Coast Guard seeks ISR tech for remote locations

On August 22, the U.S. Coast Guard posted a request for information on Low Cost Maritime Domain Awareness Technology for Remote Locations (Solicitation Number: HSCG32-18-I-R00004). Responses are due by October 31.

This Request for Information (RFI) is part of a market research effort by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Research and Development Center (RDC) to determine the availability of commercially available low cost technologies/systems for improving the Coast Guards (CG) Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) in remote regions. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI.

The USCG intends to use the information collected from this RFI to conduct detailed analysis that evaluates readiness and applicability, device or equipment capability, and acquisition (non-recurring) and life-cycle operating (recurring) costs for said technologies/systems. You are invited to respond with information to assist the CG with its market research to identify potential availability of commercial low cost technologies/systems for improving the CG MDA and ISR in remote regions.

BACKGROUND

The Coast Guard faces challenges with respect to conducting maritime surveillance in the Pacific Ocean necessary to support its statutory missions related to marine safety, security, and protection. One of the three tenets of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy is the defensive posture of this strategy to sustain effective offshore awareness capability. This is the comprehensive ability to detect threats and safeguard our homeland, prevent illegal fishing, and stop intrusion into protected marine sanctuaries.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entities, including the CG have finite surface and aerial assets to cover 12.2 million square miles of maritime territory in the Pacific, so assets have to be directed to areas of high probability contact. The use of advanced sensors and MDA/ISR maritime systems could help provide additional coverage in the maritime environment to leverage existing assets for greater effectiveness.

The objective of the market research is to investigate the efficacy of using low-cost commercially available technology/system solutions, in combination with or on existing fleet platforms, to enhance maritime domain awareness. The research will look at technology/system solutions across the CG fleet, including the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The project will also consider technologies/systems that have been used by small, remote Pacific Island states and other technologies with little or no logistics funding trail.

SPECIFIC TECHNICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED

The Coast Guard Research and Development Center desires detailed information regarding low-cost commercially available technology/system solutions for enhancing CG MDA/ISR in remote regions. The following information, or best available estimate, is requested for each proposed technology/system. If multiple technologies/systems are presented by the same entity, the information should be specific to each technology.

Full information is available here.

Source: FedBizOpps