SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Integrated Topside Program
- Notice Date
- 3/7/2007
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, ONR, CODE ONR-02 875 North Randolph St., Suite 1425, Arlington, VA, 22203-1995, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-ONR-07-RFI-0006
- Response Due
- 4/20/2007
- Archive Date
- 5/5/2007
- Description
- This publication constitutes a Request for Information (RFI). It is anticipated that a Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this request will be issued subsequently. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) will not issue paper copies of this request. The responses to this RFI will be considered in the planning and definition of the future Integrated Topside Program (IT Program). This is not a commitment to fund any effort submitted in response to this request. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. This is not a request for proposals, and a solicitation is not available at this time. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SEEKS ONLY EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST AND TECHNICAL CAPABILITY FROM PARTIES. Background: The number of topside apertures present on Navy ships has increased significantly in the past decade. This has led to problems with Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI), Radar Cross Section (RCS) and the overall performance of critical ship Electronic Warfare (EW), and communication functions. With the goals of reducing ship RCS, freeing up space to allow for smaller deckhouses, reducing cost and improving overall performance, ONR has several programs working on innovative apertures that combine several functions and efforts to provide key functionality. The architecture of these systems is based on a modular open architecture approach to allow for future upgrades at less cost and reduced time to implement. Several of these programs are transitioning now or are slated to transition to DDG-1000. No one program has taken a truly systems level engineering approach to developing an integrated topside that is optimized, open, and scalable to meet future needs. Funding for the IT Program will come under the auspices of the Navy?s Innovative Naval Prototype (INP) initiative. The IT Program will cover communications, electronic warfare and low power (navigation) Radar functions. The program will consist of multiple spirals and will build off of several ONR EW and communication efforts already underway (i.e., Multi-function Electronic Warfare System (MFEW), Modular Integrated Link Electronic Systems (MILES) and array development for Satellite Communications (SATCOM)). During the first three years, emphasis will be placed on an overall architecture framework, open interface standards and SATCOM communications. Subsequent spirals will include additional functionality. As spirals are completed, it is anticipated that the developed capability can be spun off for implementation in the fleet. The goal of the program is to evolve to an integrated capability for the Navy over the next 5-10 years that has the following characteristics: ? Ability to tailor all radio frequency (RF) resources for any given operational scenario in real time ? Modular open RF architecture ? Software defined functionality ? Synchronization of RF functions for mission support and EMI mitigation ? Reduced size, weight and power requirements relative to a federated topside system ? Reduced cost (acquisition and total ownership) relative to a federation of systems ? Scalable in order to derive systems of appropriate capability to match each particular platform?s requirements ? More RF functions optimally sited on topside ? Rapid adaptability to new threats through software waveform upgrades Specific Areas of Interest: ? Recommendations on how best to define systems? partition for electronics and arrays that will allow for technology advancement while providing the ability to have multiple vendors involved in developing subsystems/components within the system. This should include defining a common approach to ?form and fit? to the sub-array level. ? Recommended way that industry/government should proceed with defining open system standards for the interfaces of the partitions defined. ? Assess where you see RF requirements evolving to meet operational needs of the fleet in 2020. ? Describe how to develop the architecture and standards such that they could also apply to airborne and ground applications as well and the practicality of such an approach. ? Define the business case from both the government and industry perspectives for the Navy to acquire an integrated RF approach and compare that to the Navy?s current approach of acquiring federated systems. Define any impediments that need to be addressed in order to make an integrated RF approach practical. ? Define improvements in operational capability, hardware and software maintenance, training, logistics, etc. that would evolve from integrated RF systems that are currently not available with contemporary federated systems. ? With the short three-year spiral to implement a SATCOM capability concurrently with defining an overall architecture, define how you would address this complexity and evolve the SATCOM capability to the integrated topside architecture in a later spiral. Submissions Responses should not exceed 30 total pages (exclusive of cover page) and should contain the following information: cover page labeled ?Integrated Topside? with RFI number ONR-07-RFI-0006, technical point of contact, telephone number, fax numbers, and e-mail address. Material submitted in response to this RFI is expected to be unclassified. However, confidential/classified material is permitted if submitted separately from non-classified material if submitted via properly marked CD. Submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207, applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Submitters are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. Notional architectures, interfaces and standards addressed in the response shall be non-proprietary and, on a non attribution basis, will be shared for discussion with a coalition of industry representatives. Note that the Government may decide to separate system integration efforts from product design/development/hardware procurements and that firms that may be awarded system integration efforts under any later solicitation may or may not be allowed to participate in design/development/hardware procurements under the IT Program. Responses should be submitted no later than close of business on April 20, 2007 to the program coordinator, Ms. Betsy DeLong, ONR 313, telephone (703) 588-0069, E-mail delongb@onr.navy.mil either in hard copy (with one original and two copies) or via email. Questions of a technical nature shall be directed to the cognizant Science and Technical Point of Contact, Ms. Betsy DeLong.
- Record
- SN01246029-W 20070309/070307221711 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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