The Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program - I find the original call for tenders document

Introduction

I have just located an online copy of the Defense Intelligence Agency's, August 2008, call for proposals, for its Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program. This is the call for outside bodies to submit a bid to undertake the work that the DIA wished to achieve in this area. This blog post will provide our first look at the contents of this document, which has, until now, remained hidden from researchers. 

Solicitation

"Solicitation" HHM402-08-R-0211, dated 18 August 2008, issued as "Request for a Proposal," was prepared by the "Virginia Contracting Activity", at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington DC. "The Virginia Contracting Activity" was the name used by the DIA's purchasing/contracts area.The document stated that ".. one firm fixed price contact is anticipated to be awarded as a result of this solicitation..." with a "size standard of 25 million." "The term of the contract is from the Date of Award through September 30, 2009. The contract will have four one-year options, for the period of September 29, 2008 through September 30, 2013."

Background

The document then went on to provide the background to the program. 

"The Acquisition Support Division (DWO-3) of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has the responsibility to provide guidance and oversight to the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process along with leveraging the DoD Intelligence Community to coordinate, produce and maintain projections of the future threat environment in which the U.S. air, naval, ground, space, missile defense and information systems operate. In order to accurately assess the foreign threat to U.S. weapons systems, a complete as possible understanding of potential breakthrough technology applications employed in future aerospace weapons systems must be obtained."

Objective

"The objective of this program is to understand the physics and engineering of these applications as they apply to the foreign threat out to the far term , i.e., from now through the year 2050. Primary focus is on breakthrough technologies and applications that create discontinuities in currently evolving technology trends."

Requirements

"...The contractor shall complete advanced aerospace weapon system technical studies in the following areas: 1. lift; 2. propulsion; 3.control; 4. power generation; 5. spatial/temporal translation; 6. materials; 7. configuration; 8. signature reduction (optical, infrared, radiofrequency, acoustic); 9. human interface; 10. human effects; 11.armament (RF and DEW); 12. other peripheral areas in support of (1-11)..."

Security requirement

"Contractor company and personnel proposed shall be clearable and able to obtain a security and facility clearance upon award of the contract...All requirements specified in this SOO may be based on materials classified at or below Top Secret with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information...The contractor shall ensure that each individual assigned to this contract shall be identified, cleared, and approved through DIA/DAC-3 prior to granting that individual access to....Contractor will provide a work facility (including unclassified information systems) with a Top Secret Facility Clearance granted by the Defense Security Service (DSS)...At least two personnel cleared at the Secret level are required at contract inception..."

Contractor acquired material and travel

"Any accountable property acquired by the contractor with government funds during the execution of this contract shall become government owned property."

"It is anticipated that travel will be required for this contract. The Government will pay up to the rates specified in the government Federal Travel Regulations for travel destination."

Deliverables

"The contractor shall prepare the following deliverables: a. Status Reports - monthly reports outlining accomplishments, milestones, and work in progress. b. Project Management Plan - For each technical area, the team lead shall submit, at the 60 day point, an overview paper identifying the scope of the final report; a Plan of Action and Milestones, and the composition of the analytical team. c. Research reports - for each technical area, a comprehensive report and briefing forecasting potential advancements and their impact is to be submitted to the GPL by the end of the tenth month...A final report and briefing that assesses the foreign threat from advanced aerospace platforms incorporating the technologies discussed in the individual research reports...at the end of the period of performance..."

Government program leader

"The COR [Contracting Officer Representative -KB] and Government Project Leader will be Dr. James T. Lacatski." 

"Proposals are due at the Contracting Office on September 5 2008..."

My comment

This document clearly identifies the background; objective; requirements and deliverables for the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications program, and as such, provides researchers with a confirmation on aspects of the program,  previously unknown.