Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF OCTOBER 29, 2016 FBO #5454
SPECIAL NOTICE

59 -- Request for Information (RFI) for Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Pathfinder #3 (PF#3), Military Satellite Communications Systems (MC) Directorate

Notice Date

10/27/2016
 

Notice Type

Special Notice
 

NAICS

334220 — Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing
 

Contracting Office

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC - Space and Missile Systems Center, 483 North Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, California, 90245-2808
 

ZIP Code

90245-2808
 

Solicitation Number

FA8808-17-R-0002
 

Archive Date

12/3/2016
 

Point of Contact

Shane Manuel, Phone: 3106539294
 

E-Mail Address

shane.manuel.1@us.af.mil
(shane.manuel.1@us.af.mil)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Military Satellite Communications Systems (MILSATCOM) Directorate (MC), Los Angeles Air Force Base, California hereby issues the following Request for Information (RFI). 1.0 Introduction: The United States Government (USG) is pursuing a series of five (5) Pathfinders in support of future Commercial Satellite Communication (COMSATCOM) procurements supporting Department of Defense (DoD) operations. The COMSATCOM Pathfinder series is developing the business and technical capabilities necessary for the USG to more effectively access available satellite communication (SATCOM) resources for the warfighter worldwide. The COMSATCOM Pathfinder series will demonstrate a new paradigm of procuring pre-launch transponder(s) to influence Industry to add desired military capabilities to future COMSATCOM systems while working with the COMSATCOM service provider to access their constellation. Likewise, starting with PF #3 the government is introducing the concept of pooled ground which is defined below. When referencing "ground" throughout this Request for Information (RFI), the USG is referring to a teleport, hub, and backhaul network. Pathfinder #1 (PF #1) demonstrated the business practice of purchasing COMSATCOM with the procurement of two Ku-band transponders over Africa. Although PF #1 achieved its goals for affordability, the purchased transponders were limited in coverage area and diversity of user base due to limited ground entry point access. Pathfinder #2 (PF #2) will procure pre-launch transponders to maximize affordability and influence future COMSATCOM systems while working with the COMSATCOM service provider to access their constellation. PF #3 will build upon the PF #2 strategy by replicating the concept in an Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) region. Additionally PF #3 will address the ground issue seen in PF #1 by including a ground segment able to support the satellite pooled bandwidth across the contracted region or Reference Coverage Area (RCA). 2.0 COMSATCOM PF #3: PF #3 will be a competitive acquisition with the procurement of one or more pre-launch, offeror-selected transponders. The USG will then work with the COMSATCOM service provider to access their constellation, which will provide OCONUS coverage to a defined RCA. This process will demonstrate continued investment based affordability techniques and radically improve coverage flexibility by providing access to pooled portable bandwidth across a challenging OCONUS inter-COCOM setting. The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) are collaborating to determine the OCONUS RCA. For the purpose of this RFI, SMC will bound the RCA to European Command (EUCOM), Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Central Command (CENTCOM) regions or potentially a combination of these COCOMs. This RCA is subject to change and will be defined further in future requests. In addition, the USG is exploring alternatives to accessing ground segment capacity through either: 1) the procurement of antennas, 2) acquiring teleport RF and ground network capacity pooling, 3) managed services, or 4) other options deemed feasible by Industry. The intent is to demonstrate the process of procuring ground segment assets as part of a series of risk mitigation steps towards a pooled portable ground segment. These steps are as follows: 2.1 Investment Approach: The procurement of an offeror-selected satellite transponder(s) and/or ground assets afford multiple purposes. The approach demonstrates a long term investment within a constellation or RCA, provides a platform for transponder component demonstration, provides a commercial capability for pooled global bandwidth across a service provider's constellation, and provides a supporting ground segment in the coverage area to efficiently use acquired bandwidth. 2.2 Acquiring Bandwidth/Capacity Phase: The primary goal of PF #3 is to achieve affordability and flexibility of COMSATCOM for the USG. The Air Force will purchase one or more pre-launch transponders and work with the COMSATCOM service provider to access their bandwidth pool. A similar process (by procuring ground assets) will take place for the ground segment contingent within the Offeror's coverage area. Portions of the pool will then be requested, and provided as availability dictates to users throughout the RCA. 2.3 Execution of Bandwidth Allocation: Once the contract is awarded, USSTRATCOM will manage the satellite bandwidth and ground segment assets, and determine which users will have access to the bandwidth/capacity. The government is looking for provider/operator support/input for PF #3 to enable this rapid change in satellite connectivity for a given user. 2.4 Enhancements: The USG implemented CNSSP-12 compliance and anti-burnout enhancements as a requirement for PF #2 with the goal to influence Industry to include these enhancements on future satellites. For PF #3, the USG is encouraging Industry to provide recommendations on other potential enhancements that would be applicable to meet military needs. 3.0 Pooled Portable Satellite Bandwidth: The Total Bandwidth Pool consists of the sum of a Reserved Bandwidth Pool and a Subject to Availability (STA) Bandwidth Pool. The Reserved Bandwidth Pool is dedicated to the USG for the contract Period of Performance (PoP), where the RCA is a subset of OCONUS (defined in section 2.0). The STA Bandwidth Pool is bandwidth that is allocated to the USG on an as-needed and as-available basis over the Offeror's constellation. The amount (in MHz-Months) of the Total Bandwidth Pool is determined by the Offeror. The Total Bandwidth Pool size will most likely be based on each Offeror's unique business case and strategy. The Reserved Bandwidth Pool, in MHz-Months, will be fixed over the contractual period and will expire at the end of that period. The STA Bandwidth Pool will have a starting balance of exactly 1500 MHz-Months, with usable bandwidth as defined by typical commercial specifications and performance. As the USG utilizes the available COMSATCOM services from the Offeror, the balance of the STA Bandwidth Pool will be drawn down on a per use basis. COMSATCOM services via STA bandwidth will be available to the USG until either the contract PoP expires or the balance of the STA Bandwidth Pool is zero. 4.0 Pooled Portable Ground Segment: To prevent limitations for pooled portable satellite bandwidth, PF #3 is expanding from a satellite centric approach to incorporating a pooled portable ground segment that will support warfighters with ground entry point of access. For example, if a warfighter requests satellite access in Afghanistan, the service provider may report they have available satellite bandwidth and provides the warfighter access. However, there may be an inability to provide that service if there is no ground to communicate with that warfighter. One approach is to treat ground in a similar fashion as the on-orbit transponders so as to pool ground capacity in parity with an equivalent ground asset (like an antenna). Another approach is to extend the definition of a portable pool of capability to include satellite and ground connectivity. There are several challenges the USG foresees with either approach. First, achieving parity based on the purchase of a ground asset is less understood than a transponder exchange on a satellite. Second, extending the definition of a portable pool of satellite capability to a portable pool of ground capability for end-to-end capacity is less understood for ground assets. Third, the ground might have the necessary capacity for the requested connectivity (link), but the probability of that ground having a modem that is compatible with the warfighter's modem is negligible, unless pre-planned. Fourth, the data will be routed from the USG networks (e.g., Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) to the warfighter, and the request for this network connectivity (e.g. commercial/USG network peering points, commercial portion of the network capacity) is unknown until the specific satellite access is requested. This would require the compatible ground segment (including apertures, RF equipment, modems, network devices, terrestrial transport, etc.) to be reserved for all possible satellite links and provisioned in near real time. Expanding a pooled portable ground segment across an OCONUS region will likely create additional challenges. The USG is seeking Industry's input on how to create a pooled portable ground approach. 5.0 Questions for Industry: The USAF requests specific feedback to several questions regarding the proposed pooled portable satellite bandwidth concept and a pooled portable ground segment. 5.1 Pooled Portable Satellite Bandwidth: 5.1.1 - What feedback does Industry have on the advantages/disadvantages regarding the type of band for the transponder(s)? 5.1.1.1 - What launches does Industry have planned for the next two to six year time frame? 5.1.2 - Can Industry provide a reasonable (>36 MHz-Month average) amount of Reserved bandwidth within the satellite RCA identified in Section 2.0? 5.1.3 - Does the STA pool with a total value of 1500 MHz-Month seem reasonable to Industry? If not, why? 5.1.3.1 - Is the ratio of Reserved to STA bandwidth a factor in the pricing of the STA capacity? 5.1.3.2 - How would Industry recommend exercising the portability of the Reserved Pool as well as surging in the STA Pool? 5.1.3.3 - Are there business models that would incentivize Industry to be responsive to the portability and surge needed for warfighting requirements? If so, describe those business models. 5.1.3.4 - What would the process look like for managing the provisioning of bandwidth onto a transponder that would be part of the STA process? 5.1.4 - How would COMSATCOM service providers address the process for determining bandwidth, Power Equivalent Bandwidth, Location, Gain over Temperature, and the relevancy of these parameters in determining the value of pooled bandwidth? 5.1.5 - As part of the pooling concept, the USG would like to have users access multiple in-view satellites within a provider's constellation. What ideas does Industry have on how to approach the movement between satellites using existing/enhanced capability inherent in the operator's current infrastructure? 5.1.6 - What alternative deal structures or lessons learned from PF #2 would Industry recommend in order to meet PF #3 objectives? 5.2 Technology Enhancements 5.2.1 - What satellite or ground enhancements would Industry recommend to meet the military's satellite communications needs? 5.2.1.1 - For those recommendations what are Industry's budget estimates or Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) to implement? 5.2.2.2 - What issues does Industry foresee with encryption technologies from a satellite and ground perspective? 5.3 Pooled Portable Ground Segment: 5.3.1 - Is it possible to pool ground capacity in support of your or other provider's space bandwidth based on the approaches (or others) outlined in the sections above? If so, how? 5.3.2 - What challenges can the USG expect to face in implementing a pooled portable ground segment? 5.3.3 - Is it possible to pool the network backhaul to the closest DoDIN entry point? If so, how? 5.3.4 - Does Industry support USG services today that are routed to the DoDIN? If so, how are those services implemented? 5.3.5 - What would Industry recommend as the process for managing pooled portable ground? 5.3.6 - In reference to the third challenge in Section 4.0 above, what recommendations does Industry have on how a modem pool could be created for Pathfinder #3, and beyond? 5.3.7 - The COMSATCOM Pathfinder vision is supporting the warfighter's connection on a minute-by-minute basis. How would Industry propose optimally pooling ground bandwidth towards this goal? How, as described above, can Industry enhance the user's access to this bandwidth (PF#3 only) through the use of existing command and monitoring capability? 5.3.8 - Can Industry provide the type of modems being used at teleports in the RCA? 5.3.8.1 - Are these modems always in use or can they be shared over time? 5.3.9 - What kind of International challenges such as policies, regulations, Host Nation Agreements etc. can the USG expect to see? 5.3.10 - What are the overall security requirements for a pooled portable ground segment? 5.3.10.1-Does Industry implement Risk Management Framework (RMF) controls? If so, how? 5.3.11 - What overall feedback does Industry have on the approach to incorporate a pooled portable ground segment? 6.0 Small Business Consideration: The NAICS code for this project is 334220 - Satellite Communications Equipment Manufacturing. The Applicable Classification Code is "59- Electrical and Electronic Components". The small business size standard is 1,250 employees. Small Businesses with the capability to perform this requirement are encouraged to participate. If you are interested only in subcontracting opportunities please indicate this fact clearly in your submission. If you have an alternate NAICS code that you believe is applicable to this request, please indicate this in your response. 7.0 White Paper Classification: Respondents shall provide an unclassified response to this RFI. If the respondents wish for their responses to be treated as proprietary, then the respondents shall indicate whether their responses contain proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted must be clearly and separately identified and marked 8.0 White Paper Format: Responses shall not exceed 15 pages. The USG will not consider pages in excess of 15 pages. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11; text font size shall be no smaller than 11pt; font size within graphics and tables shall be no smaller than 8 pt. The White Paper transmittal letter, cover page, and table of contents will not count against the page limit. The USG will not accept company literature or marketing materials in response to this RFI. 9.0 Industry Engagement: If Industry has questions prior to preparing the White Paper, or would like to discuss additional information with the Government, please contact Lt Bill Pena Mejia to schedule a date and time for a one-on-one teleconference. Failure to respond to this RFI does not preclude proposal submittal or Industry Day participation if a formal acquisition is announced. 10.0 Response Due Date: 1600 PST, 14 November 2016. 11.0 Submission Instructions: Submit an electronic copy in either PDF format or Microsoft Word format to Lt Bill Pena Mejia, at bill.pena_mejia.2@us.af.mil by the Response Due Date. 12.0 Questions: All communication associated with this RFI shall be submitted via email to Lt Bill Pena Mejia, at bill.pena_mejia.2@us.af.mil. 13.0 Points of Contact: 13.1 Program Manager: Lt Bill Pena Mejia, bill.pena_mejia.2@us.af.mil or (310) 653-9361 13.2 Contracting: Ms. Angela Walker, angela.walker.15@us.af.mil or (310) 653-9664 14.0 DECLARATION: The participants in review and evaluation of the responses may include the Government, Federally Funded Research and Development Center personnel (FFRDC) (Aerospace Corp, MITRE Corp, and MIT/LL), and Systems Engineering Technical Assistance (SETA) contractors (Tecolote Research Inc., LinQuest Corp., and SupInf Technologies, LLC). This synopsis is not a formal solicitation. The USG does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this synopsis, or to otherwise pay for the information solicited herein. Responses will be used by the USG for informational purposes only as part of its acquisition planning. Information obtained from responses to this RFI will not be used to exclude potential future bidders on the COMSATCOM PF #3 acquisition.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFSC/SMCSMSC/FA8808-17-R-0002/listing.html)
 

Place of Performance

Address: Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, 90245, United States

Zip Code: 90245
 

Record

SN04314420-W 20161029/161027234311-b5bfbf18706de646cb955cf4f1a4f72a (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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