[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 190 (Monday, October 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59813-59814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21388]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2022-0346]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement--Evaluation of 
RADA's Air Surveillance Radar System

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a 
cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to evaluate 
track classification and discrimination technology and address its 
ability to perform for specific USCG needs supporting operations. The 
Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with RADA Technologies 
LLC and solicits public comment on the possible participation of other 
parties in the proposed CRADA, and the nature of that participation. 
The Coast Guard also invites other potential non-Federal participants, 
who have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to 
this type of research, to consider submitting proposals for 
consideration in similar CRADAs.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast Guard on or before November 2, 
2022. Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must also reach the 
Coast Guard on or before November 2, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov 
following website instructions. Submit synopses of proposals regarding 
future CRADAs to Mr. Robert Taylor at his address listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact Mr. Robert 
Taylor, Project Official, C5I Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone 
860-271-2883, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan 
to publish responses to comments in the Federal Register, we will 
respond directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of 
comments.
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2022-xxxx and 
should provide a reason for each

[[Page 59814]]

suggestion or recommendation. You should provide personal contact 
information so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your comments; but please note that all comments will be posted to the 
online docket without change and that any personal information you 
include can be searchable online. For more about privacy and the 
docket, visit http://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice. We do accept 
anonymous comments.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal Portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted using 
http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT). Documents mentioned in this notice and all public 
comments, will be in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov 
and can be viewed by following that website's instructions. 
Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up for email 
alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to http://www.regulations.gov. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Discussion

    CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).\1\ A CRADA promotes 
the transfer of technology to the private sector for commercial use, as 
well as specified research or development efforts that are consistent 
with the mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party 
or parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research 
resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding.
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    \1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each 
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the 
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation 
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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    CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that 
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have 
a specific purpose and should not be confused with procurement 
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
    Under the proposed CRADA, the Coast Guard's Research and 
Development Center (R&DC) will collaborate with one or more non-Federal 
participants. Together, the R&DC and the non-Federal participants will 
identify the capabilities, benefits, risks, and technical limitations 
of enhancing air surveillance radar systems.
    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide end user input on operational needs and assessment of 
system performance;
    (2) In conjunction with the non-Federal participant(s), assist in 
developing the evaluation test plan to be executed to meet the 
objectives of the CRADA;
    (3) Provide qualified UAS operators for operation of UAS, as 
required under the CRADA;
    (4) Provide the test range, test range support, facilities, and all 
approvals for operation of UAS as required under the CRADA;
    (5) In conjunction with the non-Federal participant(s), assist with 
the development of a final report or brief that documents the 
methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations under this 
CRADA.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide the air surveillance radar system and all other 
equipment required to conduct the evaluation as described in the test 
plan developed under this CRADA;
    (2) Provide operators, as required, to operate and maintain the 
equipment to conduct the evaluation as described in the test plan;
    (3) Provide shipment and delivery of all equipment for this 
evaluation;
    (4) Provide personnel, travel, and other associated expenses as 
required;
    (5) Collect and analyze evaluation test plan data; and
    (6) Collaboratively develop a final report documenting the 
methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA 
work.
    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard 
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development 
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this 
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be 
unclassified and have no more than five single-sided pages (excluding 
cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). The Coast Guard will select 
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
    (1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to 
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
    (2) How well they address the following criteria:
    (a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party 
contributions described; and
    (b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party 
contributions described.
    Currently, RADA Technologies LLC is being considered for 
participation in this CRADA because they have an air surveillance radar 
system solution in place for providing track classification and 
discrimination. However, we do not wish to exclude other viable 
participants from this or future similar CRADAs.
    The goal of this CRADA is to evaluate track classification and 
discrimination technology and address its ability to perform specific 
operations. Special consideration will be given to small business 
firms/consortia, and preference will be given to business units located 
in the U.S.
    This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 15 
U.S.C. 3710(a).

    Dated: September 22, 2022.
Daniel P. Keane,
Captain, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development 
Center, USCG.
[FR Doc. 2022-21388 Filed 9-30-22; 8:45 am]
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