Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) Turntable Upgrade or Replace

Active

Contract Opportunity

Revisions 6/9/25 - Attached Q&A document and drawings. Updated Section 3 IAW responses provided in the QA document.

Request for Information (RFI) Capability Statements and Documentation for

Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) Turntable Upgrade or Replace

1. DISCLAIMER

THIS NOTICE IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Responses will be treated as information only and will not be evaluated as a proposal. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. A return response from the Government regarding RFI submissions is not guaranteed. The RFI responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to the RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation from future announcements or contracts. Respondents should indicate which portions of their response are propriety and should mark accordingly. NOTE: This RFI is not associated with any previous or ongoing RFPs or Fair Opportunity Proposal Requests issued by the DAF.

2. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) plays a vital role in DoD Electromagnetic Spectrum Test and Evaluation efforts. Central to the BAF’s functionality is a 175 ton, 80-ft diameter turntable, combined with a 40-ton capacity hoist system allows the rotation of test articles ± 180° within the stationary RF test range. This setup simulates movement, providing a controlled environment for evaluating performance in the RF domain. However, the turntable is nearing the end of its operational lifespan, which presents a significant risk of failure.

The BAF turntable, in operation for almost four decades, exhibits significant wear and tear. Misalignment between the turntable rails and trucks has necessitated the closure of gaps, placing undue stress on the structure. Repeated repairs of cracked welds and broken bolts highlight the unsustainable nature of maintaining the aging system.

The USAF is interested in exploring innovative solutions to either upgrade or replace BAF turntable. The objective is to have a system capable of precision angular movement. The desired system should be capable of remote operation from the BAF test control room and integrated into the current BAF infrastructure.

Responses to this RFI will help inform the Government’s next steps in the acquisition process.

3. SCOPE OF INTEREST

The USAF is seeking information on systems that address the following areas:

• Precision Angular movement: Ability to perform +/- 185 degrees angular movement with actual angular accuracy of 0.05 degrees, a maximum acceleration of 1 degree/second2, and variable actual velocities ranging from 0.1 degrees/ second to 2.0 degrees/second throughout the entirety of its motion profile to support data collection which shall be User Datagram Protocol (UDP) streamed by the system at 40 Hz.


• Structure Maximum Load: The system must be capable of rotating a maximum load of 375,000 pounds with a maximum deformation or precession of ½ inch and maintain levelness and facilitate System Under Test (SUT) maximum wheel span footprint (must fit within 80-foot diameter area). Upon removal of the load, there should be no permanent deformation or precession.


• Current BAF Pit Footprint: The existing turntable is an 80-foot diameter steel structure. It consists of a central core, 70 feet in diameter, extending 70 feet below the turntable's surface. An outer ring, spanning the 70-foot to 80-foot diameter range, forms a 8-foot-high perimeter around the central core (inverted top hat shape).


• System Under Test (SUT) Entering the BAF: Ability: (1) to bring SUT into the BAF without requiring reconfiguration of the chamber or significant moment of Radar Absorbing Material (RAM); (2) to perform +/- 185 degrees of SUT movement after entering the BAF to ensure the aircraft nose is pointing towards the chamber west wall and facility utilities connectivity are aft of the aircraft after entry.


• System Under Test (SUT) Exiting the BAF: Ability: (1) to roll the SUT out of the BAF without requiring reconfiguration of the chamber or significant moment of Radar Absorbing Material (RAM); (2) to +/- 185 degrees of SUT movement during exiting to point SUT to the east wall for towing.


• Integration with Facility Control and Monitoring Connectivity: Facilitate facility control and monitoring equipment (i.e. general instrumentation) between the system and the Test Control Room (TCR), Data Analysis Center (DAC), Threat Site 1, Threat Site 2, G-32, G-34 and Facility Control Center (FCC) and cable access from the chamber floor while allowing rotation.


• Integration with BAF Utilities Systems and Equipment: Integrate with existing facility utility systems and equipment which makes the facility utilities compatible to the SUT while facilitating ease of maintenance such as inspections, routine repairs, and be accessible without requiring special tools. Hoses and cables shall be managed. The utility systems and equipment are:
  
  
  
  1. Facility Cooling Systems:
     
     
     
     1. Air cooling
     
     
     2. Polyalphaolefin (PAO)
     
     
     3. Ethylene Glycol Water (EGW)
     
     
     4. Coolanol
     
     
     5. Chilled water
     
     
     6. Avionics Cooling Unit (ACU)
        
        
        
        • ACU # 1
        
        
        • ACU # 2
        
        
        • Switch gear for ACU #1/#2 Manual Transfer Switch (MTF)
        
        
        • Variable Frequency Drive (FVD) for ACU #1/# 2
        
        
        • Harmonic filter for ACU #1/# 2
        
        
        • ACU # 2
        
        
        
        
     
     
     7. Siemens Fiber for Controls
     
     
     
     
  
  
  2. Facility Liquid Cooling Carts:
     
     
     
     1. Polyalphaolefin (PAO) Cart
     
     
     2. Ethylene Glycol Water (EGW) Cart
     
     
     3. Coolanol Cart
     
     
     4. Chilled water pump
     
     
     5. Chilled water pump for Aircraft Cooling Unit (ACU)
     
     
     
     
  
  
  3. Facility Electrical Systems:
     
     
     
     1. Pillar 115 V, 400 Hz, 3 Phase
     
     
     2. 270 Vdc
     
     
     3. 28 Vdc
     
     
     4. 208V/120V, 60Hz, 100 amp
     
     
     5. 208V/120V, 60 Hz, 225-amp protected at 125 amps
        
        
        
        • Remove 125 amps protection.
        
        
        
        
     
     
     6. 115Vac @ 60 Hz 20 amps (current 10 receptacles)
     
     
     7. 115 Vac @ 60 Hz 30 amps (2 receptacles)
     
     
     8. 208Vac 1 phase@60Hz 30 amps (2 receptacles)
     
     
     9. 240 Vac@60Hz 50 amps
     
     
     10. 480Vac@60Hz
     
     
     11. 208Vac 3 phase @ 60 Hz 30 amps (2 receptacles)
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  5. Facility Electrical Power Supply Outlets:
     
     
     
     1. Shall be accessible without requiring special tools.
     
     
     2. Outlets shall be concealed when not in use.
     
     
     
     
  
  
  6. INSTALL NEW ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:
     
     
     
     1. 480 panel @ 200 amps
     
     
     2. 400 Hz, 120V/208V distribution panel (for smaller test articles)
     
     
     
     
  
  
  7. Facility Hydraulic Systems:
     
     
     
     1. 2800 PSI
     
     
     2. 4200 PSI
     
     
     
     
  
  
  8. Facility Hydraulic Carts:
     
     
     
     1. Turntable Hydraulic Cart
        
        
        
        • F-16 Hydraulic Cart
        
        
        • F-22 Hydraulic Cart
        
        
        
        
     
     
     
     
  
  
  9. Facility Compressed Air System.
  
  
  10. Facility Air Cooling Control.
  
  
  11. Facility Nitrogen System.
  
  
  12. Facility Utility Hoses and Cables Management:
      
      
      
      1. Management of hoses and cables to reduce stress and strain on the cables and simultaneously reduce tripping hazards during angular movement.
      
      
      
      
  
  
  
  


• Classified Processing Area: Ability to process classified data in an RF isolated room that is below the turntable in the proximity of the SUT.

4. Information Requested

Interested parties are requested to provide the following information:

• Company Profile: A brief overview of the company's experience and capabilities to design and manufacture in relevant areas.


• Technical Approach: A description of the proposed technical approach for meeting the requirements outlined in Section 3.


• Maturity Level: An assessment of the technology readiness level (TRL) of the proposed solution.


• Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Cost: An estimated cost range for developing and implementing the proposed system.


• Potential Challenges: Identification of potential technical challenges and mitigation strategies.

5. Submission Instructions

Responses to this RFI should be submitted electronically in PDF format to:

Karla Vazquez

Kimberly Tate

Falilou Diouck

by 9 Jun 2025. Responses should be concise and no longer than 15 pages. Please include " Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) Turntable Upgrade or Replace " in the subject line of the email.

Attachments/Links