Sources sought

Automated Celestial Navigation System (ACNS) Production

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).

Notice type	Sources Sought: Market research. The agency wants to know who can do this work. Answering is free and can get the job set aside for small businesses.
Who's buying	Pae Mission Systems, Dept of the Navy
Where	Washington, District of Columbia
Deadline	Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST (21 days left)
Who can bid	Open to any business (no set-aside listed)
Industry	NAICS 334511 (Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing)
Solicitation #	N00024-27-RFPREQ-IWS-6-0002
Posted	Tue, Oct 13, 2026
Contact	Andrea Longo, [email protected]

Heads-up: Security clearance mentioned

Open the official posting

From the notice

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

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