HQ Electronic Systems Center, JTIDS Contracting Division (TDK) 175 Vandenberg Drive, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2138

58 -- JOINT TACTICAL INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (JTIDS) JOINT GENERIC INTEGRATION (JGI) POC Paul E. Canham, Contracting Officer, 617-377-9317; Greg Chiasson, Contract Negotiator, 617-377-9305. HQ Electronic Systems Center announces a requirement for the rapid development of a Joint Tactical Information Distribution Systems (JTIDS) Generic Integration (JGI) prototype, to be developed during Fiscal Years 1996. One of the biggest cost drivers for JTIDS customers has been, and continues to be, the integration of JTIDS into host platforms. This applies to integration into existing and new platforms. Each platform type tends to be unique in terms of hardware, software and interface, inevitably resulting in a costly ''start from square one again'' implementation. In addition to lengthy time scales for these ''square one'' developments, numerous interoperability problems, intensive testing, and integration costs many times the price of the terminal, thwart the JTIDS Program Office's vision of Link 16 Proliferation. For these reasons, methods of reducing the time/costs of JTIDS terminal to host integration are being investigated. ESC has identified Welicus' Link Integration Test Environment (LITE), TADIL Remote Translator (TRT) and Dictionary And Message Specification Language (DAMSL) as Non Developmental Item (NDI) software technology to leverage for use as foundations for the prototype. The prototype will establish commercial open system compliance and maximize use of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) applications, specifically Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), on the JTIDS)-host interface. Additionally, the JGI prototype will establish a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) interface to any JTIDS terminal type. This will allow JTIDS host applications to use standard Local Area Network/Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) protocols and applications to communicate with the terminal. In its initial configuration, the JGI prototype will establish a JTIDS proxy agent application that will demonstrate the following capabilities: 1) Allow COTS SNMP Manager applications (e.g. HP Openview, SNMPc, etc.) to monitor, control and perform housekeeping functions on any type of JTIDS terminal, 2) Allow all TADIL J traffic with the terminal to be transmitted to any JTIDS host with LAN/WAN connectivity via a TCP/IP server function using a ''draft'' LAN message set, 3) Use the LITE, Motif and X-windows for display and interaction with the operation of TADIL J traffic to show any host with LAN connectivity could use the terminal, 4) Demonstrate the use of DAMSL as an Application Program Interface for TADILs and its ability to separate JTIDS host applications from the need for software changes when changes occur in the TADIL J message catalog, the terminal Interface Control Documents, or even the terminal type. The JGI prototype will also demonstrate the DAMSL capability is applicable to any data link type (TADIL A, B, C, PADIL, etc.) and it concerns itself not only with the data link's message formats, but also with the rules for message buffering, translation, and forwarding. Once the open system aspects of the JGI prototype are established, an objective of the JGI prototype will be to demonstrate how these capabilities can be exploited by JTIDS host integration programs to reduce costs. Reduction of integration costs, made available to as many platforms as possible, as quickly as possible, requires ESC start with NDI software. Development of a similar non-NDI capability is not consistent with ESC's schedule, which may include partial prototype demonstration in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 1996. On the basis of the above, ESC intends to issue a Request for Proposal to only Welicus. The statutory authority to do so is 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (1), which states ''only a limited number of responsible sources and no other supplies will satisfy the requirements''. However, if a firm believes it can meet the JGI prototype development requirements, then submit a qualification package not to exceed fifteen (15) pages that clearly indicates your: (a) Existing NDI client-server data processing product or product line that provides for the interconnection, reception, processing, storage, transmission and display of real time data derived from multiple, concurrent interfaces with diverse military tactical communications systems. Important aspects of the firm's software product that must be met as an NDI are listed below. 1. Typical military standard interfaces for the communication systems that must be supported by the NDI product are MIL STD 1553B, 188-203-1A, 188-203-2, 188-203-3, and X.25/X.21. From one to ten of these interfaces must be supported concurrently. Additional communication system interface types, modifications to existing interface type specifications, and/or the deletion of any interface type must be accommodated by the real time message processing system without modification or recompilation of any application source code. 2. The data processing software must accommodate any and all versions of the message format used by these physical interfaces for the exchange of data and any additions, changes or deletions to the message format must be accommodated without modification or recompilation of any application source code. 3. The data processing software must accommodate all versions of the message formats used by any intermediary protocol layers and any additions, changes or deletions to these intermediary protocol message formats must be accommodated without modification or recompilation of any application source code. Intermediary protocol layers are any protocol entities between a physical interface and the application software interface that are supported or required by the physical interface. 4. The data processing software must accommodate all versions of the message formats used by the application layer software of the protocol stack supported by the physical interface and any additions, changes or deletions to these message formats must be accommodated without modification or recompilation of any source code. 5. The data processing software must interconnect the MIL STD communications system and act as a server application to provide data derived from the MIL STD systems to client applications that reside on an Internet Protocol (IP) routable subnetwork or LAN. The data processing software must use Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) for all communications on the IP network that involves the transport of operational data derived from the MIL STD communications systems interfaced. 6. The data processing software must accommodate the use of one or more Simple Network Management Protocol Management Stations in order to monitor and control each MIL STD communications system with which it interfaces. 7. The data processing system must accommodate the incorporation of SNMP agents and proxy agents with which the SNMP Management Station will inter-operate to exercise control over the communication system interfaces. (b) Ability to provide source code, design documentation, software programmers manual, (c) Capability in meeting a delivery schedule beginning with a portion of the prototype to support ESC demonstration to Department of Defense users in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 1996, and completion of all prototype tasks no later than September 1996. (d) Certification to handle U.S. Government documents up to the CONFIDENTIAL level and facilities and procedures for safeguarding these documents in any media form. In addition to the above package, and prior to a full competition decision, responding firms may be asked to perform a demonstration at their site, to ESC's satisfaction, of possessed NDI software, which meets the requirements above. Please submit your qualification package no later than fifteen (15) days from the date of this CBD publication. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the program director or contracting officer, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Colonel Claude E. Messamore at (617) 377-5106. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have been previously brought to the attention of the program manager and/or the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only, does not constitute a solicitation, and shall not be construed as a committment by the Government. Two copies of your qualification information package are required. The Government will solicit those firms meeting the screening criteria in this synopsis. Sources deemed qualified will receive an RFP. Any firm judged not qualified will be provided a copy of the solicitation on request and any proposal that a firm might submit will be evaluated without prejudice. All responses will reviewed/evaluated and respondents will be notified of the results. Please address any questions to Mr Greg Chiasson at (617) 377-9305. or Mr Paul Canham at (617) 377-9317. See Numbered Note(s): 25. (0228)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0313 19950817\58-0015.SOL)