COMMUNICATIONS AND SITUATION AWARENESS SYSTEM FOR SMALL UNIT OPERATIONS (PHASE 2) SOL MDA972-98-R-0004 DUE 980417 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking innovative proposals that employ highly advanced communications, geolocation, communications networking and situation awareness technologies to develop and demonstrate a communications and situation awareness system that would support the DARPA Small Unit Operations (SUO) program. All offerors are required to refer to the DARPA SUO Situation Awareness System (SAS) Phase 2 Solicitation Process Document (SPD) and the SUO SAS System Capabilities Document (SCD) for a complete description of the overall SUO program objectives and the requirements for submitting your proposal. These documents and other useful information related to the DARPA SUO SAS program can be downloaded from the DARPA/TTO SUO website (http://web-ext2.darpa.mil/tto/sas-docs.htm). PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the SUO SAS program is to develop a communications and situation awareness system for tactical ad hoc connectivity among widely dispersed dismounted (occasionally supported with tactical vehicles) maneuvering individual warfighters operating in highly restrictive rf propagation environments. The system will incorporate capabilities for robust highly reliable secure communications (low probability of detection, low probability of interception, low probability of exploitation and high jamming resistance), position determination, navigation, organic sensors and their tasking/control, and situation awareness while inside and/or adjacent to buildings, tunnels and other urban structures, caves, mountainsides, natural overhangs, and under double canopy foliage. The information must be delivered reliably and in a timely manner. In addition, the SAS will provide individual warfighters, team leaders, and other leaders up to the battalion headquarters, with the appropriate level of tactical planning, tasking, and controlling capabilities through software applications resident within the SAS. DARPA expects to see applications that are tailored to the individual warfighter's role and mission. The basic system will be designed to support deployments of 1 -- 70 small teams of 8 -- 30 warfighters each operating over an area of approximately 200 x 200 km (40,000 sq km). This should be accomplished with minimal installed infrastructure. The SAS should have the capability of scaling upward to support larger teams and forces and larger areas of coverage. SAS DESCRIPTION: DARPA envisions four major physical components to the SAS. These are the Individual Warfighter System (IWS), the Warfighter's Tactical Associate (WTA), Relay/Router/Beacons, and Tactical Sensors. (1) The IWS is envisioned as being worn by the individual warfighter and having severe weight constraints (1 kg w/o power source) and power consumption constraints (0.5 kg/day). It will provide the individual warfighter's primary means of communicating with his peers, and with lower and higher echelons. Human factors will be an extremely important attribute in designing this device. The IWS will need to incorporate some degree of message routing capability. It will most likely require a simple display, suitable for the individual warfighter, that provides information in a manner that complements the performance of the mission and is non-interfering. Primary communications will be centered on reporting and receiving geolocation data, orders, calls for fire, and voice communications. Freeze frame images and motion imagery use is expected to occur infrequently. Where appropriate and feasible, the IWS should be compatible with Land Warrior subsystems. The IWS is not a substitute for the entire Land Warrior system. It is intended to greatly expand the communications, navigation, and situation awareness capabilities of the Land Warrior system, and to allow it to operate in restrictive environments. Affordability is an important objective, particularly for the IWS. DARPA has a production price objective of $5,000 (FY98 $) per IWS when procured in quantities of 5,000. (2) The WTA provides greater processing power, router/server network services, more powerful communications, and hosts the SAS database and data correlation engine. The WTA might come in several varieties depending upon the contractor's system design and upon the role and mission of the user. For example, a man-portable version might be used, while another version might be installed in a vehicle and operated using vehicle power. Another version might be configured to be air-deployed and another base station version might be located at the battalion headquarters. The WTA will incorporate capabilities for receiving, displaying, storing, fusing, and disseminating battlespace intelligence information by way of freeze frame and motion imagery; text reports, alerts and orders; maps and map symbology; and secondary sensor data. (3) The SAS Relays/Routers/Servers will provide additional communications/geolocation range and connectivity when military operations permit their use. These relay/router/servers may come in a variety of sizes, power consumption, and capabilities. For example, an extremely small and inexpensive attritable (or recoverable) relay might be used to enhance communications during a foray into a building or tunnel. Large quantities of these might be needed to leave a communications trail. Air dropped, self-installing, autonomously operating relays that are powered by self-contained power sources may also be used. (4) Tactical Sensors will provide the dismounted warrior with an organic capability to detect threats and incorporate the information into the SAS for appropriate response. Offerors should propose to purchase and integrate existing tactical sensors or developmental sensors, and/or integrate their own tactical sensors. SAS INTERFACE INFORMATION: SAS contractors will need to interface the SAS with internal SUO organic sensors (acoustics, video, magnetometer, etc.) and algorithms that are currently under development by DARPA and other sources. We expect the SAS contractor to coordinate with these sensor contractors and to provide sufficient quantities of the sensors to demonstrate their integration with the SAS at the Phase 3 field demonstration. This means that the SAS contractors must design the interface with these sensors in Phase 2, and budget for, and procure them in Phase 3 for the field demonstration. In addition, the SAS will need to interface with other sensor and data sources that are external to the SAS but that have the capability of providing important information to the SAS equipped warfighter. These are sensor data sources such as BADD, JSTARS, Global Hawk and Predator, as well as electronic intelligence sensors. We expect the SAS contractors to include connectivity to these platforms and devices, and to incorporate their tailored data into the SAS. In addition, the SAS must be capable of interfacing with legacy Army and Marine Corps communications equipment, particularly SINCGARS. Offerors should also ensure that their IWS is compatible, where appropriate and feasible, with Land Warrior subsystems. TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES: The objective is to develop and demonstrate highly innovative, new technology that is critical to the SUO mission. The critical technical objectives in approximate rank order of importance are: (1) Development of the IWS transceiver and waveforms, (2) Development of the SUO communications network (protocols and ground relays), (3) Development of the IWS geolocation subsystem, (4) Development of WTA/IWS functionality that would enable the unit to detect, identify and track all non-friendly forces within a ten minute bubble surrounding the unit, and (5) Development of WTA/IWS software that would enable dispersed units to plan, monitor and coordinate actions. To enable balanced technical trades, a system is being built. It is not the objective to best integrate existing technology to meet all the SUO goals. The emphasis on development of the mobile WTA should be oriented toward performance rather than ruggedization, miniaturization or low power consumption. However, the mobile WTA hardware should still be capable of being carried and operated by a warfighter to sufficiently demonstrate the SAS concept. The integration and exploitation of existing and future tactical sensors are critical parts of the above goals. The actual development of sensors, automatic target recognition algorithms and other sensor specific related research areas are being pursued by other DARPA programs and are not of high priority to the SUO SAS Program. PROGRAM PLAN: The SUO SAS program has three phases. Phase 1 was managed by DARPA and consisted of a six-month trade study effort that concluded in December 1997. The purpose of this phase was to explore potentially useful technologies and conduct initial trade studies. Five SAS contractor teams were selected to perform this effort. The government has evaluated the results of this effort and has used the information to refine the system objectives presented in the System Capabilities Document (SCD) Version 2.0, which is part of this solicitation. Phase 2 will be managed by DARPA. The objective of Phase 2, under full and open competition, is to conduct technology research and risk reduction. In this phase, SAS contractors will (1) demonstrate key technology areas through lab tests, (2) refine their SAS system concept, (3) completely define their system specification, (4) fully define all external and internal interfaces, (5) refine GFE/I requirements for Phase 3, and (6) refine the production unit price estimate. This phase will last twelve months. Approximately two contractor teams will be selected in a competition open to all offerors. No preference is given to the contractors who participated in Phase 1. DARPA proposes to enter into an other transaction for prototype agreement for resultant awards. Each contractor will be required to enter into a price based flexible performance Agreement with DARPA based on payable milestones. Phase 3 will be managed by DARPA. The objective of Phase 3 is to (1) complete the system detailed design, (2) build, integrate and test the SAS to include its interface with external and legacy systems, (3) further refine the SAS unit price estimate, and (4) successfully demonstrate the system in a field demonstration. This phase will take approximately 27 months to complete and will begin following a down select from the Phase 2 contractors. At the conclusion of Phase 2, each of the Phase 2 contractors will be required to submit a Phase 3 proposal which updates the Phase 2 Agreement to include the Phase 3 effort. SCHEDULE: DARPA's intended schedule for the SAS program is: Phase 2 Proposals Due 04/17/98; Award Agreements -- 5/22/98; Phase 2 Complete/Phase 3 Downselect -- 5/21/99; Phase 3 Complete -- 9/30/01. FUNDING: For Phase 2, DARPA intends to enter into approximately two Agreements of approximately $10 million each. For Phase 3, DARPA intends to continue one Phase 2 contractor through the completion of Phase 3 for approximately $45 million additional funding. DARPA intends to use payable milestones in funding the Phase 2 effort. Offerors may propose their preferred type of Agreement for Phase 3. The government reserves the right to downselect to one contractor at any time during Phase 2 depending upon technical progress and availability of funds. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: This solicitation will remain open until April 17, 1998. Offerors are required to submit an original plus ten (10) copies of their proposal, which must be received by 4:00 p.m. ET, April 17, 1998, at the DARPA address listed below. DARPA anticipates that contractor selections will be made during May 1998. Acknowledgment of receipt of proposals will be made. Submissions will not be returned. Classified appendices to proposals are discouraged unless the offeror believes it to be necessary to properly present the proposed effort. Classified proposal appendices should be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided in the Solicitation Process Document. Proposals may not be submitted by telefax or electronic mail and any so sent will be disregarded. Offerors are required to obtain the SPD and SCD which provides further information on proposal format, page count, the submission process, evaluation and funding processes, technical scope, background information regarding the SUO program, and other useful information. Potential offerors can obtain these required documents and other useful information from the following website (http://web-ext2.darpa.mil/tto/sas-docs.htm). GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government intends to enter into a Section 845 Agreement with the selected contractor teams. This is an "other transaction" pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2371 and Section 845 of the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act (amended). This form of agreement is being used to provide contractors with a maximum amount of flexibility in using innovative commercial business practices to develop and demonstrate the SAS. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION: The preferred method for obtaining the proposal preparation information is by downloading the required documents from the DARPA/TTO SUO website. If the offeror does not have access to the internet, information may obtained by FAX request to (703) 696-2204, attention Dr. Mark McHenry (MDA972-98-R-0004). If the offeror does not have access to either the internet or a FAX machine, written requests may be sent to: MDA972-98-R-0004 INFORMATION, 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714.

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0475 19980313\SP-0008.MSC)