Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate
Request for Information (RFI) for
Laser Vulnerability Research (LVR) Program
THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY as defined in FAR 15.201(e). This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes to further the Government's understanding of market capabilities. This RFI is not a request for proposals; therefore responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. This announcement shall NOT be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. Responses to this RFI will NOT be returned and no further feedback will be provided. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED.
NO reimbursement will be made by the Government for any costs associated with providing information in response to this RFI or any follow up information requests.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Directed Energy Directorate (RD), Laser Vulnerability Research Program (LVR) intends to utilize the responses to this RFI to formulate the acquisition strategy for future solicitations. This may include a closed call announcement under the TACTICAL Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) (FA9451-24-S-0001), the DETER Advanced Research Announcement (ARA) (FA9451-21-S-0001), or under other solicitation opportunities.
The LVR program is seeking information on industry capability performing research on the effects of high power continuous-wave (up to megawatt class) and possible comparisons to high energy pulsed lasers interacting with individual materials, multi-material subsystems, and/or fully functional targets. Accomplishing these research goals requires conducting both laser interaction testing, high-fidelity physics modeling and simulation to support the development of assessments of target vulnerability utilizing all information available from the testing and high-fidelity modeling efforts.
There are three objectives for this program. Respondents may submit a response to any or all of the three objective areas.
Laser Interaction Testing
A primary LVR program objective is to utilize the results of laser testing collected under well controlled experimental procedures to determine susceptibility of various materials, components, and sub-systems to laser irradiation. The Air Force Research Laboratory is seeking industry's abilities and potential solutions capable of meeting ALL the requirements for laser interaction testing listed below. Respondents shall provide a high-level description of their capabilities.
- Define how they would conduct experimental pretest analysis and planning that may include:
- Microstructural analysis for material identification
- Material Characterization Testing, for example;
- Density
- Specific heat
- Thermal expansion
- Thermal Conductivity
- Microscopy
- CT Scan
- Optical characteristics emissivity, scattering, and absorption
- Failure Modes Analysis
- Experimental Planning
- Test plan development utilizing AFRL/RDL defined process
- Unique Target Fabrication leveraging Gov't supplied data and provide traceability to threat specific information. Including fabrication drawings.
- How would the offeror conduct experimental efforts using a variety of high-power laser systems to evaluate laser/material interactions, component failure, and target vulnerability against systems of interest to the Air Force and other Governmental agencies. Efforts to be addressed should include:
- Optical beam train design, optical element procurement and beam train integration to obtain desired on target laser conditions.
- Supporting diagnostics to capture relevant laser parameters and target response.
- Experimental Environment to include:
- Identification of facility capabilities to meet test objectives.
- Coordination and execution of test activities under representative conditions (flight and flow)
- Experiment Execution
- Post-experiment Data Reduction including Quantification of Experimental Uncertainty
- Post-experiment Failure Analysis
- Identify possible failure mechanisms and root cause if possible.
- Maintaining and Documenting laboratory functionality to support the technical requirements and research and development needs of the program.
Laser Interaction Modeling & Simulation
The second LVR program objective is to develop advanced computational methods for predicting the physical phenomenology resulting from high energy laser/material interactions. The goal is to develop a predictive capability which can support both vulnerability assessments as well as laser test development and execution using high-fidelity modeling & simulation capabilities to ensure the physics of the problem are being addressed. Prediction of the laser interaction must take into account a spatially and temporally resolved beam irradiance profile, absorption into the target, localized thermo-structural response, coupled physical phenomena, and resulting damage modes. Respondents shall provide a high-level description of their capabilities for addressing key areas for laser interaction modeling including:
- Develop and Demonstrate State-of-the-Art Physics-based Models for Predicting Laser Effects.
- Model Verification and Validation.
- Approach for supporting experimental efforts and data analysis from test campaigns.
- Approach and possible tools to be used to develop Simplified Physics-Based Solvers for Engineering Models.
- Approach for conducting Parametric Analysis, Optimization, and Uncertainty Quantification.
- Methodology related Software, Database, and Hardware Maintenance and configuration control.
Vulnerability Assessments
Finally, the LVR program will combine results from testing, target optical signature measurements, target exploitation intelligence, system-level fault tree and failure mode analysis, shotline dependency, and computational predictive results into a comprehensive probabilistic vulnerability assessment. The LVR program will utilize these assessments in support of AFRL/RD laser weapon system concept development and requirements definition. Respondents shall to provide a high-level description of their capabilities for addressing key areas for target assessments including:
- Completing assessments for combining target vulnerability data from testing, target optical signature, target exploitation intelligence, fault tree and failure mode analysis, functional assessments, and system-level modeling and simulation. The respondent should address how they would including proper interpretation of post-test data, calibration into physical quantities, uncertainty, confidence intervals, and regimes of applicability to address the below components:
- Target and Threat Characterization
- Integration of Experimental Data and High-End Modeling Results into Assessment Process
- Model Verification and Validation
- Integrating vulnerability data and effects models with engagement and mission level models to ensure proper representation of target susceptibility to laser systems in mission studies.
- Develop and Demonstrate State-of-the-Art Engagement and Engineering Models for Predicting Laser Effects
- Integration of Experimental Data and High-End Modeling Results into Assessment Process
- Target Vulnerability Assessment
- Methodology related Software, Database, and Hardware Maintenance and configuration control
Interested parties capable of performing this work are invited to submit a capability statement on company letterhead no later than 28 FEB 2024 at 12:00 noon Mountain Standard Time (MST). Provide sufficient written information to indicate capacity and any other specific and pertinent information. Any responses received not also addressing items a-d below may be considered as incapable of meeting the Government's requirements.
Company Profile
(a) Company Name and Mailing Address
(b) CAGE Code, UEI, and DUNS Number
- Point(s) of Contact to include telephone number and e-mail address
- Business Size Status (i.e. 8(a), HUBZone, woman-owned, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned, Small Business, Large Business, Historically Black College/University). Also, indicate if entity is a minority-serving institution of higher education that meets the definition of "Covered Institution" (as defined in 10 USC 2362 Covered Educational Institution) which is (1) an institution of higher education eligible for assistance under title III or V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1501 et seq); or (2) an accredited postsecondary minority institution). The applicable NAICS code is 541715 with an associated small business size standard of 1,000.
Responses must be unclassified and any proprietary information provided must be portion marked accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified.
USE OF NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS
(a) Data submitted to the Government in response to this RFI may be released to non-Government advisors for review and analysis. The non-Government advisor support will be provided by: Aerospace Corporation
(b) Submitters shall either provide response in accordance with (b)(1) or complete paragraph (b)(2) and include with RFI response.
(1) Any objection to disclosure:
(i) Shall be provided in writing to the contracting officer within 10 days of RFI issuance; and
(ii) Shall include a detailed statement for the basis of the objection. The detailed statement shall identify the specific portions of the capability statement the submitter objects to disclosing to non-Government advisors.
(2) I understand data submitted to the Government in response to this RFI may be released to non-Government advisors. I consent to release of any (unless objection is provided in (b)(1) above) proprietary, confidential, or privileged commercial or financial data provided to non-Government advisors for review and analysis:
Firm:
Name/Signature (individual authorized to commit firm):
Title:
Date of Execution:
RFI responses are limited to ten (10) pages, singled-sided, single-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins. A cover page, index and response to use of non-Government advisors are not included in the page count. Responses shall be readable by either the latest version of MS Word or Adobe Reader.
Responses shall be submitted via DoD SAFE (https://safe.apps.mil). Please request a DoD SAFE drop link from the contracting POC listed below, at least three business days before the response due date.
AFRL/RDKL
Attn: Michael Spurlock
Contracting Officer
Michael.spurlock@us.af.mil
The operations, research, and test data produced under a resultant contract may contain Military Critical Technology List (MCTL) information whose export is restricted by the Export Control Act (Title 22, USC, Section 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (Title 50, USC, App. 40-1, et seq.). Therefore, ONLY offerors who are certified by the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) may submit statements of capability. Contact US/Canada Joint Certification Office, DLIS, Federal Center, 74 Washington Ave, North, Battle Creek, Michigan, 49037-3084, (800) 352-3572, http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/, for further information on certification and the approval process.
