Navy reaches out to industry in preparation of major circuit card purchase for LCAC
PANAMA CITY, Fla., 16 June 2014. U.S. Navy surface warfare experts are reaching out to industry to find companies able to supply electronic circuit cards for planned upgrades to the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vessel that brings warfighters and supplies ashore from nearby surface ships.
Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NWSC) in Panama City, Fla., have issued a sources-sought notice (N61331-14-SN-Q08) for LCAC control cards. Navy officials are considering a purchase of as many as 83 craft-control cards for the LCAC system.
This purchase would be related to the LCAC service life extension program, which seeks to keep the 1970s-era LCAC vessels fielded and in top shape at least for another 20 to 30 years.
The contemplated circuit card buy would be for the LCAC command, control, communications, computers, and navigation (C4N) systems, and specifically will be for the LCAC C4N Control Alarm and Monitoring System (CAMS) system.
Related: Navy orders embedded computers and data converters from Aitech for LCAC landing vessels
Navy experts particularly are interested in purchasing craft control cards for the LCAC C4N CAMS system baseline configuration 3 (SBC3). The cards are to be built and tested to government drawings and specifications, officials say.
Navy experts are considering a competitive firm-fixed-price five-year indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract for as many as 83 LCAC C4N CAMS SBC3 craft control cards.
The LCAC C4N upgrades in recent years have aimed at replacing LCAC obsolete LN-66 radars with modern, high-power P-80 radar systems, and install open-architecture electronics based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and subsystems.
Related: Navy chooses 6U CompactPCI single-board computers from Concurrent for LCAC C4N
Known suppliers of LCAC rugged electronics components include Concurrent Technologies in Woburn, Mass.; Aitech Defense Systems Inc. in Chatsworth, Calif.; and Tracewell Systems in Westerville, Ohio.
Concurrent Technologies has provided 6U CompactPCI single-board computers for LCAC electronics, Aitech has provided rugged single-board computers, and Tracewell Systems has provided upgraded electronic packaging.
Related: Rackmount chassis for Navy LCAC electronics upgrades to come from Tracewell Systems
Companies interested in putting their names forward as potential suppliers of LCAC C4N CAMS SBC3 craft control cards should email responses to the Navy's Joel Roberson no later than 25 June 2014 at [email protected].
For questions or concerns contact Roberson by email or by phone at 850-234-4296. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/NAVSEA/N61331/N61331-14-SN-Q08/listing.html.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
