The Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Armament Directorate (AFLCMC/EB), Armament Systems Directorate (AFLCMC/XZW) has a requirement for rapidly developing technologies of novel weapons capabilities, applying unique solutions and innovative ideas, and characterizing new technologies and system concepts.

• The Armament Directorate (AFLCMC/EB) at Eglin AFB, FL is seeking the ability to:
  • Rapidly develop technologies of novel weapons capabilities
  • Apply unique solutions and innovative ideas
  • Characterize new technologies and system concepts that provide evolutionary, revolutionary, and disruptive capabilities for the United States Air Force through weapons systems requirements development, studies and demonstrations.
• The primary objective is to provide rapid response applicable to all areas and lifecycle phases of weapons development to include weapons concepts, concept development, concept demonstrations, weapons system procurement, production, fielding, operations, a sustainment to quickly meet current and future weapons system requirements. Customers include AFLCMC/EB divisions, SOCOM Det-1, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the Air Force Nuclear Warfare Center (AFNWC).

• This specification establishes the requirements for the EWAAC Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to include the following:
  • Science and Technology (S&T)
  • Research and Development (R&D)
  • Test and Evaluation (T&E)
  • Production and Fielding
  • Operations and Sustainment
  • Modernization
  • Prototyping
  • Experimentation
  • Studies, Demonstrations, Testing of prototypes
  • Hardware and Software modifications
  • Weapon Design
  • Data mining/collection/analysis
• Objectives
  • Deliver innovative capabilities to the warfighter with increased speed and agility.
  • Incorporate digital acquisition and sustainment practices to include Digital Engineering (DE), Agile Software, and Open System Architecture (OSA).
• General Areas of Interest
  • Development planning activities to identify a near-term plan to develop and transition individual weapons concepts into acquisition and fielding. This includes work at the technology level, system level, testing, modeling, and analysis to document fidelity for senior leaders.
  • Weapon studies applied to current and potential weapon systems in perceived mission scenarios.
  • Use of agile enabling processes such as DE and OSA in order to accelerate acquisition and provide capability to the warfighter faster.
    • DE and Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). These include includes but are not limited to Integrated Trade Space Analyses, Behavior Modeling, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, and a system/concept Modeling and Simulation (M&S) foundation that includes performance modeling, operational analysis, digital twin/thread, and live virtual construct (LVC). Integration of a DE framework that combines models, data, and artifacts allows the US to rapidly respond to changing threats, field advanced capabilities, and engineer dominant systems at the speed of relevance.
    • OSA is a structure in which systems/concepts interfaces share common, widely accepted standards that can be independently verified, and is key to enabling incremental development, enhancing competition, driving innovation, and maximizing interoperability.
    • Agile processes include agile software development that allows continuous collaboration with the end user, agile validation/verification processes to include the use of modeling and simulation for risk reduction, and agile test methods such as the use of surrogate test beds.
  • Technologies and/or processes that enable the development, testing, and fielding of capabilities in the areas of, but not limited to: engine/rocket motor development, guidance, navigation and control, sensors (e.g. seekers, inertial measurement units, datalinks, software/algorithms, new materials, flight termination systems, and telemetry/instrumentation systems.
  • Support in developing concepts, analyzing mission effectiveness (including affordability), and demonstrating prototypes for innovative Air Force Armament materiel solutions in the following areas: Reach, Affordable Mass, Autonomous Collaboration, Sensing and Communication Nodes, and Non-Kinetic Effects.
    • Reach: Hold adversaries at risk in air, ground, and surface domains with increased standoff technologies that enhance scramjet/ramjet engines, compact boosters with higher specific impulse, small and efficient gas turbine engines, and hypersonic flight are primary emphasis areas; technologies that increase weapon standoff at neutral inventory cost are also highly desired.
    • Affordable Mass: Deliver large quantities of low cost weapons from traditional and non-traditional platforms. The goal is to impart a cost imposing strategy on the adversary by overwhelming the airspace with low cost, yet effective weapons.
    • Autonomous Collaboration: Weapons adapt to the battlespace and maximize outcomes in situations that would overwhelm human decision makers; sharing data and develop/execute coordinated actions to improve information across the entire group.
    • Sensing and Communication Nodes: Weapons will be used as a sensor and communication node to enable Multi-Domain Operations.
    • Non-Kinetic Effects: Add unique, disruptive battlespace capability (multi target defeat) with large, “reusable” magazine. Directed energy (high energy lasers, high power microwaves, etc.) and electronic warfare are primary focus areas.
    • Support explorations of new technologies that enhance weapon system and or platform capacity, standoff, survivability, accuracy, flexibility, improved lethality against a wider array of target types, and allow for rapid integration on both legacy and next generation platforms are of special interest. This includes initiatives for the rapid execution of innovative, emerging capabilities and technologies for munitions or munitions related products by developing, integrating, and proving through rapid prototyping, demonstration, and/or fielding within 24 months. Tools that advance the Air Force’s ability to determine the value of various technologies are also desired.
• Requirements
  • Digital Trinity: Digital Engineering and Management, Agile Processes, and Open Architecture. The offeror shall demonstrate some or all of the following abilities:
    • Utilize DE and MBSE methodologies to include the development of an Integrated Digital Ecosystem that integrates the relevant technical data, models, analyses, and associated digital artifacts as part of the Authoritative Source of Truth (ASoT) to be utilized over the lifecycle of the program. The offeror shall coordinate with the Government to provide continuous live access and updates to the DE Ecosystem. Government access the DE Ecosystem at contractor’s facility is acceptable to meet this objective.
    • Develop a Digital Ecosystem or components thereof using models as an integral part of the technical baseline that includes requirements, analysis, design, implementation, verification/validation, manufacturing, and general product life-cycle management.
    • Develop a detailed DE/MBSE Plan which outlines the DE/MBSE strategy for the lifecycle of the program to include aturation the digital thread and digital twin as well as use of a Government Reference Architecture (GRA).
    • Develop a detailed DE/MBSE Plan which outlines the DE/MBSE strategy for the lifecycle of the program to include maturation of the digital thread and digital twin as well as use of a Government Reference Architecture (GRA).
    • Adhere to the GRA provided by the Government. The GRA is a general-purpose architecture design consisting of data models that capture the physical, logical, and functional description of a common open systems architecture. The GRA clearly identifies key government-owned interfaces based on the Government acquisition objectives and identifies trade space for design flexibility.
    • Develop a Contractor Reference Architecture (CRA) based on the GRA IAW the DE/MBSE Plan.
    • Use commercially available software tools as defined by the Government as part of the Technical Stack or “Tech Stack”.
    • Incorporate a cybersecurity architecture at the beginning of the development effort.
    • Conduct model-based program reviews such as the System Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR).
  • Armament/Weapons Development. The offeror shall demonstrate some or all of the following abilities:
    • Perform trade space and capabilities studies in fielding and supporting armament systems.
    • Perform design and engineering development in fielding and supporting armament systems.
    • Perform prototyping and experimentation activities in fielding and supporting armament systems.
    • Perform production and deployment activities such as manufacturing planning and fabrication of armament systems.
    • Perform operations and support functions such as system installation, training, and integrated logistics support of armament systems.
  • Enterprise Analytics. The offeror shall demonstrate some or all of the following abilities:
    • Provide Business Intelligence (BI) tools by leveraging DoD investment in high-performance computing centers.
    • Provide data mining and transformation for BI tools.
    • Generate concise and reporting and analysis products such as contract analyses, enterprise risk analyses, business cases analyses, and cost-benefit analyses.