SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- THIS IS A Request for Information (RFI) NOTICE ONLY, and is being used as an instrument to identify potential sources that can provide capabilities related to Synthetic Training Environment (STE) Conceptual Architecture.
- Notice Date
- 10/29/2015
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- Contracting Office
- ACC - Orlando,, 12350 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826-3276
- ZIP Code
- 32826-3276
- Solicitation Number
- W900KK15STEARCH1
- Archive Date
- 10/28/2016
- Point of Contact
- Angela D. Hodges, 407-208-5062
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC - Orlando
(angela.d.hodges2.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS IS A Request for Information (RFI) NOTICE ONLY, and is being used as an instrument to identify potential sources that can provide the capabilities described below. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. PEO STRI has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed and the Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this RFI. All cost associated with this RFI will be solely at the expense of the respondents. Additionally, all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Any information considered proprietary or confidential information shall be clearly marked as such. No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this RFI. Brief Summary: The U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) is conducting market research to determine interested sources and technology capabilities of industry business entities (both large and small) and academia for their participation in the concept definition and development of a Synthetic Training Environment (STE) architecture solution. Since the STE will be composable, it is not a requirement for all portions of the STE architecture to come from a single prime contractor, so please respond even if you feel you can only fulfill a portion or component of the overall solution. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: PEO STRI has a need for a multi-echelon, cognitive, collective training capability delivered from the cloud to the points of need, on demand via operational networks. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Capabilities Manager will provide evolving requirements to PEO STRI. The STE will be a soldier-centric training environment optimizing human performance. It will converge the Virtual, Constructive, and Gaming training capabilities into a single-synthetic environment. The STE will provide a common, collective training capability for the operational, institutional, and self-development training domains across all echelons. The STE will blend virtual, augmented, and physical realities, providing commanders with multiple tailorable capabilities to train operational complexities. It will be capable of operating when network conditions are less than optimal to include disconnected, intermittent and limited bandwidth network conditions. The STE will support train as you fight, commander-driven, unit mission-oriented Decisive Action training in support of Unified Land Operations. The STE will provide intuitive, composable applications and services that enable embedded training with platforms and mission command information systems. This notice is provided to inform industry partners and academia and solicit knowledge of their capabilities to fulfill the requirements and level of interest for a STE program. The Army's strategy for execution of the STE program is to take advantage of emerging technologies available in the commercial market. The STE should include the following characteristics: 1. One single synthetic environment, merging the current Virtual, Constructive, and Gaming training capabilities. 2. Provide one geospatial capability, representing the Earth, land, sea, air space, mega cities, cyber, cultural and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE). 3. Provide distributed collective training capabilities that leverage cloud-enabled technologies. 4. Comprise a modular and extensible (component-based and functionally decomposable) multi-layer software architecture 5. Support scalable and composable scenarios and exercises from Squad to Echelons above Corps with and without Unified Action Partners. 6. Support an open systems architecture responsive to rapid development of training applications by multiple providers. 7. Provide streaming interactive content from the cloud (medium and high fidelity, immersive and semi immersive content) to the points of need. 8. Leverage open source, non-proprietary industry standards and protocols; eliminating the current simulation federations and their protocols. Emphasis should be on leveraging and extending commercial standards where possible. 9. Interact with the Live training environment. 10. Provide exercise and scenario management capabilities. 11. Provide data management capabilities. 12. Provide terrain and model editors. 13. Provide Semi-Automated Forces (SAF)/Artificial Intelligence. 14. Embedded Intelligent Tutors. 15. Provide optimized content for various end devices (e.g., PC, tablets, mobile hand held, zero/thin clients, and head mounted displays). 16. Easy to operate and maintain. 17. Provide rapid and adaptable mission planning capability. 18. Require minimal initialization time. 19. Provide exportable/deployable capabilities. 20. Include content distribution network; load balancing; data repository locations, etc. 21. Support training with Joint, Inter-governmental, Inter-agency, Multinational, and Unified Action Partners. 22. Provide real-time, synchronized content across variable, geographically distributed network conditions/limitations. 23. Minimize software licensing costs. The STE must comply with the following conditions: 1. Comply with the Army Core Data Center Architecture. 2. Comply with the Common Operating Environment (COE) Architecture. 3. Distribute training on operational networks, e.g., Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN); Army Enterprise Network (AEN): Mission Partner Environment; LandWarNet; and tactical networks. 4. Natively interoperable with Mission Command. 5. Interoperable with Live/Common Training Instrumentation Architecture (CTIA), Army Training Information System (ATIS), Enterprise Data Services (EDS), Joint, Coalition capabilities 6. Consist of a single architecture that avoids bridges, gateways, and adaptors. 7. Comply with Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Cyber Security. 8. Provide cross domain connectivity (Secret Internet Protocol Router, Non-secure Internet Protocol Router, and Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System); and Multi-level security (Unclassified, SECRET, SECRET Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals/Governments/Non-US Citizens; SECRET Releasable To, Top Secret; and Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information). 9. Support network Quality of Service (QoS) and Service Level Agreements (SLA). 10. Support Disconnected, Intermittent, and Limited (DIL) network conditions. 11. Provide a software intensive solution with integration of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)/Government off-the-shelf (GOTS) hardware; no custom hardware development. For additional information, download the STE Technology/Industry Day presentation located at: http://www.peostri.army.mil/PAO/events/IndustryDay/FILES/2015_PEOSTRI_STE_Technology_Industry_Day.pdf and refer to the attachment to this RFI with the specific slides pertaining to the STE Architecture presentation. QUESTIONS: Offerors are asked to address the following questions in their responses (offerors need not address every question, only those pertaining to your design): 1. Explain your conceptual design for the STE architecture framework given the desired characteristics and conditions listed above. Describe how the design approach will scale from a first person gaming perspective to a Brigade and above constructive perspective. Describe the conceptual design implementation from cloud to end user devices. Diagrams are encouraged. 2. Describe the role that best fits your company's strengths for developing the STE architecture framework in the collaborative environment. Example roles include: system integrator, capability developer, network service provider, etc. What do you expect from the Government team to support your role? Describe your company's expertise and how it would fit within the STE's architecture goals. 3. Describe the technologies that your company can provide to support the STE architecture: 1) now, 2) five years from now and 3) over five years from now. 4. Describe your current and future Independent Research and Development (IR&D) efforts that could support the STE architecture framework over the next ten years. 5. Describe your approach to leveraging open source, non-proprietary standards and protocols to interface with capabilities to be built on top of the STE architecture framework. Are there any gaps in current standards that need supplementing to support the STE objectives? 6. Describe opportunities to leverage/reuse operational hardware, software, and infrastructure 7. Describe your proposed Application Program Interface (APIs), service standards, tools and technologies. 8. Identify any products (resulting from Small Business Innovative Research (SBIRs)) your company may have delivered with full Government rights relevant to the STE and why it is relevant. 9. Describe your approach for implementing an RMF compliant solution in a distributed (cloud) environment. RESPONSES REQUESTED: Offerors shall submit no more than 16 pages, including the cover sheet, relevant white papers addressing questions outlined above. The cover page shall include company name, address, cage code, points of contact including phone numbers and email addresses, and business size standard. Font size shall be not smaller than industry standard word processor 12-point Arial. All White paper responses may be submitted as a MS Word 2013 document or a portable data format (PDF). All responses shall be submitted via email to angela.d.hodges2.civ@mail.mil and usarmy.orlando.peo-stri.mbx.ste-mail@mail.mil by no later than 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on 11 December 2015. Early submissions are encouraged.
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