TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: NECC (Not confirmed)

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop and implement innovative technologies for transport of riverine craft in off-road environments and rapid launch and retrieval of those craft over a broad spectrum of site conditions in a hostile riverside environment.

DESCRIPTION: US riverine units use commercial systems to transport, launch, and retrieve military craft from lakes and rivers in combat zones. These systems are inadequate for the rough, off-road conditions encountered while transporting and deploying military boats weighing up to 11 tons. They become bogged-down in muddy river banks, are often unable to reach water with adequate depth for deployment, and have difficutly with rough terrrain and fluctuating water levels. In addition, prepared launch sites have proved impractical because once discovered, they become potential ambush and Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) targets. Consequently, tactics require that boats and craft be launched and retrieved at different sites to protect craft and personnel. Commercial systems limit the number of launch and retrieval sites that can be used because site conditions prohibit their use. When unprepared sites are used, site conditions significantly slow launch and retrieval, which endangers boats and personnel. Conventional launch and retrieval systems are incapable of meeting the demands of riverine warfare, therefore and innovative, potentially technologically risky solution is required.

This topic seeks to identify innovative scientific and engineering solutions for boat transportation, launch, and retrieval systems that can meet the demands of off-road transit, overcome site conditions, and reduce launch and retrieval times by at least half to significantly reduce risk to personnel and equipment. Inflation and regulation systems that can automatically adjust tire pressure according to terrain requirements may provide access to more sites and reduce launch and recovery times. Sandia National Laboratory has experimented with automatic tire pressure maintenance systems, and a central tire inflation system is marketed for trucks and military vehicles. These systems, however, keep tires at a set pressure and do not adjust automatically for terrain, which is crucial for rapid launch and recovery. Lightweight composites that could be used in construction of launch and retrieval systems would reduce weight and increase site accessability. Technologies that could automatically and rapidly "extend" launch and recovery beyond muddy, sandy, or rocky shores to where water depths are sufficient are essential to operating over a wide range of site conditions. Variable ground clearance for the launch and retrieval system would would expand access to rugged shorelines and improve transport over rough terrain. Novel technical solutions to improve site access and needed. Launch and retrieval must be accomplished rapidly, with minimal operator intervention, and at minimal system weight. Althought technical risk can be minimized by leveraging existing technologies, there is technical risk in modifying and adapting those technologies to make them suitable for this application.

Proposals should specifically describe the technologies that will be applied to solve the problem, how they will be developed, what the specific benefit will be, and how they might be transitioned to Navy acquisition programs. System life-cyle cost estimates with sufficient detail to determine impact on acquisition and sustainment must be developed as part of the effort. Members of the Naval Advanced Concepts and Technologies (NACT) program are available to provide guidance and assistance in the identification and clarification of common issues and needs. Contact with these resources is encouraged both prior to proposal development and during any subsequent SBIR-related activity.

PHASE I: The contractor is expected to identify and characterize novel launch and retrieval concepts and technologies that would reduce launch and retrieval times of SURCs (22,000 lbs) by a factor of at least two and that permit launch and retrieval over broader range of site conditions. The new launch and retrieval system must be transportable by air (C-130, C-17, C-5, MH-47, MH-53), and the system and boat must fit inside a minimum air transportability envelope of 8� W x 7.8� H x 20� L. The launch and retrieval system must be operable at any time of day, during severe weather conditions, at as many sites as possible. The contractor will establish performance goals and objectives for key concepts and technlologies and provide a plan with milestones for further concept and technology development.

PHASE II: The contractor is expected to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of concepts and technologies critical to an advanced launch and retrieval system. The contractor will demonstrate, based on the development plan of Phase I, that key concepts and technologies meet the goals and objectives established in Phase I. Life cycle cost estimates for the system and its components will be provided by the contractor. The contactor will develop and implement a strategy to transition beneficial technologies to acquisition.

PHASE III: The contractor will finalize development and transition beneficial, affordable, and sustainable (as determined by Phase II testing) technologies into system design and acquisition products, with the end goal being a new launch and recovery system available on GSA schedules. A prototype system will be provided to the Navy for test and evaluation.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Development of a launch and retrieval system of this type will improve the rapid response capabilities of relief and rescue craft worldwide. By increasing the suitable areas for launch and retrieval of small boats, maximum use of high speed ground transport can be achieved, bringing the boat as close to the desired work area as possible. In addition to the parallel government applications, private boat owners in areas with poorly developed or nonexistent boat ramps could use such system for launch and retrieval.

REFERENCES:
1. R. B. Rummer, C. Ashmore, D. L. Sirois, and C. L. Rawlins, "Central Tire Inf lation: Demonstration Tests," US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, Louisiana, General Technical Report SO-78 (Sept. 1990) (see http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/1752).

2. http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2005/elect-semi-sensors/tire-pressure-system.html

3. SAE J2180, SAE J2181, & Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 121

4. MTMCTEA REFERENCE 99-55-24 Vehicle Preparation handbook for fixed Wing Air Transport

5. NATO Allied Vehicle Testing Publication (AVTP) 03-160W

6. MIL-STD-913A Requirements for the certification of sling loaded military equipment for external transportation by Department of Defense helicopters

KEYWORDS: Boat; Riverine; All-terrain; Lightweight; Launch; Recovery

TPOC: Jason Marshall
Phone: (757) 462-3503
Fax:
Email: [email protected]
2nd TPOC: Jason Marshall
Phone: (757)462-3503
Fax: (757)462-4725
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 13 and December 9, 2007, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 10, 2007, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (08.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 08.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.