MODIFICATION
D -- Assured SATCOM Services In Single Theater (ASSIST)
- Notice Date
- 4/5/2011
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 517410
— Satellite Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- Defense Information Systems Agency, Procurement Directorate, DITCO-Scott, 2300 East Dr., Building 3600, Scott AFB, Illinois, 62225-5406, United States
- ZIP Code
- 62225-5406
- Solicitation Number
- ASSIST
- Archive Date
- 4/30/2011
- Point of Contact
- Noah O. Vasquez, Phone: 618-229-9376
- E-Mail Address
-
noah.vasquez@disa.mil
(noah.vasquez@disa.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Assured SATCOM Services In Single Theater (ASSIST) Request for Information Contracting Office Address Defense Information Systems Agency, Procurement and Logistics, DITCO-Scott, 2300 East Drive Bldg 3600, Scott AFB, IL, 62225-5406 Purpose: The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is seeking information regarding an end-to-end Ka- and Ku- commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) capability for Department of Defense theater specific operations. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment for an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this announcement. Background: COMSATCOM is an essential communications component for in-theater operations. The USCENTCOM theater of operations incurs the greatest amount of COMSATCOM usage, using Ku-band service on more than 20 different commercial communications satellites, mostly through the use of base period leases (typically single-year) with additional option year leases. Leases range from small fractions of a Transponded Equivalent (TPE) to multiple TPEs with an aggregate sustained demand of over 5 GHz of service and more than 1,200 terminal links/accesses. With the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 President's Budget Request, the DoD is preparing for an FY12-FY14 investment to acquire long-term satellite communications services in the Ka- and Ku-bands, preferably on a single satellite, to meet COCOM theater demand, directing as many future users and migrating as many existing users as possible from Ku to Ka-band. (Per Appendix A, Ground Tactical demand is envisioned migrating to Ka-band whereas AISR Demand will remain at Ku-band.) The investment includes both the space segment and associated terminals. Initially, the DoD goal is to reduce costs for COMSATCOM capability in the CENTCOM theater of operations. In the future, DoD requires the flexibility of moving these services to other theaters of operation as needed. DoD is evaluating several contracting vehicle options including possible use of the General Services Administration (GSA) Information Technology (IT) Schedule 70 Special Item Number (SIN) 132-54, Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Transponded Capacity, which was established as part of the Future COMSATCOM Services Acquisition (FCSA) to acquire the space segment service. DoD is evaluating several contracting vehicle options for acquiring, or modifying terminals and other necessary user equipment including possible use of GSA IT Schedule 70 SIN 132-3, 132-4, 132-8, and/or 132-9; the new GSA Custom SATCOM Solutions (CS2) and CS2 - Small Business ID/IQ contracts scheduled to be available by 4th Quarter FY2011; or another existing DoD contract focused on terminals and user equipment. [Note that Schedule 70 has an open enrollment provision, allowing interested vendors to apply at any time. The timeline to receive a Schedule 70 contract is typically four (4) months from submission of a complete proposal. Please see www.gsa.gov/schedule70 and www.gsa.gov/fcsa for further details.] The budgeted cost for the service is $440 million to include service operations and initial terminal modifications and replacements to use the space segment service. DoD is seeking the following capabilities from this COMSATCOM service: -Primary services supported at Ka frequencies (20.2-21.2 GHz on the downlink, 30.0-31.0 GHz on the uplink). The DoD will consider all industry solutions for securing orbital and frequency authorization and will assist with any approach deemed feasible based upon US domestic and international regulatory requirements. Industry would be solely responsible for obtaining licensing and orbital allocation using their normal process. -At least enough space resources to meet the current commercial SATCOM demand described in Appendix A. The objective is double demand documented in Appendix A with theater area beams. -Service is available for use starting no later than 31 December 2014. -Ability to support multiple changes to the theater of operation for the service over the lifetime of the lease. Appendix A contains a summary of the current commercial SATCOM demand characteristics that make up the current Ku-band leases (Scenario #1). In addition, data is also provided about the currently deployed in-theater terminal population accessing these COMSATCOM services. An alternative scenario (Scenario #2) is also described to assess system extensibility. Information Requested: The following questions are intended to help structure the acquisition of the stated COMSATCOM capability, including space segment service and terminals. Questions are intended to enable DoD to refine its strategy for this commercial SATCOM capability. Proprietary information or trade secrets should be clearly identified. All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Technical T1. What Ka-band and Ku-band services do you already have planned (or could provide) by the service start date? What is the design and on-orbit pedigree of the capability? What is the expected design and operating life? T2. Assuming that the services you provide are initially to support the user population in Appendix A, Scenario 1, but later the services must be moved to another theater to support the user population shown in Appendix A, Scenario 2, what percentage of each Scenario's requirements do you estimate could be met with such a system or service? T3. Describe the coverage, polarization, and bandwidth assignments of your proposed solution. Can the 30.0-31.0 GHz up / 20.2-21.2 GHz down gateway links be steerable? If so, how many can be supported? T4. To what extent can some or all of the theatre Ka- and Ku-band coverages be steered to facilitate optimized service after repositioning? Can that Ka-band coverage be segmented and steered independently? T5. What are the satellite station keeping requirements to achieve the forecasted performance of your solution? T6. What terrestrial infrastructure (terminals, gateways, DoD gateways, network operations center (NOCs), hubs, terrestrial connectivity) is required to deliver your projected performance? Please include details on number of gateways required, number of terminals, connectivity, topology, terminal technical characteristics, polarization, use of multiple frequency bands to terminate user links, etc.)? Specify any assumptions you make. T7. Describe the interoperability of your service with planned DoD military Ka-band systems (e.g., terminals that meet MIL-STD-188-164 and modems that meet MIL-STD-188-165.) To what extent would the performance discussed in T1 change if you were to rely exclusively on planned DoD Ka-band terminals and the planned modem inventory? (The WGS terminal population predominantly operates RHCP on the uplink and LHCP on the downlink with an axial ratio of < 2dB. Select coverage areas on the WGS satellite are also capable of operating LHCP on the uplink and RHCP on the downlink, non-simultaneously. Select DoD Ka-band terminal types are capable of operating LHCP on the uplink and RHCP on the downlink, again, non-simultaneously.) T8. Describe the major components of the system and service (e.g., satellite, gateways, terminals, modems, hubs, NOCs)? Describe the assumptions and function of each component and the extent to which forecasted performance is dependent on each component's characteristics to achieve the system performance forecast. T9. Using the information in Appendix A, specify any user equipment changes needed. Include the estimated number of terminals that will need to be replaced. For new and replacement terminals, provide size, weight, and power demands of the equipment and any ruggedized characteristics of the equipment. To what extent does the performance of your solution require homogeneous terminal sizes/performance? What are the practical limits on diverse terminal sizes on your solution? To what extend is the performance of your solution dependent upon a specified connectivity type (e.g., hub-spoke only)? What is the impact to the performance if the service must support hub-spoke, point-to-point, and mesh connectivity. T10. What terminals, modems, and network equipment are available that provide end-to-end service for your solution? From what sources can this equipment and terminals be procured? T11. Describe the operations and control plan for your service including the location of the control facilities. Describe the process for a user to request and obtain service. Describe the security features that could be made available from that control facility. What tools would be necessary for the Government to provide payload configuration direction? Are those tools included in your solution and price estimates? Describe the functions and staffing of any NOC used for operations of comparable commercial systems. T12. What are the information assurance features or characteristics of your service (e.g., TT&C link encryption, network controls)? How compliant is it with the MAC I IA controls specified for GSA IT Schedule 70 SIN 132-54? (See Appendix B). T13. Is your service capable of meeting the "Terms and Conditions Applicable to Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Transponded Capacity (Special Item Number 132-54)"? (See 08_Proposal Price List Preparation document within Schedule 70 solicitation - http://www.gsa.gov/schedule70.) T14. Describe your plan, including any steps requiring DoD activity, for gaining orbital slot approval for the space segment. What are the regulatory considerations and what is their impact on schedule? Cost considerations? Funding/ Contracting Mechanisms F1. Provide a ROM total cost and the percentage for each cost element for your proposed solution. F2. What are your standard payment practices for your proposed service? Are there specific payment models that you would recommend? Are there constraints should payment not occur until service delivery? F3. What are your standard service agreements for leases of this duration? What arrangements do you enter into with commercial customers to provide them the assurance that you will deliver the service over the entire lease assuming full payment occurs no later than 2018? F4. Assuming the last increment of funding is dispersed after successful service activation and the contractor will provide satellite operations for a period beyond that date, how does the Government ensure its service level agreement over that period between last payment and service end date is met (e.g., a liquidated damages clause (i.e., Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.211-11))? If so, what would be the possible terms and structure of such a liquidated damages clause? F5. The Government is exploring the use of GSA IT Schedule 70 SIN 132-54 for acquiring space segment services. For the associated terminals, please describe your preferred contracting mechanism - GSA IT Schedule 70, or the CS2 and CS2 - Small Business ID/IQ contracts, or another existing DoD contract - for terminal leasing, procurement or modification and installation. From what other contracts or sources can these terminals be procured? Schedule S1. The desired date from service activation is 31 December 2014; describe your plan to meet this schedule. What is the necessary contract award date to accomplish this? Ensure service test and checkout prior to Government acceptance of the service is included in your schedule. S2. Describe the timeline for terminal and user equipment contract award to delivery and installation of equipment. DISA requests responses be submitted via e-mail to Noah Vasquez at noah.vasquez@disa.mil AND Vincent D. Kolakowski at vincent.kolakowski@disa.mil. Responses shall be transmitted no later than 3:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST) on Friday, 15 April 2011. Responses should be single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font with one inch margins. Information transmitted in response to the RFI will not be returned. Reponses which include excessively large file attachments may be uploaded to the DITCO Contract Opportunities Web Page at: www.ditco.disa.mil/dcop ***WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS************* WRITTEN QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS RFI MAY BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO NOAH VASQUEZ AT NOAH.VASQUEZ@DISA.MIL AND VINCENT KOLAKOWSKI AT VINCENT.KOLAKOWSKI@DISA.MIL NLT 1500 HRS ON 25 MARCH 2011. ALL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN A FAQ FORMAT ON THIS PAGE ON OR ABOUT 7 APRIL 2011. ********************************************************* Original Point of Contact Noah Vasquez, Contracting Specialist, Phone 618-229-9376, fax 618-229-9174, e-mail noah.vasquez@disa.mil
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