Automated Celestial Navigation System (ACNS) Production
Updated
Sources Sought from the Department of the Navy, for work in Washington, District of Columbia. Due Nov 27, 2026, 5:00 PM (UTC-5), 30 days left.
| Solicitation number | N00024-27-RFPREQ-IWS-6-0002 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Department of the Navy |
| Office | Pae Mission Systems |
| Notice type | Sources Sought |
| Set-aside | None |
| Trade (NAICS) | Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511) |
| Product or service code | 6605 |
| Place of performance | Washington, District of Columbia |
| Posted | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Response deadline | Nov 27, 2026, 5:00 PM (UTC-5) (30 days left) |
| Add the deadline to | Google Calendar · Apple / Outlook (.ics) |
Federal prevailing wage rates for this place: District of Columbia Davis-Bacon and SCA wage determinations.
Description
This is a sources sought notice only. This is not a request for proposals. This sources sought notice is published for market research purposes only.
The Government is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in FAR 15.101(c). The Portfolio Acquisition Executive Mission Systems (PAE MS) is conducting market research for the Automated Celestial Navigation System (ACNS).
ACNS helps to determine vessel position based on optical sighting of celestial objects including stars and resident space objects (RSOs) such as satellites and space debris. Ship’s position derived from ACNS shall be used to improve the resilience of the surface ship Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) system of systems suite by providing an Alternative Position Source (APS) to support Assured PNT.
U.S. Navy and commercial enterprises leverage a variety of navigation solutions that allow vessels to safely navigate with and without GPS. The U.S. Navy is looking to modernize legacy systems over time. This RFI seeks information on prospective technologies that could be leveraged or developed as enablers for an ACNS solution.
This RFI seeks to understand how interested parties would integrate the ACNS with navigation sensors and other ship equipment specifically Global Positioning System-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Service (GPNTS). PAE MS invites all interested potential sources, including small business concerns, to submit written information sufficient to demonstrate the respondent’s ability to fulfill the requirements.
For those interested parties that have technologies which may not achieve a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 8-9 by FY 2029, please provide information on current research and development efforts that may address some or all requirements of this RFI beyond FY 2029. Responses are requested by 27 November 2026. Questions or clarifications related to this RFI may be submitted electronically to Ms. Liz Bonilla-Sotomayor at [email protected] and Ms. Andrea Longo at [email protected].
Verbal questions will not be accepted. Questions shall not contain classified information. Please ensure that the subject line of any emails containing responses or questions related to this notice includes the name of your firm and “Automated Celestial Navigation System (ACNS) RFI Response” (without quotation marks) in the subject line.
Responses are limited to a maximum of fifteen (15) pages in length, excluding the cover page, within a minimum font size of 10 points. Generic capability statements that do not address the information requested in this RFI will be deemed non-responsive without any further communication from the Government. All responsive submissions received by the due date noted in this RFI may be considered by the Government to inform the resulting Request for Proposal.
All information received bearing proprietary markings will be handled in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. Responses to this notice will not be returned and will be maintained or destroyed in accordance with the Government’s records management policy. An acknowledgement of receipt will be provided for all responses received.
If you do not receive an acknowledgement within two working days, please notify the points of contact listed in this notice. All materials submitted in response to this RFI should be UNCLASSIFIED. Responses to this notice must include the following: Include a cover page containing the following information: Sources Sought number for this notice (N00024-27-IWS-6-0002) Company Name Mailing address and physical address (if different) DUNS number CAGE code Business size status (based on NAICS code 334511) Type of small business (if applicable) Facility Security Clearance (FSC) level Name, position, email address, and phone number of point(s) of contact Interested parties submitting proposed solutions shall include the following in the RFI submission: Provide System Characteristics: Average position fix accuracy of the proposed system; Operational capabilities across day, twilight, and nighttime conditions; Ephemeris data age for fix accuracy; How quality of each position fix is indicated; Ability of the system to accept data formats sourced from the United States Naval Observatory (USNO); Type of Earth Orientation Parameter (EOP) data format; Average position fix frequency rate (for Stars-Only and Stars-Satellites).
Provide Component Characteristics:
- What is the current configuration of the proposed system?
- Sensor volume and physical dimensions;
- Sensor weight;
- What environmental Military Standards does your proposed system meet (i.e.
MIL-STD-810H CH1 (Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests), MIL-STD-167-1A (Mechanical Vibrations of Shipboard Equipment), MIL-DTL-901E (High-Impact Mechanical Shock for Shipboard Machinery and Equipment), and MIL-STD-461H (Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics of Subsystems and Equipment)? Additional Information: Anticipated development timeline if not currently in production; How the solution will be phased over time; Additional technologies that can be leveraged to support a robust ACNS solution; Sensors supported (e.g. radars, Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Automatic Identification System (AIS), etc.); Interfaces supported (including physical and digital integration with GPNTS); Projected cost drivers or potential major cost drivers; Projected schedule drivers or potential major schedule drivers; Identification of relevant technology risk areas and any ongoing technology maturation initiatives currently under way; Information concerning your ability at conducting and supporting the full-range of current Model Based Systems Engineering – Digital Engineering (MBSE-DE) features to consider in a Contractor-Government partnership with a vision for balancing benefits of digital engineering collaboration against additional u
The description continues in the official notice.
Contracting contact
- Andrea Longo · [email protected]
- Liz Bonilla-Sotomayor · [email protected]
As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.
Is your business small enough?
For NAICS 334511, a business counts as small if it has no more than 1,350 employees (SBA size standard). This notice is not set aside, but the size decides your small business status on it. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.
Notice history
- Oct 13, 2026: Sources Sought Due Nov 13, 2026, 5:00 PM (UTC-5)
Companies that win this kind of work
Federal contractors paid for search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical, and nautical system and instrument manufacturing work, who also hold Navy contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.
- Raytheon Company $2.5 billion in this trade
- Lockheed Martin Corporation $1.1 billion in this trade
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation $804.5 million in this trade
- Elbitamerica, Inc. $344.0 million in this trade
- Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS $304.4 million in this trade
About the buyer
The Department of the Navy awarded $132.1 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Electric Boat Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation and RTX Corporation. See what Navy is buying now.
Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing contracts right now
There are 146 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 334511), 53 posted in the last 7 days; 26% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of the Navy, Defense Logistics Agency and Department of the Air Force. Most of the work with a stated place is in Georgia, New York and Virginia. A notice in this trade gives a median of 28 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 31 days.
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