UnderWatch

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) is seeking sources for the UnderWatch program.

Introduction

This is a Research and Development (R&D) Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential R&D requirement. This information may be used to form a Qualified Bidders List (QBL).

Program Description

The world’s oceans carry 90 percent of global trade and key waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca carry up to 35 percent and 25 percent of the world’s seaborne oil shipments, respectively. Disruption of critical U.S. ports can rapidly impose a cost of billions of dollars per day. And while these Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) are a vital economic avenue, they are also exploited for malign interests including international terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, worldwide trafficking of women and children, illicit transfer of materials for weapons of mass destruction, and arms trafficking. Several high-profile and/or recent maritime concerns include al-Qaeda’s attack on the USS Cole, Somali pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden, mass migration across the Mediterranean, the seizure of semi-submersible “drug subs”, the interdiction of an illicit arms shipment aboard the North Korean vessel Chong Chon Gang, and the Tanker War in the Persian Gulf. Maritime security is a multi-faceted topic that intersects many diverse components of the U.S. Intelligence Community including those embedded within the Department of State, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (e.g. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Commerce.

IARPA’s UnderWatch program seeks to develop an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)-based maritime reconnaissance capability that will allow unobtrusive surveillance of vessel traffic in critical harbors, waterways, and chokepoints. Analogous to the DoD’s concept of overwatch,” the UnderWatch system will leverage a unique vantage point (the undersea environment) to monitor ships and maneuver to inspect contacts of interest. UnderWatch must necessarily have an organic sensing capability to observe traffic at long range, with applicability to a broad set of vessel types such as container ships, cruise ships, commercial fishing traffic, recreational vessels, go-fast boats, and Self-Propelled Semi-Submersibles (SPSSs). The UnderWatch system will enable remote surveillance of critical waterways in support of broad interests in the maritime domain.

Capability Statement/Information Sought

Interested parties should describe their capabilities in the following areas:

1. The design, development, test, and demonstration of novel Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems with requisite expertise in underlying AUV subsystem technology enablers such as autonomy, communications, navigation, sensing, and energy to address varying requirements for vehicle mobility and payload employment.
2. The design, development, test, and demonstration of AUV or submarine-based sensing systems that enable automated detection, classification, and localization of maritime contacts from underwater and/or a low height-of-eye vantage point (above the sea surface).
3. The ability to conduct work at the SCI level, to include both personnel and facility clearances.

Submission Details

Responses should include:

1. Business name and address
2. Name of company representative and their business title
3. Security Information
   1. CAGE Code.
   2. Does your company have personnel who currently hold and have access toTS/SCI?
   3. Does your company have an accredited SCIF?
   4. Does your SCIF have connectivity/information system?
4. Type of business (small, large, veteran owned, etc.).
5. A concise summary of pertinent expertise that addresses the areas detailed within the “Capability Statement/Information Sought” section; the summary should include a description of fundamental capabilities and knowledge, a few tangible examples, and any related on-going work (no more than 5 pages).
6. A short description of their ability to contract under a cost type contracting arrangement (i.e., possess a DCAA approved cost accounting system). NOTE: Absence of a DCAA approved cost accounting system does not preclude your company from responding to this notice.

Responses to this Sources Sought notice must be UNCLASSIFIED and shall be sent via email no later than June 30, 2016 by 10:00AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) to dni-iarpacontracts@iarpa.gov.

Contracting Office Address

Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity
Washington, DC 20511

Confidentiality

No proprietary, classified, confidential, trade secrets, or sensitive information should be included
in your response.

Disclaimer

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARTION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.