Breaching and Demolition Ground Engineer Robot (BaDGER)

Active

Contract Opportunity

I. DESCRIPTION OF INTENT: Request for Information (RFI)

THIS IS A MARKET INVESTIGATION REQUESTING INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS: No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation. This is not a request seeking contractors interested in being placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this questionnaire is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to the market survey and any follow-on information requests. Data submitted in response to this market investigation will not be returned. Although no solicitation document exists at this time, information derived from this market investigation will help the Government determine the suitability of the marketplace for satisfying this performance requirement.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. OBJECTIVE:

Product Manager for Bridging (PdM Bridging) is issuing this notice as a means of conducting market research to gauge the availability of vendors that are capable and interested in meeting the Government production requirements for the Breaching and Demolition Ground Engineer Robot (BaDGER) program. The Government is drafting cost, schedule and performance requirements for a future formal Request for Proposal; this market survey is part of the requirements development and program planning effort. From this market survey, the Government intends to 1) Gauge industry interest in both attending a future industry day event and offering future proposals for this program; 2) Understand whether there are any potential commercial products that may meet this requirement and 3) Gain voluntary feedback and analysis from industry to advise the government on technical feasibility, program risk levels, and cost and schedule realism, as well as any other feedback desired by industry, of the draft requirements contained herein.

1. PROGRAM INFORMATION:

The BaDGER supports multi domain operations (MDO) by performing a critical role in the execution of penetration, disintegration, and exploitation in the close maneuver areas. The BaDGER capability will support autonomous breaching by providing detection, reduction, proofing and marking while removing Soldiers from the breach. It will be reliable, tailorable, and capable of breaching complex obstacles. Examples of obstacles are man-made non-explosive devices such as triple strand wire, dragon's teeth, and tetrahedrons, cement barriers, stone walls, and dirt berms. It will also be capable of neutralizing explosive hazards, minefields, and improvised explosive devices. The employment of the BaDGER will enable Divisions to move, maneuver, defeat enemy obstacles and achieve tactical maneuver success into decisive space(s) across Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). Technology advancements in autonomy, explosives, fusing, delivery, and wireless detonation provide options to replace existing equipment.

BaDGER systems will support the Combat Engineer Company (CEC) Infantry and Stryker with an unmanned breaching capability. The BaDGER is a critical capability in the execution of combined arms breaches by maneuver formations. The BaDGER program will use Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) & Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) capabilities to provide maximum flexibility during the Demonstration and Experimentation (D&E) phases.

1. TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Additional information may be provided upon request. A non-disclosure agreement will be required.

1. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this survey. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. §1905 to protect information qualifying as “confidential” under this statute. [To avoid possible confusion with the meaning of the term “confidential” in the context of Classified Information,” we will use the term “PROPRIETARY.”] Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or PROPRIETARY restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data with the restrictive legend (all caps) “PROPRIETARY” with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly confidential (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as “PROPRIETARY” may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data.

4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the Government, shall contain the “PROPRIETARY” legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for only portions of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends ‘PROPRIETARY PORTION BEGINS:” and “PROPRIETARY PORTION ENDS.”

5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the Government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text.

6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain confidential information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent’s marking of data as “PROPRIETARY” will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain confidential information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.

III. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All responding to this notice shall provide specific information to include a summary of its company’s capabilities in a Capability Statement which demonstrates the skills, experience, knowledge, and capabilities necessary to perform the Government’s requirement.

The Capability Statement should include the following information:

Company Name:

Address:

Point of Contact:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

DUNS/Cage Code:

Website Address:

Type of Organization:

Business Type(s): [ ] Large Business (LB), [ ] Small Business (SB), [ ] HUBZone (HZ), [ ]

Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), [ ] Woman Owned Small

Business (WOSB), [ ] 8(a) Business Development Program, [ ] Small Disadvantaged

Business (SDB), [ ] Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB).

Number of Employees:

Does your company have any experience as a prime contractor providing the system parts, and services of the same or similar type effort(s), (to include size and complexity) within the past five years? If yes, please provide the following information.

Contract number(s):

Dollar value(s):

Point of Contact (POC):

POC Email address:

POC Phone number:

Brief description of your direct support of the effort: Similarity of scope, effort, complexity

The Government is seeking information related to the following questions:

1. Does your company currently manufacture bridging systems? Please provide the model number, nomenclature and time in service.


2. If an Industry Day is held by the US Government, would your company be willing to participate?


3. Are all applicable facilities U.S. DoD, security clearance-capable to handle Classified information?


4. Do you have other previous experience with U.S. Government programs?


5. What is the estimated time required to produce and deliver two systems for testing?


6. Is there a Technical Data Package (TDP) for the system available to be procured by the Government?


7. What are the data rights available on the TDP?


8. What is the estimated cost of the TDP for the system?


9. Please Describe your system. - Provide PowerPoint or visual images (standard marketing materials)


10. Will all capabilities be on one vehicle platform or multiple? If multiple vehicles are recommended, would they use a common platform?


11. Describe the vehicle and performance characteristics (e.g. speed, range, etc.)


12. How are the sub-systems powered?


13. Is your vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine and transmission, or hybrid electric drive motors, or a combination of both?


14. Describe the various terrain profiles that the vehicle is capable of navigating. (e.g. primary, secondary, and cross-country roads, slopes/grades, vertical step up/down, etc.) Have these been tested and where was testing conducted?


15. What is the weight and dimensions of your system?


16. Is your system Tracked vs Wheeled?


17. Does your system accept an external input for hydraulic or electric power for emergency conditions?


18. How many operators are needed to operate the system?


19. Does your vehicle system have a situational awareness system to provide 360-degree field of view for the driver and/or operator?


20. Does your vehicle have protection against Kinetic and Non-Kinetic threats such as CBRN, Cyber, HEMP, and direct energy weapons? Please describe and include any unclassified test data that has been performed.


21. Has the system undergone comprehensive cybersecurity scans to identify potential vulnerabilities and threat vectors? If so, what are the findings and are they mitigated? Does it have an Authority to Operate (ATO) on any military networks?


22. Does the vehicle system have electromagnetic and electronic signature management?


23. Is there any autonomously or semi-autonomously controlled components for your system? If so, what features are autonomous or semi-autonomous?


24. What is the cost of the system, please separate costs into Lane Marking, Vehicle Control Station, Plowing, Detection/Sensors and vehicle if possible?


25. Has any durability and/or fatigue testing been done on the vehicle? If so, please describe the testing and where testing conducted?


26. What is the preferred method of transporting your system?


27. Does your vehicle meet the lifting and tiedown requirements in MIL-STD-209 latest revision?


28. What are the tasks and preparation for transporting (i.e. rail, air, ship etc.)


29. Can the system be transported in aircraft? If so, what is the smallest aircraft it can be fit into (C-17, C-130, etc.)?


30. Can the system be transported by rail and sea? if so, what is the smallest rail envelope the system can be transported in?


31. What Army (Military Operational Specialty) MOS would be required for operator and maintainer? Are there any special skills required for the maintainer of the vehicle and/or systems?


32. Are any special maintenance procedures or tools required? Please describe.


33. Has the system gone through any reliability and maintainability analyses or testing. If so, briefly describe or provide results.


34. Does the system have an onboard diagnostics system to detect faults? If so, please describe the diagnostic system for the maintainer?


35. Describe how the system is recovered if the system breaks down in the field and needs to be moved to a different location? What vehicles would be required, and does it need special towbars or cables?


36. Are there any conditions in the market that would cause undue risk by using a firm-fixed price contracting mechanism?

Number each response with the appropriate questions number. You do not have to repeat the question in your response. If you cannot answer a question, please indicate “No Response.” If a response will satisfy another question, state “See response to question XX.”

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding its submissions. The Government may contact potential sources for additional information as required.

Interested parties are encouraged to be registered in the System for Award Management, www.sam.gov prior to responding to this Sources Sought Notice.

Interested parties that consider themselves qualified to perform the above listed requirements are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice no later than 1700 EST 22 May 2025.

Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted to the Contract Specialist via email. For submissions including files exceeding email limits, submit your response via DoD SAFE at URL: https://safe.apps.mil/ to the Contract Specialist followed by an email to the Contract Specialist of your DoD SAFE submission. You are requested to put “Breaching and Ground Engineer Robot (BaDGER) Program Market Survey” in the email subject line and description in DoD SAFE. Any requests for clarifications of this survey shall be addressed to Contract Specialist, Jason Farkas, (jason.r.farkas2.civ@army.mil).

Disclaimer: This is a sources sought notice and is not a request for competitive proposals or a solicitation of offers. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of the information contained in this posting or information received as a res

Attachments/Links