Inactive

This is a Request for Information (RFI) notice only. This RFI is for informational planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government for any actual procurement of material... This is a Request for Information (RFI) notice only. This RFI is for informational planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government for any actual procurement of materials, machinery, products, or services. This notice does not constitute a solicitation or a promise of a solicitation in the future. The Government encourages all responsible businesses, including small businesses to respond to this RFI; however, the Government is not liable and will not pay for any costs incurred by any respondent to prepare and/or submit its response to this RFI. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI are solely at the responding party's expense. Respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying any proprietary information or trade secrets contained within their response. The Government will not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly marked or clearly identified. Proprietary information received in response to this RFI will be safeguarded and handled in accordance with applicable Government regulations. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The Government will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular alternative because of this RFI. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if one is issued. Specific responses to the approaches will not disqualify or have an impact on participation and evaluation on future solicitations, if issued. This RFI supports Government information gathering on current industry vendors to support over-all mission objectives of the Aerial Targets Branch (EBAY) Target Control System (TCS) program to enable realistic aerial threat/target presentations for United States Code (USC) Title 10 Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E) of new Department of Defense (DoD) advanced weapon systems and Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP) assessment of fielded weapon systems. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the SAM.Gov website for additional information pertaining to the TCS SDPS effort. General and Background Information: This RFI supports market research, being conducted by the Aerial Targets Branch, Target Control System (AFLCMC/EBAY/TCS) of the Armament Directorate at Eglin AFB, FL, to ensure successful execution of EBAY/TCS mission objectives. The tasks include: (1) acquisition, maintenance, and sustainment of specific EBAY production baseline assets; (2) engineering analysis and development. EBAY will retain Configuration Management (CM) authority for specific production baseline assets and their related support equipment items. These baseline assets (henceforth referred to as “EBAY subsystems”) include: Data Link Subsystem-Replacement (DLS-r): The DLS-r is the functional replacement for the legacy 1980’s Data Link Subsystem (DLS). The DLS-r subsystem provides ground-based, RF datalink communications necessary for remote mission operations (OPS) among the aerial targets, other mission participants, and ground control. 915MHz Datalink Test Set (915DTS): The 915DTS is the Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) item used for DLS- r production acceptance and Government DLS-r Operations & Maintenance (O&M). Multi-Service Data Link – Encrypted (MSDL-E) Transponder: The MSDL-E transponder serves as the on-board (integrated within mission aircraft) RF datalink transceiver that enables remote mission OPS among the aerial targets, other mission participants, and ground control. In support of USC Title 10 and WSEP weapon system objectives, these EBAY subsystems enable command & control (C2) and target/threat presentation of: (1) current EBAY target platforms, i.e., the QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) and BQM-167A Subscale Aerial Target (SSAT); (2) future EBAY target platforms, e.g., Next Generation Aerial Target (NGAT). In addition, the subsystems enable track of other mission-critical airborne platforms, i.e., airborne relay aircraft and Airborne Platform Telemetry (APTM, for tracking boat traffic on the range). Current EBAY locations include: Tyndall AFB, FL: For FSAT/SSAT Mission OPS on the Eglin Gulf Test & Training Range (EGTTR), and independent (ground-based only) System Test & Training Utah Test & Training Range (UTTR), UT: For SSAT Mission OPS on UTTR White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), NM: For FSAT Mission OPS on WSMR Eglin AFB, FL: For Advanced Airborne Threat Target Control System (AATTCS) and DLS-r/915DTS software/firmware development In support of ever-evolving USC Title 10 and WSEP advanced weapon system test & training objectives, the requirements defined herein address program support, development, production, and sustainment tasks deemed essential to the Government. Information provided by respondents should be subcategorized as summarized below: General: General requirements that address general tasks and responsibilities required (as applicable) of the contractor. Development & Production: Specific requirements that support EBAY subsystem upgrade/modernization and platform integration efforts (e.g., Datalink Modernization). Sustainment: Requirements that support TCS sustainment strategies, to include program cybersecurity, sustainment, and maintenance (e.g., spares and warranty/out-of-warranty repair). Submission Details: Respondents should ensure submissions address: A. A description of your company's current and past experience of manufacturing, delivering, and fielding datalink hardware, software, & firmware. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual point of contact (Technical and Contracting). B. A brief overview of the proposed approach/support objectives C. A detailed description of the proposed approach/support to include: For the DLS-r (and related support equipment items): Production baseline support, e.g., configuration management (CM), data management (DM), and maintenance/sustainment strategies/artifacts Execution of future Government upgrade/modernization requirements, to include engineering analysis, development/test, and retrofit/production For the 915DTS (and related support equipment items): Production baseline support, e.g., CM, DM, and maintenance/sustainment strategies/artifacts Execution of future Government upgrade/modernization requirements, to include engineering analysis, development/test, and retrofit/production 3. For the MSDL-E Transponder: Production baseline support, e.g., CM, DM, and maintenance/sustainment strategies/artifacts Companion platform (i.e., current & future EBAY target and other mission-critical airborne platforms) integration requirements D. Identify business practices or approaches to encourage rapid acquisition, faster adoption of technology, and bring creative and non-traditional approaches into the solution space: Specifically speak to the potential suitability of the solution to Middle Tier of Acquisition (Section 804 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016) rapid fielding and rapid prototyping E. A Rough Order of Magnitude estimate on the total TCS SDPS cost. Responses Interested parties are requested to submit a white paper not to exceed 30 pages (single-sided, single-spaced pages, 12- point font, and ¾ inch margins, in Microsoft® Word). The white papers will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, Name of Company, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), CAGE code, SAM unique EID, phone number, both unclassified and SIPRNet email of designated point of contact, and Background/Brief history highlighting past relevant experience on similar systems. Section B: Company's Approach/Solution Section C: Technical System Description Section D: Best Practices Section E: Rough Order of Magnitude Cost Estimate In addition to the white paper, you may provide up to 25 (twenty-five) PowerPoint slides or similar graphical charts to further explain your concepts and an operational view (OV-1) that provides a high level graphical and textual description of your system design and/or operational concept. All respondents are requested to indicate in Section A, if they are a US company, large business, small business, or small disadvantaged business IAW section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 637(a)), or women- owned small business as describe by NAICS code 334511. Please address what portion (type / percentage) of work would be subcontracted, including portions intended for socio-economic concerns of interest to the Government. Respondents are further requested to indicate in Section A their status as a Foreign-owned/Foreign-controlled firm and any contemplated use of foreign national employees on this effort. Those desiring to do business with the Air Force must be registered in the Government's System for Award Management (SAM) located at https://www.sam.gov. White papers which meet the desired characteristics of the TCS SDPS (mentioned above) and include the Submission Details (also mentioned above) are due no later than 27 Feb 2023, 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time. Unclassified responses shall be submitted via secure email only to the Contract Specialist, 1st Lt Cameron Newton at cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil and Contracting Officer, Ms. Iginia McNeil (PCO) at iginia.mcneil@us.af.mil. Interested companies MUST have an active SECRET facility clearance and storage to participate. No industry day is scheduled or anticipated at present. Unclassified responses are encouraged to the maximum extent practicable; however, if brief, classified, support is viewed as critical, please contact the Government for a SIPRNET address. Format instructions apply to any SIPRNET responses, and such submissions will be included in the page limitation. Proprietary information if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED on the outside container and on the materials inside. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for release of any proprietary information not properly identified. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All information received in response to this RFI that is properly marked as "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. The Government will post the subject RFI to the SAM.Gov website by 27 Jan 2023. All respondent questions related to this RFI should be submitted NLT 10 Feb 2023, 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time. In turn, the Government will reply to all respondent questions by 17 Feb 2023. Final respondent white papers and related graphical/textual descriptive data should be submitted to the Government NLT 27 Feb 2023, 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time. Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing via email to the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), at iginia.mcneil@us.af.mil and the Contract Specialist at cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the SAM.Gov website; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 10 Feb 2023, 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time will be answered. The Government has established a Technical Library for interested respondents which contains technical data, inclusive of Government Purpose Rights and Government Owned data, to promote a clearer understanding of the TCS program and solicitation requirements. In order to obtain access to the Technical Library the respondent must review, sign, and return the attached Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to the PCO and Contract Specialist. Access to the Technical Library will not be granted without a completed and signed NDA in accordance with DFARS 227.7103-7. Admission of a respondent to the Technical Library does not relinquish any existing Government data right assertions. The technical library will be hosted on the Government’s Automated Technology Information Management System (ATIMS) and will contain select elements of the technical data package (TDP) associated with the Government’s current EBAY subsystems, i.e., the DLS-r, 915DTS, and MSDL-E Transponder. The Government will provide instructions on accessing the Technical Library via ATIMs upon receipt of the signed NDA. Please note that access to ATIMS requires a DoD Common Access Card (CAC). Respondents are advised that technical and cost/price data submitted to the Government in response to this RFI may be released to Government contracted advisors for review and analysis. Should there be an objection to this envisioned disclosure of white paper information, please contact the PCO immediately in writing with the basis of the objection. If you do not contact the PCO, you understand technical and cost/price data submitted to the Government in response to this RFI may be released to Government contracted advisors and consent to the release of any proprietary, confidential, or privileged commercial or financial data provided in response to this RFI for Government contracted review and analysis. Governing support contracts include DFARS clause 252.227-7025, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-Furnished Information Marked with Restricted Legends. Accordingly, said contractors are considered Covered Government support contractors and will only access information for the sole purpose of furnishing independent and impartial advice or technical assistance to the Government. Similarly, the support contractor will take all reasonable steps to protect the sensitive data from unauthorized release or disclosure. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY to understand potential industry solutions. The U.S. Government has made no final solicitation decision regarding eventual procurement or by what means such a solicitation, if any, would be handled (FAR based procurement or other transactions). The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding upon the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur costs for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become U.S. Government property and will not be returned.