SOURCES SOUGHT
59 -- Request for Information - 2 Common Load Device (CLD)
- Notice Date
- 1/13/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG (C4ISR), HQ CECOM CONTRACTING CENTER, 6001 COMBAT DRIVE, ABERDEEN PROVING GROU, MD 21005-1846
- ZIP Code
- 21005-1846
- Solicitation Number
- W15P7T-CLD-RFI-2
- Response Due
- 2/29/2012
- Archive Date
- 4/29/2012
- Point of Contact
- Susan Showler, 443-395-2655
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC-APG (C4ISR)
(susan.m.showler.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 1.The US Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications -Tactical (PEO C3T), Product Director Communications Security (hereinafter referred to as PD COMSEC), Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland (MD) is seeking information from vendors with mature solutions to provide a Common Load Device and technical support to include: Program Management, Systems Engineering, Hardware Engineering/Development, Software Engineering/Development, Systems Integration, Testing, Software/Hardware Support, Logistics, Training Development, Production, and Post-deployment Software Support. Responses to this notice will require the submission of a White Paper consisting of written documentation describing the source's understanding and institution of the technical requirements listed herein. The White Paper shall be submitted to PD COMSEC at susan.m.showler.civ@mail.mil No Later than 29 February 2012, 4PM Eastern Standard Time. PD COMSEC intends to use this data to determine current industry base capabilities in relation to CLD requirements and establish an incremental capability approach via the agile process at the US Army Network Integration Exercise (NIE). PD COMSEC may release a sources sought notice for demonstration at NIE 13.2 after reviewing current industry base capabilities and setting the increment objectives. Additional information will be posted to the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) Webpage at www.fbo.gov at a later date. Sources must identify their capability and timelines to obtain NSA certification (either through Commercial COMSEC Endorsement Products (CCEP) Certification or with existing certified products), obtaining Global Positioning System (GPS) Wing Security Approval of Selective Availability Anti Spoofing Module (SAASM) -based GPS Precise Positioning Equipment (PPS) - Host Application Equipment (HAE), be Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7), meet via incremental capability insertions, all technical requirements listed in this RFI. 2.Under the NIE effort, the Army may utilize an "Agile Process" that will introduce and evaluate commercial technologies in a controlled setting. The ultimate end state of the Agile Process is to procure and align systems that meet a pre-defined operational need or gap in a more efficient and expedited manner. The NIE is an Army hosted 6-week event held at Fort Bliss, TX, which includes tactical exercises using current force equipment and emerging networked systems. (See http://www.bctmod.army.mil/index.html for additional information on NIE and the Agile Process). It is the responsibility of the source to monitor the FBO Webpage (www.fbo.gov) for formal announcement of NIE13.2 event schedules and to provide all required documentation in the formats indicated within that formal announcement. 3.This Request for Information is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government. There is no basis for claims against the government as a result of information submitted or demonstrations provided in response to this Request For Information. The purpose is to identify potential sources that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. SOURCES MUST UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS WILL BE THE SOLE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE POTENTIAL OFFEROR. Sources are advised to read this Request for Information thoroughly and in entirety to include all referenced attachments and cited web pages. 4.PD COMSEC White Paper Assessment Criteria The PD COMSEC White Paper Review Committee will use the following criteria Evaluation criteria when conducting White Paper evaluations: 6.1Candidate Solutions must address all identified Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) of this Request For Information. What is the vendor's incremental approach to achieve full CLD requirements and what would be the first demonstratable increment at NIE 13.2? 6.2Can NSA Type 1/TSAB Certification be obtained in a timely manner? What is the vendor's approach for obtaining NSA certification. Note: NSA certification may not be an NIE 13.2 entrance requirement. 6.3Is the Candidate Solution compatible with the existing and emerging Brigade Combat Team (BCT) network architecture? 6.4Functional Maturity: What is the potential for successful performance of intended functions in an actual tactical operational environment prior to NIE 13.2? 6.5Technical Merit: Does the concept show technical innovation or substantial performance improvement? Does the candidate exhibit technical performance needed to meet proposed operational capability? 6.6Cost: What is the design to cost methodology utilized by the vendor and what are the target unit costs for the proposed solution? 6.7Burdens: What are the cost, support requirements, Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP), spectrum use, operator needs? Are there reductions in burdens compared to current similar approaches? 6.8Operational Merit: Does the proposed solution provide significant enhancement in operational capability compared to existing fielded systems? 6.9Field Support: What is the ability of the source to provide technical field support to and during the NIE 13.2 event, if a sources sought notice is released? 6.10Interface Potential: What is the ability to interface to commercial/military systems needed to exploit the Candidate Solution capabilities? 6.11Sources Capabilities: What are the source's capabilities, experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these which are integral factors for achieving the intended objectives? 6.12Integration Potential: What specific changes in the candidate or existing equipment are needed to achieve integration? Do certifications need to be completed? 6.13Sources security implementation and safeguard plan as well as manufacturing processes via NSA trusted foundries. 6.14Vendors are not limited to a single response and modifications to existing devices are an acceptable approach. 6.15Delivery of Technical Data: Although not required, it is PD COMSEC's desire for the government to have unrestricted technical data rights. Data rights must be addressed in white paper responses. 7.Technical Requirements PD COMSEC is currently seeking solutions that address the KPPs indicated below: KPP 1 - Net-Ready: The capability, system and/or service must support Net-Centric military operations. The capability, system, and or service must be able to enter and be managed in the network, and exchange data in a secure manner to enhance mission effectiveness. The capability, system and/or service must continually provide survivable, interoperable, secure, and operationally effective information exchanges to enable a Net-Centric military capability. KPP 2 - Mission Data Services: Will support the management and loading of COMSEC material, applications, and algorithms to all Department of Defense (DoD) and other government Cryptographic equipment via Delivery Standard (DS) 101, DS 102 protocols, Recommended Standard (RS)-232, Universal Serial Bus (USB) host, USB device, and Ethernet. The device will be capable of transferring and storing device configuration files to devices such as routers, switches, and end cryptographic units from network management platforms and mission planning platforms. The device will wirelessly transmit and receive data from device to device in a secure manner. KPP 3 - Interoperability, Standardization and Commonality: The device will support a broad range of existing DoD tactical and strategic cryptographic and communication equipments. The device should be a KMI aware device that connects to, and receives key material, applications, and algorithms from, the KMI Primary Services Node (PRSN). KPP 4 - SWAP: The device will be a self-contained unit without any protruding components excluding fill ports, SAASM GPS module, and wireless antennae. The device will use commercially available batteries or Military Standard (MIL-STD) batteries already accepted in service that meet power requirements. Note: All potential CLD users may not require a GPS capability and PD COMSEC will consider a solution which provides this capabiliy in an external accessory device in order to drive down CLD unit cost. 8.Additional Technical Requirements: Additionally, vendor responses should address how the solution set will accomplish the following: 8.1NSA Type 1/TSAB certification 8.2Configuration management/audit logging 8.3Transfer and storage of different key types and data (supporting tactical radios and network devices). Note: An example of the type and size of data to be stored includes Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) radio mission data files, which can be 1 MB in size per radio. Vendor responses should consider the fact that a typical Army infantry platoon may be equipped with 40 SRW radios and 1 CLD, plus other additional COMSEC equipment requiring key. 8.4Encrypted key and data storage, with or without external battery power 8.5Tamper detection and disablement features 8.6Support the use of Type 1, 2, and 3 keys; DoD Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and KMI certificates 8.7Field-upgradeable software Support for all Army Capability Set 2013-2014 (CS 13-14) End Cryptographic Units (ECUs) 8.8Secured Android operating system with intuitive user interface 8.9Ability to provide file encryption (hardware or software encryption) in support of JTRS 8.10User accessible Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) or MIL-STD approved batteries 9.White Paper Responses Responses to this announcement should be submitted to PD COMSEC at susan.m.showler.civ@mail.mil. Email submissions should clearly reference "W15P7T- CLD - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION #2" in the subject line to permit easy recognition of responses. Responses must contain a Title Page and Synopsis. The title page should contain the vendor name, date, and the name, email and telephone number of the author and/or other points of contact. Responses must be limited to no more than fifty (50) pages and should be submitted only in.PDF format. If the vendor has obtained Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) compliance, responses should also indicate the CMM level for which the vendor's business unit that would provide this support has obtained compliance and the year compliance was obtained. If the document is password protected a separate email must contain password information. Written questions for clarification can be directed to PD COMSEC at susan.m.showler.civ@mail.mil. Please note that questions submitted will be posted to the Federal Business Opportunities Webpage (FBO) (www.FBO.Gov) with the requisite answer(s) available for viewing by all qualified FBO vendors to provide an equal, fair opportunity. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. 10.Closing Date The closing date for submission of responses is No Later Than 29 February 2012, 4PM Eastern Standard Time. 11.Attachments Attachment 1: Technical Requirements Attachment 2: Logistics Elements
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/f1f11f5bb06964ce87fdb1dfdfc7e1c9)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC-APG (C4ISR) HQ CECOM CONTRACTING CENTER, 6001 COMBAT DRIVE ABERDEEN PROVING GROU MD
- Zip Code: 21005-1846
- Zip Code: 21005-1846
- Record
- SN02654301-W 20120115/120113234104-f1f11f5bb06964ce87fdb1dfdfc7e1c9 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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