SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Multi-Platform SIGINT Fusion and ISR Management
- 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-PRDA-04-02-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, Carolyn Sheaff, AFRL/IFEA, 32 Brooks Road, Rome, NY 13441-4114, Phone (315) 330-7147, e-mail: sheaffc@rl.af.mil. Contracting POC: Renee Arcuri, Contracting Officer, AFRL/IFKA, 26 Electronics Parkway, Rome, NY 13441-4514, Phone (315) 330-4777, e-mail Renee.Arcuri@rl.af.mil. The Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at the Rome Research Site is seeking firms to conduct applied research and development for innovative concepts and techniques for Cross-Platform SIGINT Fusion and Correlation. The Air Force Research Laboratory Fusion Technology Branch has developed an open, distributed, object-oriented architecture called the Extensible Data Architecture (XDA) for information fusion under the Adaptive Sensor Fusion (ASF) program. This program included support for multiple interoperable fusion components and a public Application Programmer's Interface (API) that is suitable for inserting new fusion components into the system. Fusion component interoperability is based on a shared description of the battlespace and shared data exchange and persistence mechanisms. Through the implementation of a common interface and a common battlespace ontology, new and legacy fusion engines and capabilities can be encapsulated and become interoperable components within a common architecture. Given this stable environment for test and development, the performance of legacy and new fusion engines can be rapidly inserted, evaluated and consistently quantified. The NSA sponsored Advanced Fusion Workstation (AFWS) developed by AFRL is a government owned and extensible information fusion system built upon the XDA/ASF core services. In it?s present instantiation it is focused on solving the SIGINT fusion problem set. The extensible nature of the system however, allows it to easily accommodate multiple sensing modalities, and data sources. One of the major goals of the AFWS is to accommodate inferential reasoning to achieve JDL level II and III fusion. In the present configuration the system utilizes the K-PASA template based reasoning services of WebTAS. Ongoing work is incorporating automated reasoners using a Bayesian approach and Demptser Shaefer reasoning capabilities. The basic premise is to transition from semi, to fully automated inferential reasoning, as the underlying science of the fusion components support such transitions. The scope of this announcement is to acquire necessary technologies and their integration into the IFEA Advanced Fusion Workstation XDA-based architecture. Specific goals and capabilities include but are not limited to: AOI Monitor ? Provides an operator defined area of interest, within which he/she can define a set of rules to be applied to multi-INT streaming data. When the real time state occurs the operator is notified. (JDL Level II). Inferential Reasoning Component ? Component to provide semi-automated JDL level II fusion. This component will instantiate multiple reasoning methods that include: A) Operators codified knowledge of patterns of activity based upon a-priori knowledge. As various states of the activity models are satisfied, operators are notified that predetermined activities are likely occurring. B) Automated inferential reasoning system that may provide SCI level identification of elements in the battlespace, as well as their interaction with one another. This level of interaction may allow the system to infer intent of entities. C) Bayesian based automated inferential reasoning approach to solve more complex entity interrelationships problems in the data (JDL Level II and perhaps III). MTI and ELINT Fusion ? An MTI to ELINT fusion component should combine the precise geo-location characteristics provided by MTI with precise identity provided by ELINT. (JDL Level I). Emitter Mapping ? This service will monitor comms external data and reconstruct C2 and other nodal associations between actors in the battlespace. The ability to map specific clusters of particular types of comms nodes on the battlefield, will provide the capability to assess force strength, and disposition, as well as potentially identity. (JDL Level I) Automated Creation of Standard Knowledge Bases ? Through extension of existing knowledge bases this component will provide a single and coherent source of a-priori knowledge against which other components can reason. This service will integrate elements of the EIPB output in XML format. Standard I/O methods ? Leveraging existing gateways to data sources such as TDDS and TDIMF as well as streaming MTI data. Background Acoustics ? Existing background acoustics technology will be integrated into XDA. Speaker ID ? Existing speaker ID technology will be integrated into XDA. Imagery and ELINT ? Information obtained from available satellite and airborne imagery can be combined with SIGINT information to increase identification accuracy and provide precise target location information needed for targeting. Fusion of SIGINT, IMINT, and other sources is required for hard-to-find targets Ontology Development ? Definition and development of standard SIGINT ontology, extension of visualization ontology, and definition of multi-INT ontologies. CONOPS Development ? A CONOPS document will be developed for Single Platform, Cross Platform, and AOC/DCGS Fusion Systems. ISR Management ? Address the resource management, tasking and re-tasking of multiple, network centric sensors to perform SIGINT correlation and fusion to derive situation assessment in support of military operations. The overall objective of this PRDA is to develop, integrate, demonstrate and transition system technologies. This program will employ and exploit existing technologies to provide early demonstrations and potential transitions to operational units. It will also enhance existing and maturing technologies and provide a roadmap of continued spiral development. In addition to direct technology developments this program will support other complementary activities including, test and evaluation, modeling and simulation, data collection and management, and a distributed collaborative engineering environment. The developed system will be transitionable to Rivet Joint, Senior Scout, C2C, National Systems, the Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS) and/or as applicable, the Air Force Transformation Center. The AFRL, Information and Intelligence Exploitation Division (AFRL/IFE) is soliciting proposals to develop an open, government owned, Multi-INT fusion capability using ASF/AFWS Core Services Framework. Potential Offerors should have considerable experience and expertise in the following areas: 1) Insertion of new and legacy fusion components and technologies into the ASF/XDA. 2) Development of interfaces, algorithms and databases, coordinate software development and integration of fusion modules; and integrate multiple-sources of sensor and intelligence reports. 3) Recent operational experience on Rivet Joint, and in the AF DCGS and AF AOC. 4) SIGINT Domain Expertise. 5) ISR Management 6) SEI Level 2 Software Development 7) Risk Management 8) Program Management 9) Multi-INT Scenario Development and Modeling. The program schedule should contain spiral developments and deliveries. The fusion system shall be designed to process, fuse and display the following types of information, as a minimum: Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communications (COMINT), Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), and Imagery Intelligence (IMINT). The design of the system shall not preclude the potential ingestion of other intelligence data, for example, Video, EO/IR, MSI/HSI, MASINT (seismic, acoustic, magnetic), HUMINT. Program reviews shall be conducted to track technical, financial and schedule performance and risk. Capability is sought that can be fully developed and transitioned to operational units as rapidly as possible. Since many applicable technologies exist today, offerors are encouraged to leverage technology from these other programs, as applicable. It is anticipated that offerors will investigate, apply, exploit and modify existing COTS and GOTS technologies. Deliverables will include technical reports, user's manuals, training manuals and delivery and integration of robust software prototypes into the AFRL ELINT Development Facility. In addition, the level of maturity must be adequate to transition to the user community by integration and demonstrations into the DCGS and/or as applicable, the Air Force Transformation Center. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. DO NOT SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. Offerors are required to submit five (5) copies of a two (2) to five (5) page white paper on their proposed research topic to: Air Force Research Laboratory/IFEA, ATTN: Ms. Carolyn Sheaff, 32 Brooks Road, Rome NY 13441-4114. 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. Multiple white papers within the purview of this announcement may be submitted by each offeror. The purpose of the white paper is to preclude unwarranted effort on the part of an offeror whose proposed work is not of interest under this PRDA. 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 PRDA is accepting white papers until 1 Oct 2008. 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 30 Nov 03. White papers for the out years should be submitted as follows: FY 05 should be submitted by 1 May 04; FY 06 by 1 May 05; FY 07 by 1 May 06; FY 08 by 1 May 07. 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 PRDA 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:(l) Overall scientific and technical merit, including the rationale and approach for the proposed technology development, (2) Potential contribution and relevance to this effort, (3) Soundness of proposed technology transition approach, and (4) Offerors demonstrated capability to successfully integrate various technologies. 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 PRDA. 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 PRDA. All responsible organizations may submit a white paper/proposal which shall be considered. Awards of efforts as a result of this PRDA 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 36 months with dollar amounts ranging between $200,000 to $1,000,000 per fiscal year. Total funding for this PRDA is anticipated to be $24 M. The anticipated funding to be obligated under this PRDA is broken out by fiscal year as follows: FY04: $5M; FY05: $5M; FY06: $5M; FY07: $5M; FY08: $4M. Selected offerors may be required to review classified material up to the TOP SECRET SCI level, therefore, personnel identified for assignment to those proposed efforts must be already cleared for access to TOP SECRET SCI information. In addition, the offeror may be required to have, or have access to, a certified and Government-approved facility to support work under this PRDA. Data subject to export control constraints may be involved and only firms on the Certified Contractor Access List (CCAL) will be allowed access to such data. 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 PRDA 04-02-IFKA. Questions prior to the submission of a proposal can be addressed to the technical POC, Carolyn Sheaff/315-330-7147, Carolyn.Sheaff@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
- SN00448219-W 20031008/031006213140 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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