Program Executive Office-Rotary Wing (PEO-RW)

Request to Attend Closed 25 October 2023 11:59 PM ET 

U.S. Citizens Only

Purpose
SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM Program Executive Office - Rotary Wing (PEO-RW) and the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) will host a Collaboration Event to explore how technology can be leveraged to achieve improved maintenance outcomes by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance personnel.

Background
The 160th SOAR currently provides its maintenance personnel a technical manual that is, at its core, a legacy paper maintenance manual converted to a PDF. The manual is inflexible, difficult to change, and often lags months or years behind the "current operational truth." Soldiers currently can only access the technical manual through heavy, cumbersome laptop computers or are forced to print work packages for work on the aircraft. As the Regiment emerges from 20 years of sustained combat operations, the well of combat experience has begun to run dry. As the average experience level of the organization decreases, the complexity faced by the maintenance enterprise continues to increase. New technology, rapid fielding, and diverging fleet configuration present a robust challenge to the enterprise. Maintenance, in accordance with the technical manual, is the cornerstone of a successful maintenance program. As the Regiment's maintenance apparatus negotiates these dual challenges of decreasing experience and increasing complexity, the need to re-examine this foundational technology becomes readily apparent.

Objective
We seek to identify software and hardware solutions to provide maintenance personnel increased access to technical information. Potential solutions may include augmented reality and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) knowledge management tools to achieve improved maintenance outcomes at the user level.

Why You Should Participate
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by USASOC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under 10 U.S. Code, Section 4022 and/or Section 4022(f), and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline
Completed Phase 1 - 29 June 2023 Government Only Collaboration Event (CE): Confirmed Government partners will identify current limitations and ideate ways to overcome limiting factors. Problem statement(s) will be developed to frame software and hardware solutions, with an emphasis on providing maintenance personnel the greatest access to technical information.  Examine how technologies, including but not limited to, augmented reality and AI/ML can be leveraged as knowledge management tools to achieve improved maintenance outcomes at the user level. Outcomes from the Government Only Collaboration Event will shape the potential Industry, Academia, and Laboratory Collaboration Event. Request to attend to the CE below, NLT 30 May. 

Tentative Agenda
All times listed are in ET
8:00 – 8:20: Participants arrive at SOFWERX
8:20 – 8:25: SOFWERX Welcome
8:25 – 8:45: Stakeholder Overview & Problem Set
8:45 – 9:45: Current Limitations Breakout
9:45 – 10:00: Break
10:00 – 11:00: Ways to Overcome Limitations Breakout
11:00 – 12:00: Lunch (on your own)
12:00 – 2:30: Problem Statement Development
2:30 – 2:45: Break
2:45 – 3:45: Problem Statement Briefs
3:45 – 4:30: Voting
4:30 – 5:00: Path Forward

Note: Agenda is subject to change

This event will be held in person at SOFWERX, but will have a virtual component.
*Please Note: In-person attendance is preferred

Completed Phase 2 - 04 December 2023 Collaboration Event (CE): SOFWERX will host the Collaboration Event (CE) with Industry, Academic, and Laboratory partners focused on software and hardware solutions, with an emphasis on providing maintenance personnel increased access to technical information. During this event, participants will explore how technologies, including but not limited to, augmented reality and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be leveraged as knowledge management tools to achieve improved maintenance outcomes at the user level needs. Warfighters will interact with potential solution offerors and further communicate operational needs and desirements. Participation in this event is not mandatory, however, it is designed to provide insights to ensure potential offerors understand the problem set(s) fully and to increase the likelihood of matching their technologies with Warfighter needs. This CE is also an opportunity for attendees to meet and form partnerships that may provide a more comprehensive solution. Request to attend the CE below, NLT 25 October.

Tentative Agenda
All times listed are in ET
8:00 – 8:20: Participants arrive at SOFWERX
8:20 – 8:25: SOFWERX Welcome
8:25 – 8:45: Stakeholder Overview & Problem Set
8:45 – 9:45: Current Limitations Breakout
9:45 – 10:00: Break
10:00 – 11:00: Ways to Overcome Limitations Breakout
11:00 – 12:00: Lunch (on your own)
12:00 – 2:30: Problem Statement Development
2:30 – 2:45: Break
2:45 – 3:45: Problem Statement Briefs
3:45 – 4:30: Voting
4:30 – 5:00: Path Forward

Note: Agenda is subject to change

This event will be held in person at SOFWERX.
 

Phase 3  - Path Forward: Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
  • An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award based upon successful prototype criteria, which will be determined for each prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

NOTE: Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations