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BAA06-13
Posted
Date:
Nov 28, 2005
Response Date: Feb 01, 2007
Archive Date: Feb 16, 2007
Fedbizopps Reference:
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/BAA06%2D13/listing.html
Description
BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT
(BAA) 06-13 Underwater Express Program; CLOSING
DATE: 12:00 Noon, February 1, 2007; FULL PROPOSALS
FOR FIRST SELECTIONS: 12:00 Noon, February 1, 2006;
local Arlington, VA time. POC: Khine Latt, DARPA/ATO;
Email:
BAA06-13@darpa.mil; Web: /ato/solicit/underwaterexpress/index.htm
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION: The Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Advanced
Technology Office (ATO) is soliciting proposals under
this BAA for the Underwater Express Program to
demonstrate stable and controllable high-speed
underwater transport through supercavitation. The intent
is to determine the feasibility for supercavitation
technology to enable a new class of high-speed
underwater craft for future littoral missions that could
involve the transport of high-value cargo and/or small
units of personnel. The Underwater Express program is a
technology development and demonstration program: It
will require the investigation and resolution of
critical technological issues associated with the
physics of supercavitation and must culminate in a
credible demonstration at a significant scale to prove
that a supercavitating underwater craft is controllable
at speeds up to 100 knots.
Through this program, DARPA is seeking to facilitate new
operational opportunities in the underwater battlespace.
Also relevant are the current limitations for small
high-speed surface craft which suffer performance
degradation in waves and are subject to exposure, while
underwater alternatives today are very slow. The
military advantage of very high speed underwater craft
has yet to be exploited to its full potential because
significant technological breakthroughs are needed for
operational viability of such a craft. The ability to
attain substantial underwater speeds for this class of
vehicle is severely constrained by the power required to
overcome the large drag forces on an underwater body.
Without a radical means to solve this problem, strides
that could be made in underwater propulsion are limited,
as are breakthroughs needed in underwater sensing,
navigation, and communications, all critical to taking
strategic advantage of the underwater space.
Supercavitation offers 60-70% reduction in total drag on
an underwater body. It can be attained by going fast
enough to develop a full vaporous cavity, or it can be
induced at lower speeds by injecting gas into a
partially-developed cavity. Although the technology has
been applied to weapons with minimal control capability,
its application to larger vessels with transport
missions will require thorough development. Our goal is
to achieve tractable management and control of the
dynamics of a supercavitating underwater body so that an
eventual system, manned or unmanned, could be envisioned
to travel in this state.
DARPA is interested in proposals that will advance the
understanding and use of supercavitation technology
through research and development, small-scale
experimentation, and a final at-sea demonstration. The
Underwater Express final demonstration will be conducted
at 1/4 to 1/2 scale of a notional future craft of about 8-ft
diameter and 60 tonnes, a "super-fast submerged
transport" (SST) craft. The ability to generate and
maintain the large cavity needed for this scale vehicle
has never been demonstrated, nor has a control system
for maneuvering the vehicle. Therefore, this program
will emphasize:
- Modeling, simulation,
and experimentation to provide better physical
understanding of cavity formation, stability, and
control;
- Cavitator designs that
generate stable, robust, and controllable cavities;
- Prediction of
cavity dynamics and vehicle behavior, prediction of
vehicle behavior during fully-wetted conditions,
transition to supercavitation conditions, and
supercavitation conditions at speed;
- Control system
technologies that enable maneuverability when
supercavitating;
- A system concept,
preliminary design, and requirements documentation for
the notional SST craft.
The technologies will be first developed and proven at
subscales. After demonstrations show the technology to be
viable and technically sound, the technology will be scaled
up to the next level.
Phase 1 will focus on stable cavity generation and
sustainment by examining supercavitation physics and the
interactions between the cavity and body. During Phase 1, a
system concept for the 8-ft diameter notional SST system
will be developed so that appropriate scale models can be
designed for Phase 1 and Phase 2 testing and the Phase 3
demonstration (at 1/4 to 1/2 scale of the notional SST). In
addition, an initial concept design of a control system for
all vehicle operating conditions is necessary.
Phase 2 will focus on stable vehicle dynamics by continuing
to examine supercavitation physics and cavity/vehicle
interactions and developing the vehicle control approach.
The propulsion concept will be integrated. In this phase,
maneuvering and body forces will be characterized and
measured, as will gas expenditures. Phase 2 will also
continue to develop the SST system concept.
Phase 3 will focus on design and fabrication of the
demonstrator and system testing to ensure safe and effective
operations. It will end with the at-sea demonstration of
maneuvering at 100 knots for 10 minutes. Additionally, the
final system specifications for the full-scale SST notional
concept craft will be completed.
Potential bidders should include team members with expertise
in vehicle system integration, vehicle control,
supercavitation (or cavitation), cavity ventilation,
underwater propulsion, and computational modeling.
This BAA shall remain open for one (1) year from the date of
publication on www.fedbizopps.gov and
www.grants.gov.
Although the Government may select proposals for award at
any time during this period, it is anticipated that the
majority of funding for this program will be committed
during the initial selections. Proposers may submit a full
proposal in accordance with the instructions provided in the
Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) at any time up to the
proposal due date. In order to be considered during the
initial round of funding, full proposals must be submitted
to DARPA, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714
(Attn: BAA06-13) on or before 12:00 Noon, February 1, 2006
Eastern Standard Time.
The Government encourages proposals from non-traditional
defense contractors, nonprofit organizations, educational
institutions, small businesses, small disadvantaged business
concerns, Historically-Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU),
Minority Institutions (MI), large businesses and Government
laboratories. Teaming arrangements between and among these
groups are encouraged. However, no portion of this BAA will
be set aside for HBCU/MI, small business, or small
disadvantaged business participation due to the
impracticality of preserving discrete or severable areas of
research in the technologies sought. This BAA affords
proposers the choice of submitting proposals for the award
of a Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Contract, Technology
Investment Agreement, Other Transaction for Prototype
Agreement, or such other appropriate award instrument. The
type of procurement or assistance vehicle is subject to
negotiations.
PROPOSERS' DAY: DARPA will host a Proposers' Day in support
of the BAA06-13, Underwater Express Program, on 16 December,
2005 at the Executive Conference Center, 3601 Wilson
Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201 beginning at 8:00
am and lasting until 3:00 pm. The purpose of this event
is to provide information on the Underwater Express Program,
promote additional discussion on this topic, and address
questions from potential proposers.
The Proposers' Day will be unclassified NOFORN and will
include a classified session at the SECRET level. Attendance
is limited to U.S. citizens only, and attendance at the
classified session will require an active collateral SECRET
clearance. The Underwater Express Program will be subject to
U.S. Export Controls (International Traffic in Arms
Regulations (ITAR)) and National Security regulations. All
performers must meet the requirements for participation set
by those regulations. The Proposers' Day is voluntary.
Attendance is not required to propose to this BAA. No
registration fee is required for this event. Additional
information is available through the Underwater Express
website: /ato/solicit/underwaterexpress/sn.htm.
Those who wish to attend this event must register NLT
December 9, 2005 at the following website: https://enstg.com/Signup/default.cfm?ThisCode=UND63154 .
EVALUATION CRITERIA: The criteria to be used to
evaluate and select proposals for this project are: (a)
Technical Approach; (b) Experience in Developing Underwater
Systems; (c) Management Approach; (d) Potential Contribution
to the DARPA Mission, and (e) Cost Reasonableness and
Realism. Each proposal will be evaluated on the merit and
relevance of the specific proposal as it relates to the
program rather than against other proposals for research in
the same general area, since no common work statement
exists.
The Government reserves the right to select for award all,
some, or none of the proposals received in response to this
BAA.
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE: Proposers choosing to respond to
this BAA must read the associated PIP available at
www.fedbizopps.gov and www.grants.gov, which provides
specific information about this BAA, including instructions
on how to respond.
NOTE: DO NOT CONTACT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IDENTIFIED
BELOW WITH RESPECT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ALL QUESTIONS
SHOULD BE SENT TO BAA06-13@darpa.mil.
Point of Contact
Patty Matyskiela, Contract
Specialist, Phone xxx-xxx-xxxx, Fax xxx-xxx-xxxx, Email
Patricia.Matyskiela@darpa.mil |
