneto Inductive Systems Limited USA in San Bernadino, CA received the contract (N61331-05-C-0027). Work will be performed in Head Jeddore, Nova Scotia, Canada (60%) and San Bernardino, CA (40%), and is expected to be complete in April 2008. The contract was not competitively procured.
* The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Patuxent River, MD exercised an option for the development of improved and new avionics systems and subsystems for naval air platforms. NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp. in Warminister, PA received a $6.4 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-03-D-0060), covering an estimated for this 54,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, MD and is expected to be complete in April 2007.