SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- ELINT Collection and Processing
- Notice Date
- 10/6/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514
- ZIP Code
- 13441-4514
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-BAA-03-17-IFKA
- Point of Contact
- Renee Arcuri, Contracting Officer, Phone (315) 330-4777, Fax (315) 330-8094,
- E-Mail Address
-
Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil
- Description
- Technical POC/ Program Manager, John Pletl, AFRL/IFEC, 32 Brooks Road, Rome, NY 13441, telephone: (315) 330-7557, email: John.Pletl@afrl.af.mil. Contracting POC: AFRL/IFKA, Renee F. Arcuri, Contracting Officer, 26 Electronic Parkway, NY 13441-4514, telephone: (315) 330-4777, email: Renee.Arcuri@afrl.af.mil. The overall technical objectives of this BAA are the use of Artificial Intelligence applications, as well as enhanced or new digital processing hardware and software and to provide: (1) Dynamic/updatable characterization and correlation databases that use existing multi-source near-real-time collection systems. Measurable and descriptive emitter characteristics should also be used in the database as well as known specific operating characterization values; (2) Enhanced collection system efficiency; and (3) Improved, labor reducing digital signal processing hardware and software analysis with high-capacity capability technology to offset manning reductions at operational units. The scope of this effort concerns several areas and covers a broad range of issues, which include, but are not limited to the following: (1) Target specific characteristics identification/ correlation; (2) Automated collection, signal ID sorting and first level processing; (3) Enhanced digital ELINT processing/analysis technology at both the Intermediate Processing Center (IPC) and Scientific and Technical Intelligence (S&TI) levels; (4) Miniaturization of systems to allow embedding aboard UAV platforms; (5) Advanced knowledge-based processing; and (6) Network centric collection management. Detailed scope and definition of problems are as follows: (1) Target characteristic identification/correlation: Battlefield management depends heavily on electronic Warfare (EW) assets to provide current threat analysis for successful deployment of war-fighting resources. One area that supports this analysis is target specific operating characterization and equipment/unit correlation which is normally a "brute-force/labor intensive" effort: (2) Automated collection, signal identification (ID) sorting and first level processing. Dense/LPI difficult waveform signal environment dictate the need for automated/ reduced manual collection, signal ID and sorting, and first-level signal processing. This area should also allow for further discrimination or "flagging" of out-of-limits signals, especially threat systems whose measurable values already lend themselves to characterization. Continual high-resolution sampling of Intermediate Frequency Modulation (IFM), pulse sorting, and deinterleaving processes should be investigated as a means to support flagging and automated efforts; end-to-end system equalization techniques need to be developed for interoperability of data between collection systems. Signal identification algorithms for next generation target radars. (3) Enhanced digital ELINT processing: Environment complexity as well as advanced collection hardware technology demands growth in the digital ELINT processing arena. Efforts should take into consideration current analysis technology available, reduction in processing of routine activity allowing time to be spent on more critical tasks, and how best to insert these solution(s) into existing systems. (4) System miniaturization: Given current levels of activity, operational requirements, hostile environments, and resources being heavily tasked, collection systems will need to be developed for embedding on UAV-type platforms. Attention to power requirements and payload weight are necessarily essential areas of concern, hence digital receiving and processing systems employing miniaturization techniques are of high interest. (5) Advanced Knowledge-Based Processing Techniques: Timely and accurate decision support to the warfighter require innovative knowledge-base processing for sensor management, emitter ID, flagging, and SIGINT fusion to include but not limited to techniques for automated knowledge acquisition and knowledge modeling, real-time inferencing, and real-time operating system. (6) Network centric collection management: Networked SIGINT sensors extend the sensor virtual collection space, thus significantly enhancing the potential to collect LPI/difficult waveform signals. Therefore, network centric collection management should be investigated to include but not be limited to multi-platform signal correlation and multi-int sensor cueing. Attention should be paid to fusing the sensor measurements and network data bandwidth to support collection management. Deliverables will be technical reports and, when appropriate, software and demonstrations. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors are required to submit three (3) copies of a five (5) page or less white paper with a cover letter indicating whether the offeror is a large, small, women-owned small, or small disadvantaged business, or Historically Black College, University, or Minority Institution. The white paper will be formatted as follows: Section A: Title, Period of Performance, Cost of Task, Name of Company; Section B: Task Objective; and Section C: Technical Summary. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to ATTN: John H. Pletl, Reference BAA 03-17 AFRL/IFEC, 32 Brooks Road; Rome NY 13441-4114. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. Offerors must mark their white papers/proposals with the restrictive language stated in FAR 15.609(a). All white papers/proposals shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12 pitch. In addition, respondents are requested to provide their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, a fax number, and an e-mail address with their submission. This BAA is accepting white papers until 30 Sep 2006. It is recommended that white papers be received by the following dates to maximize the possibility of award; White papers for FY 04 should be submitted by 15 Nov 03. White papers for the out years should be submitted as follows: FY 05 should be submitted by 1 March 04; and FY 06 by 1 March 05. White papers will be accepted at any time, but it is less likely that funding will be available in each respective fiscal year after the dates cited. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal. Such invitation does not assure that the submitting organization will be awarded a contract. The cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract, but may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. Evaluation of proposals will be performed using the following criteria: (1) The overall scientific and/or technical merits of the proposal: (2) the potential contributions of the effort to the Rome Research Site mission and the extent to which the proposed effort will contribute to balancing the overall research and development program of AFRL; and (3) the reasonableness and realism of proposed costs and fees, if any. Also, consideration will be given to past and present performance on recent Government contracts, and the capacity and capability to achieve the objectives of this BAA. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting white papers/proposals. Individual white papers/proposals will be evaluated against the evaluation criteria without regard to other white papers and proposals submitted under this BAA. All responsible organizations may submit a white paper/proposal which shall be considered. Awards of efforts as a result of this BAA will be in the form of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions depending upon the nature of the work proposed. Options are discouraged and unpriced options will not be considered for award. Complete instructions for proposal preparation will be forwarded with the invitations for proposal submissions. Individual awards will not normally exceed 3 years with dollar amounts ranging between $250,000 to $350,000 per fiscal year. Total funding for this BAA is anticipated to be $24.5 M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this BAA is broken out by fiscal year as follows: FY 04 - $8 M; FY 05 - $8.5 M; and FY 06 - $8 M. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures. Foreign or foreign-owned offerors should immediately contact the contracting office focal point, Renee F. Arcuri, Contracting Officer, telephone (315) 330-4777 or e-mail Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil for information if they contemplate responding. The e-mail must reference the title and BAA 03-17-IFKA. Depending on the work to be performed, the offeror may require a SECRET or TOP SECRET facility clearance and safeguarding capability; therefore, personnel identified for assignment to a classified effort must be cleared for access to SECRET or TOP SECRET information at a time of award. In addition, to qualify as a responsible contractor, the offeror may need to have, or have access to, a certified and Government approved facility to support work under this BAA. Questions prior to the submission of a proposal can be addressed to the technical POC, John Pletl/315-330-7557, John.Pletl@rl.af.mil. Questions, clarification, or concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition should be communicated directly to the IFKA Contracting Officer, Renee Arcuri, telephone (315) 330-4777 or e-mail Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil. The email must reference the title and solicitation number of the acquisition. A copy of the Rome "BAA& PRDA: A Guide for Industry," Sep 1996 (Rev), may be accessed at: http://www.if.afrl.af.mil/div/IFK/bp-guide.html. The Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate has contracted for various business and staff support services, some of which require contractors to obtain administrative access to proprietary information submitted by other contractors. Administrative access is defined as "handling or having physical control over information for the sole purpose of accomplishing the administrative functions specified in this contract or order, which do not require the review, reading, or comprehension of the content of the information on the part of non-technical professionals assigned to accomplish the specified administrative tasks." These contractors have signed general non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements. The required administrative access will be granted to non-technical professionals. Examples of the administrative tasks performed include: a. Assembling and organizing information for R&D case files; b. Accessing library files for use by government personnel; and c. Handling and administration of proposals, contracts, contract funding and queries. Any objection to administrative access must be in writing to the contracting officer and shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection. Prospective offerors are advised that only Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.
- Record
- SN00448218-W 20031008/031006213140 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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