Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
9/5/2014
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center expects to release a Request for Proposal for new reentry system testing equipment this fall, according to AFNWC spokesperson Kendahl Johnson. The information was released this week as industry gathered at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico for an industry day for the Reentry System Field Support Equipment (RFSE) procurement, which is expected to replace the Reentry System Test Set (RSTS) and the Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicle (SERV) Field Test Set (SFTS) as the testing platform for the Minuteman III.
The Air Force is switching to the RFSE model because building it is cheaper than modernizing the 50-year-old RSTS, and because RFSE combines the functionality of the RSTS and SFTS into one test set and replenishes the equipment with new components. While the AFNWC did not disclose a total number of industry day participants, Johnson wrote in a Sept. 3 email that registration volume “exceeded expectations.”
The purpose of the next round of RFSE development is to extend the Minuteman III’s life to 2030. The RFSE suite supports the construction of the reentry system prior to attaching the system to the Minuteman III missile. The suite ensures proper cabling and system level functionality of the Mk12A reentry vehicle’s front section. RSFE has incorporated SFTS and RSTS to diminish the overall footprint of the RS/reentry vehicle test equipment. The RFSE’s Statement of Objectives states that project requirements include the delivery of seven RFSE suites and up to four RSTC alignment consoles, along with calibration equipment and interim contractor support to foster fielding of the production units, troubleshooting and maintenance. The Air Force program manager for the project will head a Material Review Board which will review project implementation and hardware. The project’s contracting officer is located at Hill AFB.
