81 FR 14869 - Cooperative Research and Development Agreement-Robotic Aircraft for Maritime Public Safety

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 53 (March 18, 2016)

The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with several companies to evaluate small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) and their airborne sensors, to determine their potential for use in a maritime environment by a first responder and DHS operational components. The Coast Guard will conduct flight testing and evaluation of SUAS under a wide variety of simulated but realistic and relevant real-world maritime operational scenarios, such as law enforcement, search and rescue, and maritime environmental response. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with Physical Sciences, Inc., it 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.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14869-14870]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06208]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2016-0152]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement--Robotic Aircraft 
for Maritime Public Safety

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) with several 
companies to evaluate small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) and their 
airborne sensors, to determine their potential for use in a maritime 
environment by a first responder and DHS operational components. The 
Coast Guard will conduct flight testing and evaluation of SUAS under a 
wide variety of simulated but realistic and relevant real-world 
maritime operational scenarios, such as law enforcement, search and 
rescue, and maritime environmental response. While the Coast Guard is 
currently considering partnering with Physical Sciences, Inc., it 
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 be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov, or reach the Docket Management Facility, on or 
before April 18, 2016.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before April 18, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments using one of the listed methods, and see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more information on public comments.
     Online--http://www.regulations.gov following Web site 
instructions.
     Fax--202-493-2251.
     Mail or hand deliver--Docket Management Facility (M-30), 
U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Hours 
for hand delivery are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays (telephone 202-366-9329).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact Mr. Steve Dunn, 
Project Official, Aviation Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone 
860-271-2789, email [email protected]. If you have questions on 
viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Cheryl Collins, 
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826, toll free 
1-800-647-5527.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material on this 
notice. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have 
provided.
    Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket 
Management Facility. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) .
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2016-0152 and 
should provide a reason for each 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 (see the 
Federal Register Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets, 73 FR 
3316, Jan. 17, 2008).
    Mailed or hand-delivered comments should be in an unbound 8\1/2\ x 
11 inch format suitable for reproduction. The Docket Management 
Facility will acknowledge receipt of mailed comments if you enclose a 
stamped, self-addressed postcard or envelope with your submission.
    Documents mentioned in this notice, and all public comments, are in 
our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by 
following the Web site's instructions. You can also view the docket at 
the Docket Management Facility (see the mailing address under 
ADDRESSES) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

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 other types of 
agreements such as procurement contracts, grants, and cooperative 
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 
evaluate SUAS and their airborne sensors to determine their potential 
for use in a maritime environment by a first responder and DHS 
operational components.

[[Page 14870]]

    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Develop the demonstration test plan to be executed under the 
CRADA;
    (2) Provide the SUAS test range, test range support, facilities, 
and all approvals required for a 5 day demonstration under the CRADA;
    (3) Conduct the privacy threshold analysis required for the 
demonstration;
    (4) Conduct the privacy impact assessment required for the 
demonstration;
    (5) Coordinate any required spectrum approval for the SUAS;
    (6) Coordinate and receive any required interim flight clearance 
for the demonstration;
    (7) Provide any required airspace coordination and de-confliction 
for the demonstration test plan;
    (8) Collect and analyze demonstration test plan data; and
    (9) Develop a demonstration final report documenting the 
methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA 
work.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide SUAS all other equipment to conduct the demonstration 
described in the demonstration test plan;
    (2) Provide all required operators and technicians to conduct the 
demonstration;
    (3) Provide technical data for the SUAS to be utilized;
    (4) Provide shipment and delivery of all SUAS equipment required 
for the demonstration; and
    (5) Provide travel and associated personnel and other expenses as 
required.
    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, the Coast Guard is considering Physical Sciences, Inc. 
for participation in this CRADA, because each has demonstrated the 
ability to operate SUAS in a maritime environment. However, we do not 
wish to exclude other viable participants from this or future similar 
CRADAs.
    This is a technology demonstration effort. The goal of this CRADA 
is to identify and investigate the potential of the SUAS and their 
airborne sensors to determine their potential use in a maritime 
environment by the first responder and the DHS operational components. 
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: February 25, 2016.
Captain Dennis C. Evans,
Commanding Officer, USCG, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development 
Center.
[FR Doc. 2016-06208 Filed 3-17-16; 8:45 am]
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