LDWS Operational Need RFI

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Project Management Office, Aircraft Survivability Equipment (PMO-ASE) Laser Detection & Warning System - United States Government (USG)

Classification Code: A

NAICS: 334511 Countermeasures sets (e.g. Active countermeasures, jamming equipment) Manufacturing.

Contracting Office: Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal, Building 5303 Martin Road, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama 35898-5000

Place of Performance: Department of the Army, Project Management Office, Aircraft Survivability Equipment (PMO ASE) Huntsville, Alabama 35806

Disclaimer:

This Request for Information (RFI) is in direct response to operational needs. Information gathered will be used for preliminary planning purposes in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15.201(e). This announcement is not an Invitation for Bid or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and does not commit the Government to solicit or award a contract now or in the future. A contract may result based on information related to this RFI. Companies will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs that are incurred in responding to this RFI. The information submitted in response to this RFI is strictly voluntary. This information is subject to change and in no way binds the USG to pursue any course of action described herein. To protect the integrity of any future procurement that may arise from this announcement, the Government will not provide information regarding the technical point of contact and will not entertain appointments for vendors to provide presentations specifically in response to this notice.

Overview:

The PMO ASE is seeking sources and information to provide Laser Detection and Warning capabilities for the USG. This capability should be fielded in 18 months or less. The USG requires a Laser Detection and Warning System that enables both defensive and offensive mitigation of the laser threat through geolocation of the threat and offboarding of fires quality data. PMO ASE’s objective is to meet an accelerated timeline while providing a minimum viable product (MVP) to the operational force.

Background:

Currently, the USG utilizes the AVR-2B as a standalone Laser Detecting Set (LDS). LDS is a passive laser warning system that receives, processes, and displays threat information resulting from aircraft illumination by laser designators, rangefinders, and beam rider Missile Guidance systems. AVR-2B was an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) to AVR-2A and the Acquisition Category (ACAT) IV Designation for LDS and Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) Delegation was issued to PMO ASE in March 2018. Current system LDS AVR-2B Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) parameters are annotated below:

LRU           Size (inches) H x W x L       Weight (lbs)                            Power (W) 28 VDC Continuous (15 min) Nominal Temp

Sensor        2.91” x 7.57” x 6.45”             2.34 lbs each (Current)            4.9 W

Processor   5.79” x 7.88” x 5.0”               3.4 lbs each (Current)              4.8 W

Requirements:

The USG has an operational need for an aerial mounted system designed for the CH-47F, UH-60M, HH-60M, and LUH-72 platforms that provides 360-degree laser detection coverage by +/- 45 degree in elevation. The system(s) must detect laser emissions, alert crews, and provide 8-10 digit Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) of the laser source. System(s) must utilize Modular Open-Source Architecture (MOSA) and application programming interfaces capable of automatically passing data to mission command systems such as Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK) and MAVEN Smart System Tools. The system(s) must easily federate without modifying Regular Army (RA) or Army National Guard (ARNG) aircraft. The system(s) must be capable of quick, on-site hardware transfer between units as aircraft enter and exit the Joint Operational Area.

Vendor responses should include their system’s external connection type(s), power requirements, size, weight, whether the system is currently certified (commercial or military) and the certification. Responses should include whether or not the system meets MOSA requirements and describe anticipated modifications to transition the system(s) from current use to the required configuration. The above items should be clearly emphasized and easy to find within the vendor document.

Responses may consider or incorporate the use of third-party software for aircraft integration purposes. Any additional functionalities (or lack of) should not be considered negative by a vendor considering a response but should not affect the timeline of the project or increase the overall cost.

The USG is searching for vendors that can produce viable hardware.

How to Respond:

All interested parties should submit a written response to this posting no later than 1500 CST, 22 April 2026. Responses should be dedicated to showing the current capability in addition to showing the required technical/programmatic milestones required to meet specifications. The response should also include a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for the overall effort.

Responses shall be limited to 4 one-sided pages per company. Submissions shall be capable of being printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper with one inch margin (top, bottom, left and right) and a 12-point Arial font. Line spacing shall be set at no less than single space. Tables, drawings, and header/footer information shall be 10-point Arial font or larger. For tables and drawings, landscape orientation is permitted. All submissions will be in an Adobe .pdf format. Vendors should not include proprietary information in any responses. Responses should include one of the following:

1. Current technology and the necessary activities to meet the requirement.
2. Development of a new product that can meet the timeline and requirement.

Submission Information:

Interested offerors shall respond to this request for information no later than 1500 CST, 22 April 2026. All interested vendors must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM). All responses to this RFI shall be submitted via email to Robin W. Easter, robin.w.easter.civ@army.mil, and Ashley Bowers, ashley.w.bowers.civ@army.mil. Please include “LDWS Operational Need RFI” in the subject line.

Additional Information:

This is not a “request for proposal (RFP)” to be submitted. 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 RFI. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this RFI. Any information submitted by respondents to this announcement is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned to the responder. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. ROMs submitted in response to this RFI are not binding offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a contract. If a solicitation is released at some future date, another notice will be published on SAM.gov. All data received in response to this RFI that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government. Submissions will not be returned to respondents.