Structural Concepts for Affordable Launched Effects

Active

Contract Opportunity

This Request for Information (RFI) is for informational purposes only. Proposals are not being requested or accepted at this time. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The decision to solicit for a contract shall be solely within the Government’s discretion. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on https://sam.gov.

Any information submitted by respondents to this notice is voluntary. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government reimburse any costs associated with the submission of information in response to this notice. Respondents will not be individually notified of the results of any Government assessments.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Aviation & Missile Center (DEVCOM AvMC), Rotors and Structures Branch, is initiating a study to identify key Science & Technology (S&T) investments in Structural Concepts for Affordable Launched Effects (SCALE). These investments aim to enable the development and manufacturing of structural components for Launched Effect (LE) and small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) at drastically lower cost and significantly higher production rates than currently achievable. These investments are expected to be design agnostic, agile manufacturing approaches and technologies that can be broadly applied to many or all LE and sUAS, rather than solutions tailored to specific designs. Of particular interest are scalable, adaptable, and cost-efficient manufacturing approaches that use rapidly changeable, affordable tooling and readily available capital equipment and infrastructure to enable quick scale-up to high rate, low-cost production and rapid design modifications. Additionally, technologies capable of being embedded within Army units to support manufacturing capability in the field are of interest.

Primary components of interest include the fuselage, wing, and tail structures, though other structural components may also be considered. Technologies applicable to small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) are likewise of interest. Non-structural components such as mission equipment packages, batteries, and other non-structural parts are considered out-of-scope for this RFI. The Government’s assessment of the white papers received will help shape program goals and determine whether any future solicitation will be conducted as a full and open competition.

The Government is seeking information on the following topics:

• The current state-of-the-art in the fabrication of LE and sUAS structural components.


• Challenges in reducing the fabrication costs of LE and sUAS structural components.


• Scalability and supply chain considerations


• Technologies that could be applied to reduce the fabrication time and cost of LE and sUAS structural components.


• Technologies that could be applied to enable rapid scaling, cost-efficient production, and quick design changes for LE and sUAS structures.


• Technologies that could be directly implemented by Army units to support embedded manufacturing capability.

Background Information

The U.S. Army's Launched Effects (LE) program is an initiative aimed at developing and deploying advanced, multi-functional unmanned systems that can be launched from various ground and air platforms. These launched effects are designed to enhance the Army's capabilities in reconnaissance, surveillance, electronic warfare, and precision strike. The program focuses on creating modular, scalable, and interoperable systems that can be rapidly deployed and adapted to different mission requirements, ultimately improving situational awareness, operational flexibility, and overall mission effectiveness.

The ability to produce these launched effects quickly and cheaply will be critical in any prolonged conflict. Lower production costs enable the Army to deploy a larger number of launched effects, enhancing overall mission effectiveness without straining the budget. Affordable and rapid production supports scalability, allowing the Army to adapt the quantity and type of launched effects to specific mission needs.

Requested Information

To ensure the Government can establish clear cost and rate metrics for future solicitations, respondents are requested to provide detailed information on the following topics: Current Manufacturing Methods

Briefly describe the primary technologies and processes your company currently uses to produce launched effects and small, unmanned aircraft structures. For all LE and sUAS designs that your company can currently manufacture, please quantify the current cost and rate at which you can produce those designs. In addition, for your current manufacturing method, please describe:

• Materials (e.g., composites, metals, plastics)


• Fabrication and assembly techniques (e.g., level of automation, touch labor hours, capital equipment)


• Inspection and quality control techniques


• Scale of production (e.g., production rate and quantity, production facility size)


• Certification / qualification of materials, parts, and manufacturing processes

Please quantify typical costs associated with each of the above manufacturing aspects, noting any significant contributors to the overall cost. Identify specific limitations or requirements that significantly increase costs.

Future Technology Interests

Identify any emerging technologies that you believe could drastically lower manufacturing costs, significantly increase production rates, and enable rapid, agile manufacturing for LE and sUAS structures. Provide quantifiable metrics for the expected improvements, including percentage reductions in cost and increases in production rate. Additionally, estimate the resulting unit cost and projected production rate in units per month. Examples of potential technologies of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Novel fabrication and assembly processes, materials, and analytical methods.


• Advanced automation and robotics.


• Digital manufacturing techniques (e.g., model-based definition, digital twins).


• Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods for rapid quality control.


• Design for manufacturability (DFM) tools and methodologies.

For each technology identified, please explain:

• The expected benefits to manufacturing cost and production rate


• How the technology will produce the expected benefits.


• The current, approximate Technology Readiness Level (TRL)


• The potential risks and challenges for development and implementation

If you are aware of any existing technologies from other industries (e.g., automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics) that could be leveraged for low cost, high rate, agile LE production, please identify those existing technologies as well.

Scalability and Supply Chain Considerations

For both your current manufacturing method, as well as emerging technologies you are aware of, identify any potential scalability and supply chain concerns or considerations.

• Key considerations for improving manufacturing processes to meet potential high-volume demands for SCALE


• Potential supply chain challenges associated with sourcing materials and manufacturing equipment for LE structures


• Considerations to ensure a robust and resilient supply chain for LE manufacturing


• Considerations to enable rapid scale up or scale down of production to meet changes in demand

Broad Application of Manufacturing Methods

• Provide insights into how proposed manufacturing methods can be applied broadly across LE and sUAS manufacturers, rather than being tailored to specific designs.


• Highlight the adaptability of these methods to different structural designs and configurations.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Discuss the potential ROI for the technologies and methods proposed, including cost savings, production rate improvements, and scalability benefits.

Field Manufacturing Capability

Identify technologies that could be directly applied by Army units to support embedded manufacturing capabilities in operational environments.

Additional Considerations

Identify any additional considerations you think are pertinent to the topic of this request for information and you would like to bring to the Government’s attention. Examples include:

• Any large gaps in knowledge or technology you are aware of that need to be addressed to enable SCALE


• Any relevant standards or certifications that should be considered for SCALE implementation


• Opportunities for other platforms (e.g. medium to large UAS, manned Army VTOL platforms) to leverage the technologies developed under SCALE

Submission Instructions

If proprietary information is submitted, it must be appropriately and specifically labeled as “proprietary”. It is the submitter’s responsibility to clearly identify to the Government what is considered proprietary data. Any such proprietary data will not be released outside the Government. All responses must be UNCLASSIFIED.

Your response shall be submitted via email to the points of contact noted. Please include in the subject line ‘RFI W911W6-25-RFI-0003 SCALE Response” Please do not include attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe. Ensure only search enabled Portable Document File (.pdf), Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), or Microsoft Excel (.xsls, or .xls) documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

Additional points of contract besides the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist to which responses shall be submitted include:

Daniel Camp, Aerospace Engineer, daniel.v.camp.civ@army.mil

Robert Haynes, Aerospace Engineer, robert.a.haynes43.civ@army.mil

Resources

2009 DoD TRL Deskbook: https://www.acqnotes.com/Attachments/Technology%20Readiness%20Assessment%20Deskbook.pdf

2020 DoD MRL Deskbook: http://www.dodmrl.com/MRL%20Deskbook%20V2020.pdf

Attachments/Links