Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, 4301 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92110-3127

D -- C-BAND SATELLITE SPACE SEGMENT FOR U.S. NAVY SHIPS SOL N00039-99-R-3210 POC Kim Tu, (619) 524-7182; or David Bodner, (619) 524-7193 WEB: click here to view the SPAWAR headquarter Business, http://agena.spawar.navy.mil/command/02/acq/navbusopor.nsf. E-MAIL: click here to contact the contract specialist via, tuk@spawar.navy.mil. SPAWAR intends to award a sole source contract to COMSAT Government Systems, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland for C-band space segment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and terrestrial services for the Navy Commercial Wideband Satellite Program (CWSP), Challenge Athena, a Command and Control/Communications system. The estimated value of this fixed priced contract is 5.8 million per year plus 4 option years for a total of $29 million. This acquisition will provide a communications channel at rates up to 24 Million bits per second (Mbps) for US Navy ships operating in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. The contractor will furnish end-to-end connectivity including a commercially leased space segment, a terrestrial gateway, and communications circuits between the gateway and NCTAMSLANT, Norfolk Virginia. The space segment will consist initially of 5 C-band transponders with global coverage on INTELSAT IS-510 or a follow-on satellite located at 33 east longitude. The Navy will abandon its current capacity on IS-707 at 359 east Longitude for improved coverage, capacity, and cost on IS-510. The terrestrial gateway will consist of an 11-meter antenna located within Europe in the global footprint coverage of IS-510. The terrestrial communications circuits will consist initially of 4 leased lines between the gateway and NCTAMSLANT. The leased lines will operate at a nominal rate of T1 or 1.544 Mbps. Each T1 will be capable of operating with 4 split aggregates of N x 64 Kbps using GFE multiplexers or CSU/DSU's. No other space segment of comparable capability is known by SPAWAR to exist. COMSAT has secured a First Right of Refusal (FRR) on 5 global transponders on IS-510. COMSAT approached and secured with INTELSAT an agreement to operate IS-510 with an inclined orbit. This acquisition is time-sensitive. Responses to this announcement should be addressed, in writing, to either of the points of contact shown above. Information received prior to 15 March 1999 will be considered. Note: 22 Posted 02/23/99 (W-SN301606). (0054)

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