A component of both terminal defense and land-attack missions, a MK 34 GWS with the increased reliability and firing rates are expected to increase capability and survivability during missions in contested areas with large (10+) threat swarms. In these scenarios, the effective firing of ammunition to engage targets is essential due to relatively low-cost and on-hand inventory of shipboard ammunition (versus missiles). Major Caliber Naval Gun Weapon Systems currently cycles conventional ammunition from storage conditions up through firing by way of circa-1960s electro-hydraulic power technology. With a high power-to-weight ratio and simple control circuits, this technology (militarized from the chemical and food machinery industry of the day) transformed ammunition handling systems from a manual to a semi-automated process aboard Navy ships. The technology is old and has limitations on guided ammunition handling that include high maintenance requirements, obsolescence, complex troubleshooting, exposure to petroleum products, high intensity noise, and sustained operation limited by operator “in-the-loop” actions. There is currently no commercial technology that could solve the need for gun weapon systems ammunition handling and controls modernization for the Navy. The Navy seeks a solution to modify existing fielded MK 34 Major Caliber Gun Weapon System guns (utilizing the MK 45 MOD 2 & 4 5-Inch Gun System) with automated ammunition loading systems that provide higher reliability (i.e., operational availability of .9 or greater), increased sustained loading (i.e., firing) rate (i.e., greater than 12 rounds per minute), and/or reduced exposure to occupational exposure to petroleum-based hydraulic fluids. Potential innovations may incorporate electric motor drive technology, industrial control systems or testing system technologies, human-assist technologies, or process optimization. The solution shall be restricted to the MK 45 Gun System Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) profile, requiring no modification to the platform (i.e., ship). All solutions shall utilize Model-Based Engineering (MBE) design principles. Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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