Aiming Circle CSO AOI

Area of Interest (AOI): Phase I: Legacy Aiming Circle

The Department of War (DoW) is seeking innovative commercial solutions and advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver the M2A2 Aiming Circle (NSN: 6675-01-067-0687, Part Number: 11785090) to sustain critical unit readiness and satisfy Army Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE) authorizations.

First produced in 1978 and formalized as an MTOE requirement in 1981, the M2A2 Aiming Circle is a vital ground-topographical and optical fire-control instrument. It is utilized to align, orient, and lay field artillery and mortar weapon systems on their azimuth of fire, requiring one unit per platoon/system for conventional indirect fire operations

Procuring fully mission-capable (FMC) M2A2 end items through traditional procurement channels has become increasingly difficult due to the age and legacy design of the platform. The current Technical Data Package (TDP) relies on legacy, hand-drawn manufacturing designs and highly manual "hand-fitting" tolerances. In the modern industrial base, these historical fabrication methods are difficult to replicate, cost-prohibitive, and frequently result in low yield rates or non-conformance.

To overcome these production bottlenecks, the DoW invites solutions for innovative commercial approaches and advanced manufacturing methodologies. Sought capabilities include, but are not limited to:

Advanced Manufacturing & Digitization: Utilizing modern production techniques (e.g., additive manufacturing, precision CNC machining, or digital metrology) to reliably meet or adapt the legacy hand-fit tolerances. TDP Modernization & Reverse Engineering: Digitizing legacy hand-drawn prints into high-fidelity 3D CAD/CAM models to streamline supply chain reproducibility. Commercial Instrument Substitution: Proposing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) or modified ruggedized optical/topographical positioning solutions that meet or exceed the military performance parameters of the M2A2 Aiming Circle.

The ultimate objective of this AOI is to secure a reliable, cost-effective, and scalable delivery method for M2A2 Aiming Circles (or equivalent functional capabilities meeting MTOE requirement for the M2A2 Aiming Circle) to ensure immediate fielding and robust unit readiness.

The anticipated period of performance is from September 2026 through September 2031. The anticipated period of performance may increase based on future DoW requirements.

The deadline for the Phase 1 submission for this AoI is COB on August 10, 2026.