- Army’s C5ISR Center seeks vendors to rapidly produce palletized FoCUS counter-UAS systems
- Responses to the sources sought notice are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 27
- Contractors would fabricate hardware, verify software and sustain a pace of one system monthly
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s C5ISR Center has posted a sources sought notice for production of a palletized version of its Family of Counter-UAS Systems, known as FoCUS, seeking industry partners capable of rapidly turning out the hardware for integration onto tactical ground platforms.
According to a notice published Monday on SAM.gov, FoCUS is a multi-sensor, multi-modal counter-unmanned aircraft system currently integrated onto multiple tactical ground platforms. The C5ISR Center is looking for qualified vendors capable of rapidly producing FoCUS systems for integration onto those platforms.
Technical data and a bill of materials for the existing integrations will be provided to vendors that receive a contract award. The center also stated it can offer oversight or input during the assembly process if requested.
What Will Contractors Be Required to Do Under the FoCUS Production Effort?
Under the notice’s requirements, contractors would be responsible for:
- Procuring or fabricating all hardware specified in the bill of materials, including the exact sensing, computing and mast hardware called out in the technical data, while substituting suitable commercial equivalents for other components
- Installing and verifying software compatibility with government-provided FoCUS software, confirming that subsystem software and firmware versions match the current configuration and completing calibration and system function checks
- Assembling and integrating hardware onto the tactical ground platforms in accordance with the technical data, in quantities set by the government, including mechanical fabrication such as cutting, bending, welding, painting and stenciling, and electrical fabrication of rugged cable assemblies, power distribution boxes and vehicle harnesses
- Providing recommendations for system design changes that could enable more rapid production
- Sustaining a minimum production pace of one FoCUS system per month
What Are the Key Details of the Army’s FoCUS SSN?
The opportunity will remain active for 15 days following the response deadline, with an inactive date set for Sept. 11. The FoCUS effort is part of a broader push across the Army to expand its arsenal of unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone capabilities to maintain an advantage over adversaries, as the service pursues several parallel counter-UAS initiatives
The notice, issued by Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, is intended for market research purposes only and does not constitute a request for proposal, a request for quotation or a promise to issue a solicitation. Interested parties must submit responses by 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 27.
