AIRBORNE COMMUNICATIONS NODE (ACN) PROGRAM -- INDUSTRY BRIEFING The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning a full and open competition for the execution of a program to design, develop, fabricate, integrate, test and demonstrate a prototype Airborne Communications Node (ACN) payload deployed onboard the Global Hawk high altitude endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (HAE UAV) and/or alternate platforms. The ACN will augment tactical communications by providing the capability to simultaneously establish an early robust communications infrastructure for intratheater communications and reachback connectivity to out-of-theater sites without the need for large in-theater assets. The ACN will be capable of rapid in-flight reconfiguration of communications resources to match the evolving requirements of military operations, including pre-hostility, enroute and early entry, sustained operations and redeployment phases. DARPA proposes to enter into an other transactions for prototype projects under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2371 and Section 845 of the Department of Defense (DoD) 1994 Authorization Act, as amended by Section 804 of the DoD 1997 Authorization Act for this program. The ACN will augment the mobile military infrastructure to allow enhanced communications and information sharing within and among Joint multinational forces. The services that ACN will provide include: PCS-like circuit oriented voice and data; militarized tactical paging; internet-like data networking; tactical battlefield multicast; high speed and high throughput infrastructure access potentially including TCDL line-of-sight, Ku SATCOM and air-to-air crosslinks to form a self-organizing backbone; surrogate satellite support for UHF TACSAT and GBS receive/relay; dissimilar radio interoperability; and range extension for over-the-horizon connectivity of dispersed and rapidly moving forces. ACN will provide the ability to exchange multimedia data through an internet-like data network that supports user and platform mobility, wireless links and military quality of service (QoS). The ACNwill enhance rapid force projection, synchronization and synergy of Joint early entry forces to achieve improved battle command coherency. The various communications services will be implemented or emulated utilizing a modular, software reprogrammable open systems architecture. The ACN program will be executed in two phases. The first phase will commence this summer with the selection of approximately three teams to develop a proof-of-concept flight demonstration. Although the ultimate goal is to integrate the ACN payload on an HAE UAV, the Phase I flight demonstration will be conducted on a manned aircraft. The Phase I flight demonstrations will be conducted approximately 17 months after award. A downselection to one team for Phase II will be conducted following the flight demonstrations. Phase II is expected to be approximately two years in duration and conclude with a flight demonstration of a full capability prototype payload integrated onboard an HAE UAV. An industry briefing will be held on March 13, 1998 at Betac Corporation, 2001 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311 (telephone number: 703-824-3100) from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. Participants should consider sending management, contracting, legal and engineering representatives. Reservation are requested by 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time (EST) on March 10, 1998 via an electronic mail message to bsteele@spaceapp.com or by facsimile to the ACN Program at 703-524-3419. The requests must include the following: Name of attendee(s); Social Security Number; Title; Organization; Department or company division; Telephone number; Facsimile telephone number; and Electronic mail address. Questions concerning the briefing may be directed to Bob Steele or Bill Stewart at Space Applications Corporation (telephone number: 703-524-0701). The industry briefing sign-in will begin at 8:00 a.m., with photo identification required. The briefing will provide an overview of the ACN program and will address Section 845's authority and background, technical goals of the ACN and open system architecture goals. It will not address detailed technical issues. A solicitation containing technical requirements and goals will be available on the World Wide Web at <http://www.les.mil/&;gt; at noon on the day of the industry briefing. The Points of Contact for the ACN Program are: Ms. Gladys Reichlen, ACN Program Manager, DARPA/Sensor Technology Office, N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 410, Arlington VA, 22203, e-mail: greichlen@darpa.mil, telephone: (703) 243-9444 ext. 101, fax: (703) 243-7240 and Ms. Robin Swatloski, Contracting Officer, DARPA/Contracts Management Directorate, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA, 22203-1714, e-mail: rswatloski@darpa.mil, telephone: (703)696-0081, fax: (703)696-2208. This will be the only CBD announcement for this solicitation.

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