The Air Force is seeking sources for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of its Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program, according to a Sept. 28 notice posted on Federal Business Opportunities.
The Air Force is specifically seeking sources qualified to provide the critical design, multiple test article manufacturing, specification sell-off, test and evaluation and low-rate production associated with the EMD phase and Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase of 3DELRR.
The Air Force said in the notice it expects to award the basic EMD contract near the end of 2013.
The opportunity is limited to contractors interested in serving as the prime contractor for 3DELRR. That would include Lockheed Martin [LMT], Raytheon [RTN] and Northrop Grumman [NOC] as all three intend to bid for 3DELRR. The Air Force in August awarded firm fixed price contracts worth approximately $35 million to the three contractors for the pre-EMD phase of 3DELRR (Defense Daily, Aug. 22).
The 3DELRR will be the principal Air Force long-range, ground-based sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking and reporting aircraft and missiles in support of theater commanders, according to the Air Force. It will replace the service’s current long-range radar, the TPS-75. The Marine Corps is also interested in 3DELRR as a replacement for its AN/TPS-59 ballistic missile defense (BMD) radar (Defense Daily, Sept. 29, 2011).