MODIFICATION
69 -- Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) Manned Module Modernization
- Notice Date
- 9/1/2015
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 333318
— Other Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- ACC - Orlando,, 12350 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826-3276
- ZIP Code
- 32826-3276
- Solicitation Number
- W900KK15R0045
- Archive Date
- 8/13/2016
- Point of Contact
- Graham K. Oliff, Phone: 4072083450
- E-Mail Address
-
graham.k.oliff.civ@mail.mil
(graham.k.oliff.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- INTRODUCTION: The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) is seeking capability information from industry to provide a solution for modernization of the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT). The Army requires new and agile hardware and software solutions to facilitate current and future collective training that the CCTT provides. Information is requested about potential solutions that leverage existing investments and provides opportunities for early refinement of emerging products. Also, this RFI is intended to gather information about technology and affordability bounds, and seek market information on businesses able to provide the capabilities described in the sections below. The CCTT solution must be compatible and interoperable with the Synthetic Environment (SE-Core) terrain databases, One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF), the Live, Virtual Constructive - Integrating Architecture (LVC-IA), and Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT). INDUSTRY DAY: Attendees shall pre-register for a CCTT industry day, providing the company name, attendees (main Point Of Contact), organization, phone number, and email address via email to the Contracts point of contact (POC) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 4 Sep 2015. The CCTT industry day is scheduled for 16 Sep 2015 from 8:00am to 11:00pm in the Partnership III Building, Conference Room 321 located at 3039 Technology Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826. The briefing shall begin at 8:30am. Due to limited parking in the Partnership III parking lot, all visitors are requested to park in large parking lot on the corner of Science Drive and Technology Parkway. When pre-registering, please indicate your firm's desire to participate in a 30-minute one-on-one session which will be scheduled on 16 Sep 2015 between 12:00pm and 5:00pm or on 17 Sep 2015 between 8:00am to 12:00pm. Your company's POC will be notified of your scheduled one-on-one discussion with members of the Government's integrated project team. The one-on-one sessions will be held in person and/or via telecon. CCTT TECHNICAL DATA compact disc: During the industry day, the Government intends to make available a data CD containing CCTT Technical Data Supporting the M3 and the Post Development Software Support (PDSS) efforts. All contractors requesting these materials must be cleared DOD contractors by the Defense Security Services (DSS), if foreign ownership, controlled or influenced (FOCI) companies, you must provide a copy of the appropriate DSP-5 license agreement from the U.S. States department before dissemination can be made. If you would like the data CD containing CCTT Technical Data Supporting M3/PDSS, provide your company name, CAGE code, company address associated with CAGE code, DUNS number as well as the applicable documentation regarding foreign ownership, controlled or influenced (FOCI) companies. Submit required information to the Contracts point of contact (POC) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 4 Sep 2015. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The CCTT system consists of computer-driven, manned module (MM) simulators replicating the vehicles found in close combat units such as the M1 Abrams Tank, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV), Bradley Fire Support Team Vehicle (BFIST), Reconfigurable Vehicle Simulator (RVS), and the High Mobility, Multipurpose, Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Semi-Automated Forces (SAF) populate the battlefield and function through emulators to work interactively with the manned modules. These simulators and SAFs are connected via a local area network to provide real-time, fully interactive collective task training on computer generated terrain. The CCTT system provides a collective training environment where units conduct multiple platoon level training events or company and team collective training up to battalion task force level. OVERVIEW: The CCTT modernization will result in a current, sustainable hardware and software system, based on relevant computing technologies and design approaches, while meeting all existing functional requirements. The overriding goal of this effort is to increase sustainability, reduce the hardware footprint, diminish complexity, improve cybersecurity, and prepare the system for any future Army simulation architectures. Mature but modern commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software technologies must be considered for the solution. Many constraints imposed by legacy CCTT architectures and implementations should be ignored for the purposes of this modernization. The only legacy system constraints that will not be altered are: the utilization of Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) protocol as the backbone protocol for subsystem to subsystem communication; the utilization of OneSAF as the Semi-Automated Forces (SAF)/Computer Generated Forces (CGF); and the utilization of the OneSAF Environment Runtime Component (ERC) Services as the basis of manned module terrain reasoning. Any solutions that meet the stated goals of this effort will be considered. The following identifies the business areas for which the requirements apply: *Systems architecture design, engineering, and modeling activities supporting development and maintenance *Cybersecurity *Image Generators Hardware *Image Generators Real Time Software *Virtualization and Cloud computing technologies (to include thin/zero clients) *Digital Display Devices *Analog and digital Input/Output (I/O) *Service oriented architecture *Web Services and HTML5 interface development *User Interface design and implementation *Software and Hardware deployment The specific objectives in each area fall under three major categories: --Manned Module (MM) Development-- PEO STRI is seeking to understand current and emerging methods/technologies with the intent to modernize the I/O subsystem, reduce hardware footprint, decrease maintenance cost, and provide a platform capable of supporting future Army capabilities. Consider the CCTT Manned Module as a basic I/O interface between the Soldier and the virtual simulation. Analog and digital input is transmitted, ingested, and interpreted by the software, which in turn provides feedback to all users. This RFI seeks information that will provide CCTT with a solution for a new generic I/O processing subsystem that can replace the current CCTT I/O subsystem. As a part of the I/O solution, provide input on the development of a service based manned module Application Program Interface (API) that will support existing CCTT requirements and enable rapid integration into emerging Army simulation architectures. Discuss methods to host existing software applications in a streamlined platform. CCTT would like to decrease the current CCTT maintenance cost. Offer suggestions or information that can provide guidance for reduced maintenance personnel, increased ease of use, a longer mean time between failures (MTBF) and a better use of commodity Information Technology (IT) assets to enable rapid repair and/or replacement. Provide and explain concepts that demonstrate potential reduction in the current CCTT MM footprint. These must satisfy the current requirements and address scalability for future needs. --System Infrastructure Development-- PEO STRI is seeking information about current technologies with the goals of reducing hardware footprint, increasing system flexibility, reducing time spent on software maintenance, improving the quality and preservation of cybersecurity and improving end user usability in the CCTT infrastructure. This infrastructure includes the applications, workstations, servers, and networks used by site personnel to conduct training in CCTT. Many CCTT software components run on similar or identical computer hardware and operating systems. Examples include the Master Control Console (MCC), SAF, CGF, and Leaders Digital Workstation (LDWS). These commonalities provide opportunities to consolidate and simplify the architecture. CCTT seeks to implement more flexible workstation environments to allow for multi-purpose use. This can include, based on your design, updates to the User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX) to support multiple applications and greater productivity. As these items are considered, discuss how the existing CCTT applications might be modified or replaced to streamline the infrastructure, reduce long term software maintenance, and enable enhanced connectivity with external systems. The government is also requesting any information on recommended hardware and/or software enhancements to improve the CCTT Systems infrastructure to support overall system vision. New elements may include workstations, thin or zero clients, server class hardware, and various network capabilities. --Visual Development-- PEO STRI is seeking a modernization of the CCTT visual subsystem. Over the years, various visual components have accumulated into a system that is increasingly incompatible with developing graphics technologies. Our goal is to update and streamline these components with the objectives of increasing performance, reducing hardware footprint, consolidating video transmission standards, and decreasing hardware and software maintenance requirements. This new visual subsystem architecture will support the incorporation of local and remote cloud-based rendering technologies. Possibilities include multiple Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) servers, GPU virtualization, network distribution of video feeds, and thin/zero clients. As software technologies are incorporated into the overall CCTT infrastructure, the new visual architecture must support the overall system vision. As part of the design, new video distribution methods should also be considered. The distribution system must be compatible with all accepted Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) standards. The intent is to enable the rapid selection and deployment of standard COTS displays without undergoing a complex qualification process. ADDITIONAL RESPONSES/REQUIREMENTS: 1. What recent relevant performance (past five (5) years) and/or current work experience does your company have performing a program of this type, complexity, and of a similar nature? Please indicate whether or not you were a prime contractor. Please describe your effort and role. 2. Describe your company's understanding of cloud-based technologies supporting multi-location distributed systems, and provide an example of a capability that you've developed that highlights this knowledge. 3. For the CCTT Manned Modules, discuss current or emerging I/O technologies that meet the stated goals. Review potential benefits of implementing each technology described. 4. Discuss a high level API design that allows for integration of each CCTT module into a cloud or web based system. Describe any relevant experience with this type of development. 5. Suggest infrastructure improvements that reduce the total computer count and hardware footprint in CCTT. Describe any relevant experience with the recommended implementation. 6. Present potential improvements to the existing CCTT user interface that support a cloud or web based system, reduce maintenance costs, and/or increase operator productivity. 7. For the visual subsystem, provide information on emerging GPU technologies that minimize the amount of hardware required to generate the concurrent real-time rendered views found in the CCTT manned modules. 8. Recommend display technologies and video distribution methods suited to meet CCTT visual requirements while reducing hardware and maintenance costs. Consider support for network video distribution. 9. Discuss any emerging graphics software capabilities that could be applied to CCTT requirements to improve overall visual fidelity. 10. Describe your company's understanding and experience with Cybersecurity. This program has Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) requirements. Explain your ability to maintain/meet current IAVM requirements. INFORMATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: All capability statements sent in response to this Request for Information must be submitted electronically (via email) to the Contract Specialist identified below. Response shall include documentation of technical expertise and capability in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. It is imperative that business concerns responding to this Request for Information articulate their capabilities clearly and adequately. 1. Only email submission will be accepted. 2. Use MSOffice 2013 compatible (.xlsx,.docx or.pptx) or Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro (.pdf) formats. 3. Classified material will not be accepted. 4. Material samples will not be accepted. 5. Information papers may be submitted in a White Paper Format and will count towards the total number of pages allowed. The cover sheet shall include the following company information: name, address, URL, POC name and email address, Commercial Government Entity (CAGE) code number, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, business type and size, and a statement if your firm is or is not foreign owned, foreign controlled, or has foreign influence. 6. Limit responses to 10 pages of technical content, including graphs/charts or pictures. The cover sheet and a single page of general corporate information, including past performance and key personnel, are not included in the 10 page limit. 7. Minimum acceptable font size is 12 Times Roman. 8. All documents should be typed in single space, single sided pages. 9. The deadline for submitting capability statements is 4:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 16 Oct 2015. All email responses shall be sent to: graham.k.oliff.civ@mail.mil. CONFIDENTIALITY: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary information in any resultant solicitation(s). DISCLAIMER: This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this notice is strictly voluntary and will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this notice or the Government use of such information. This Request for Information is not tied to any current request for proposals (RFP). Not responding to this notification does not preclude participation in any future RFP or other solicitation, if any is issued. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice. Feedback and/or evaluation information will not be provided to any firm regarding their individual capability statements.
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