ARMY AL&T


The LEMV project was driven by an operational need to quickly develop a new air platform for ISR that would be able to stay in the air for extended peri- ods, operate at medium altitude, carry a substantial ISR payload, and be eco- nomically supportable within theater.


The LEMV could be a major game changer for ISR, as there are no other systems with its persistence, pay- load capability, range, and operating altitude, combined with economical operation and support costs.


Because of the limited research and development (R&D) for hybrid airships within DOD and the potential need to use technologies developed outside the traditional DOD community, it was necessary to adopt an atypical acquisi- tion approach conducted outside of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). This approach, an Other Transaction (OT), proved highly successful, allow- ing access to new technology developed outside traditional DOD channels and increased competition during the source selection process.


OTs are a relatively unusual acquisition technique designed to access technology being developed outside DOD by companies that do not traditionally do business with the U.S. government and are not structured or willing to comply with DOD acquisition requirements. The governing statutes exempt OT agreements from the great majority of federal acquisition laws, regulations, and associated policies and procedures, including the FAR.


An OT provides tremendous flexibility and requires extensive review before approval. The most comprehensive information on OTs is contained in the “Other Transactions Guide for Prototype Projects” issued by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics in December 2000 and available on the Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy


64 APRIL –JUNE 2011 ADVANTAGES TO ‘OTHER TRANSACTION’ ACQUISITION Rapid design and prototyping


Increased competition with nontraditional acquisition strategy


Access to non-DOD technology


website at http://www.acq.osd.mil/ dpap/cpic/cp/specific_policy_areas. html#other_transactions.


Requirement Origins The requirement for the LEMV origi- nated in a Joint Requirements Oversight Council Memorandum from the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in June 2008. The Office of the Secretary of Defense ISR Task Force initiated action to obtain funding and start the acquisition process within the Army. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) was subsequently selected as the technol- ogy development and demonstration lead for the LEMV based on its expertise with lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles.


LTA platforms have been in existence since the 19th century. They are famil- iar to the public in the form of hot air balloons offering sightseeing tours and commercial blimps such as the Goodyear blimp. DOD used blimps during World Wars I and II, and the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command still operates a small airship that was used to support operations in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil leak. The LEMV airship harnesses decades of advances in aviation and materials knowledge compared with these existing commercial systems.


The U.S. government also makes extensive use of tethered, unmanned LTA platforms for ISR missions. It has invested in research for several


LTA systems such as the USASMDC/ ARSTRAT High-Altitude Airship and HiSentinel efforts, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Walrus and Integrated Sensor Is Structure projects. However, none of these systems showed a high probabil- ity for meeting the LEMV performance requirements for persistence, payload, range, and altitude. The most prom- ising solution meeting the LEMV requirements was hybrid airship tech- nology, in which part of the lift for the airship is aerodynamic.


An Aggressive Schedule The LEMV project requires the design development, test, and acceptance of the complete integrated system (airship, ground stations, communications, and sensors) within 18 months of award.


Additionally, the LEMV project office was directed to obtain adequate intel- lectual property rights to pave the way for potential future competitive pro- duction of the LEMV.


The aggressive schedule must be accom- plished despite the immaturity of the hybrid airship technology. No full-scale prototypes exist for the LEMV, which will be approximately 300 feet long and 1.4 million cubic feet in volume. The system must be mature enough after 18 months to be transported to an area of operations immediately after acceptance, for extensive Joint Military Utilization Assessment (JMUA) within forward combat areas.


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