SOLICITATION NOTICE
D -- NATO NC3A Notification of Intent to Invite Bids for International Competitive Bidding (ICB) for Procurement of High Speed Internet Protocol (IP) Crypto for ISAF Full Operational Capability (FOC)
- Notice Date
- 6/9/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Defense Programs Division, Room 3876 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20230
- ZIP Code
- 20230
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-CO-11971-OPL
- Response Due
- 6/19/2006
- Archive Date
- 6/21/2006
- Description
- OVERVIEW The NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) intends to advertise for International Competitive Bidding (ICB) on works and services within the framework of the NATO Security Investment Program. Eligible firms will be invited to provide bids on a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for procurement of High Speed Internet Protocol (IP) Crypto for International Security Assistance Force Full Operational Capability (ISAF FOC). The current range of multimedia applications either in use or in implementation within the ISAF operational theatre requires the fielded IP Crypto to have the ability to provide a high throughput of small IP packets. The current NATO IP Crypto Equipment (NICE) was not designed for this purpose and has proven inadequate to cope with this requirement. It is therefore considered unsuitable for use in the ISAF environment. The current requirement for the ISAF theatre is therefore for 140 High Speed IP Cryptos with a minimum of a 100Mbps Ethernet interface and 20 Megabits per second throughput Full duplex processing 64 Byte packets. NC3A is serving as the Host Nation for this project, which was authorized by the NATO Infrastructure Committee. The envisaged bidding procedure for this RFQ will be the BOA procedure with the additional opportunity for the US Delegation to NATO to nominate bidders in addition to the companies identified by NC3A as BOA vendors. The estimated value of this project is 1.4 million Euros ($1.7 million USD). The reference of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) is RFQ-CO-11971-OPL. The U.S. Department of Commerce will be using the same RFQ reference. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS The IP Crypto must conform to the MCM-064-98, Military Characteristics for NATO Internet Protocol (IP) Based Cryptographic Equipment (NICE), 11 March 1999. In the addition the following shall apply: The IP crypto shall support the following interfaces: RED and BLACK communications interfaces and protocols: - As a minimum 100 Mbps Ethernet (full duplex) on shielded RJ-45 and/or Multimode fibre connector. - Minimum throughput per packet size as defined as follows: Packet Size: 64 Bytes Simplex: 25 Megabits per second Full Duplex: 20 Megabits per second Packet Size: 1500 Bytes Simplex: 50 Megabits per second Full Duplex: 25 Megabits per second Note: In any case, throughput with mixed packet sizes of 64 bytes or more shall not fall below 25 megabits per second for Simplex or 20 Megabits per second for Full Duplex operation. - IP V4 & IP V6 with corresponding ICMP, according to RFC 791 and RFC 2460 - IP encryption equipment on the RED side will be connected via a router to a LAN or Workstation; on the BLACK side it will be connected to an IP network via a router and/or firewall - Support for Multicast and Quality of Service (QoS) - Management of the security mechanisms should be possible both locally and from a dedicated management centre. In general, the same management operations should be available both locally and remotely. Key Distribution and Management Facility The High Speed IP Crypto shall come with a key distribution and management functionality. This functionality comprises distribution and loading of keys to the IP cryptos as well as the management of the system operation and status. System Management Facility The system shall have a system management capability and the bid shall include two system management systems, one to be located in NITC, Mons, Belgium (primary) and the other in Kabul, Afghanistan (secondary). The management centres must be able to synchronize and update each other to enable one centre to assume the responsibilities of the other if required without interruption of service. Key Distribution Functionality The bidder shall implement the key distribution functionality either in a centralized management centre (Alternative A ? preferred option) or through a manual process (Alternative B). If no centralized management system is available for provision to NATO, then a manual distribution process (Alternative B) shall be provided. A manual distribution system will entail significant extra effort and costs to NATO for the operation of this manual system. The cost of a manual key distribution process for the ISAF operational scenario, based on actual and estimated costs, has already been calculated by NC3A as discussed below. This total cost for a nominal one year deployment shall be added to a bidder price proposal for any bid that uses a manual key distribution system rather than a centralized key management system. This will allow fair evaluation of the various bids. The bidder must clearly specify in the bid whether the bid is of Alternative A or Alternative B. Automatic Key Management: This comprises key generation and distribution/loading of keys to the IP cryptos. Keys may be distributed electronically from an EKMS, or manually into each IP crypto. In automatic mode of operation, keys are normally distributed electronically from a centralized key management system to that of the IP crypto equipment. Manual key distribution is performed by use of fill device and manual load into the IP cryptos. Manual Key Management: Daily Subsistence Costs Afghanistan is a country where life support services like food, lodging, medical support and laundry services are not available to the same extent as in the developed world. NATO sites in the country are distributed over vast distances, unreachable by means of vehicles as the road network, if available, is extremely poor and vehicles are further subject to a high risk of attack by enemy personnel with small arms fire, mortar, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Support for personnel necessary for the in-theatre manual key process in Afghanistan, particularly over extended periods of time, is dependent on services provided by the coalition forces. For contractor personnel, the services are charged to the company. Food, lodging, medical support and laundry services are provided by NATO and are charged on a monthly basis at approximately 1000 Euro per month. Air- and land-based transport is provided by coalition forces and is normally not billed to the company. However, scheduling of key exchange cycles becomes increasingly difficult due to uncertainty concerning availability of flights in the required time periods. Transport The High Speed IP Encryptors will be located at 64 sites in Afghanistan. The actual location of each site is always subject to change and though some of the sites are likely to be located in the near vicinity of other sites, this is never guaranteed and the worst case is therefore that airborne transport would be required for access to each site. Travel to the sites will at times require several days due to flight availability in and out, which impacts the number of sites that can be done per year by one individual. Key Exchange Cycles The High Speed IP Encryptor will have loaded its current cryptographic key set and also the next key set to be used. This means that once loaded with cryptographic keys, the equipment may support its operation for a maximum period of 6 to 12 months depending on the approved key validity periods for the particular crypto equipment. It is estimated that two visits per year are therefore required for each crypto. In the case of unforeseen events, extra visits on an ad-hoc basis will be required. Labor Contractors are already operating in Afghanistan in support of NATO and coalition operations. The cost for contractor support in the unstable regions south and east of the country is significantly higher than for the northern and the capital of Kabul, due to the high level of threat in these areas. As the requirement for distributing and loading key material cannot be allowed to conflict with the responsibilities of the local crypto custodian, it is expected that the key distribution and management service be provided by two individuals (2 man rule for couriers of crypto material as per AMSG 293F) based in Kabul for operation in the northern region and two individuals in Kandahar for operation in the southern region for approximately 6 months each per year. The key distribution service must be available 365 days a year with the two key distribution individuals covering for the other when the other is out of theatre. Based on experience from ongoing operations, the costs attributed to the abovementioned services are known to NC3A as reflected in actual contracted costs for similar contracts on a daily basis. Labor cost was calculated as an average of the cost for 27 lower cost sites in the Northern region and 37 higher cost sites in the Southern region, resulting in a daily rate of 3, 250 Euros per day. Transport is normally not billed to the company. The manual key distribution service for one year is therefore priced according to the following principle: (4 personnel x (subsistence costs/month x 12 months) + (4 personnel x (daily labor rate x 365 days) / 2 = (4 personnel x (1,000 Euro x 12) + (4 personnel x (3, 250 Euro x 365 days) / 2 = 48,000 + 2,372,500 = 2, 420,500 Euros per year This is a conservative estimate of the real costs since it only covers contractor costs for four individuals for six months each and does not cover transport costs or cost of extra key load equipment required to complete the routine. This 2,420,500 Euros will be added to the cost of any bid that uses a manual key distribution system (Alternative B). Bidding documents are expected to be NATO RESTRICTED. Further performance of the contract will require contractors to have personnel and facility clearances at a level of NATO SECRET. BIDDING PROCEDURE The U.S. Department of Commerce does not serve as the Host Nation for NATO projects. Its role is to approve for bidding those firms of NATO-member nations with a facility located within the United States. Only firms approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce will be allowed to bid. Please visit the following website for instructions on applying for approval to bid on NATO projects: http://www.bis.doc.gov/defenseindustrialbaseprograms/OSIES/NATOprograms/index.htm With the exception of those firms already nominated as identified BOA vendors, additional firms must be introduced by the U.S. Delegation to NATO with the required Declaration of Eligibility (DOE). A firm that has been approved for bidding on NATO projects must request that the U.S. Department of Commerce issue the required DOE for each project on which the firm wishes to bid. The DOE is used to nominate the firm to the Bidders List for a particular project. The U.S. Department of Commerce forwards the DOE to the U.S. Delegation to NATO, which in turn forwards it to the Host Nation. The Host Nation will not accept requests for nomination received directly from firms. Firms that the U.S. Delegation to NATO nominates to the Bidders List will be contacted directly by the Host Nation when the Request for Quotation (RFQ) has been issued. IMPORTANT DEADLINES 1. Final date for the U.S. Department of Commerce to submit a Declaration of Eligibility on your behalf: 19 June 2006 2. Anticipated date that the Host Nation will forward the Request for Quotation (RFQ) to those on the Bidders List: June 2006 3. Anticipated contract award date: August 2006
- Record
- SN01066640-W 20060611/060609220330 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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