SOLICITATION NOTICE
16 -- SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE END-TO-END PROTECTION OF ACARS C2 MESSAGES
- Notice Date
- 11/20/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- 75 Vandenberg Dr. Bldg 1630 Hanscom AFB, MA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- R1721
- Point of Contact
- Jeremy Kruger jeremy.kruger@us.af.mil
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to E-mail the POC
(jeremy.kruger@us.af.mil)
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE END-TO-END PROTECTION OF ACARS COMMAND AND CONTROL MESSAGES FOR THE USAF AIR MOBILITY COMMAND (AMC) FLEET THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) AND NOT A SOLICITATION. The 853d Electronic Systems Group, Global Air Traffic Management Division (853 ELSG/NT) has the mission of supporting the acquisition of CNS/ATM avionics for the Air Force, other Department of Defense (DoD) entities, and/or other federal agencies to allow unrestricted access of military aircraft to worldwide airspace. The 853 ELSG/NT is seeking information on solutions available for the end-to-end protection of ACARS command and control messages for the USAF AMC fleet. The USAF has been working to upgrade the majority of its Air Mobility Command (AMC) fleet to comply with commercial Communication, Navigation, & Surveillance, / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) requirements. The overarching objective of this program is to ensure continued, unrestricted access to airspace around the world in support of the USAF mission. The communication component of this upgrade includes a commercial air/ground data link capability commonly referred to as ACARS (Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System). The ACARS data link capability, together with the FANS 1/A applications and ARINC 622 protocol, will allow AMC equipped aircraft to communicate directly with Air Traffic Control (ATC) in some regions of the world. A benefit of ACARS equipage, is the ability of the flight crew to leverage this "found" bandwidth on the flight deck to communicate directly with an operational command and control center. Commercial airlines have been taking advantage of this benefit since the 1970s, with the family of software messages called Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC). During a demonstration of this capability, during an exercise in 1999, USAF AMC became interested in acquiring this AOC communications capability. AMC wishes to provide the flight managers at the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) with this tool, to aid in dispatch and mission management. Unfortunately, embracing and successfully leveraging this new capability has resulted in some concerns. Specifically, the ACARS infrastructure does not inherently offer the user any protection of message content. The air-to-ground and ground-to-air messages are sent "in the clear", over published frequencies, in a human readable format, in the same manner that VHF voice is sent. Airlines concerned with protecting the content of potentially sensitive messages have acquired their own security solutions compatible with the existing civil network infrastructure. So, USAF AMC, seeing the security issue as a potentially critical vulnerability, elected to limit use of AOC data link to only a few messages until the security issue could be addressed. Recently, the Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) formed a Data Link Security Subcommittee (DSEC) to address the ACARS security issue. The AEEC develops engineering standards and technical solutions for avionics, networks, and cabin systems, which foster increased efficiency and reduced life cycle costs throughout the aviation community. USAF AMC was an active participant in the DSEC subcommittee that has now recently developed an industry standard, commonly referred to as Project Paper 823. It provides standard guidance on both shared secret and PKI-based data link security solutions. The document also includes guidance on life-cycle management of cryptographic keys. The USAF AMC has determined that the PKI-based solution outlined in AEEC Project Paper 823, if properly implemented on ACARS equipped AMC platforms, would provide an adequate level of security to support a more comprehensive use of ACARS data link for mission management. The USAF is seeking information on all possible solutions of implementation of the AEEC 823 standard on its AMC CNS/ATM equipped aircraft. More specifically, information is sought on the implementation of a solution that is end-to-end, PKI-based, and 823 compliant, for transport of command and control or AOC messages. It is envisioned that the initial data link communications for mission management will be between AMC aircraft and the TACC at Scott AFB. It is possible that there will be additional ground data link hosts communicating with the AMC aircraft in the future. Respondents should: - Address CNS/ATM configurations of the KC-135, C-5 and C-17 at a minimum, but consideration of all current and planned CNS/ATM equipages is desired. - Reply with an end-to-end solution that addresses all of the associated subnetworks: airborne,air/ground, and ground. - Not exceed 15 pages with their capability to deliver the proposed data-link security solution on the USAF CNS/ATM equipped aircraft. - Provide product specifications that verify the ability of their products to meet applicable CNS/ATM standards in addition to the AEEC 823 standard. - Provide a Point of Contact (POC) within your corporation. - Clearly indicate on any correspondence of a sensitive nature, "proprietary" or "restricted." The government's intention is not to disqualify any source from a potential solicitation. - Include one original paper copy and one electronic copy on CD. Use either Adobe Portable Document (.pdf) format or Microsoft Office products. The RFI packages are due to Capt Jeremy Kruger or Matt Coughlin, 853 ELSG/NT, 75 Vandenberg Drive (Building 1630), Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2103 by COB 15 December 2007. Please refer any questions regarding this RFI to Capt Jeremy Kruger or Matt Coughlin by e-mail or phone at: Email: Jeremy.Kruger@hanscom.af.mil Phone: 781-377-9343 Email: Matt.Coughlin@hanscom.af.mil Phone: 781-377-5195
- Web Link
-
SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE END-TO-END PROTECTION OF ACARS C2 MESSAGES on HERBB
(http://www.herbb.hanscom.af.mil/esc_opps.asp?rfp=R1721)
- Record
- SN01455729-W 20071122/071120223648 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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