Space and Missile Systems Center, MILSATCOM Joint Program Office, 2420 Vela Way, Suite 1467-A8, Los Angeles AFB, CA 90245-4659

A -- A - MILITARY INTEGRATED SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS STUDY SOL PRDA 95-99 DUE 112095 POC Contact: Technical POC Lt Charles Gadda, (310) 336-4752; Buyer: Ms Hayley Philbrick, (310) 336-4748 or Contracting Officer: Mr Joseph Schleifer, (310) 336-4729 Space and Missile Systems Center, MILSATCOM Joint Program Office (SMC/MC) requests proposals for a research study entitled ''Military Integrated Satellite Communications Study.'' This study will augment internal government studies to determine cost effective solutions for meeting future (post 2003) military communication requirements. Future requirements include increased satellite communication services ranging from low speed secure data and voice networks to high data rate video and LAN extension in support of mobile, tactical users. A specific goal of the study is an increased understanding of how 1) emerging commercial communication systems can be used to augment or supplant dedicated military satellite communication systems; 2) emerging commercial satellite system designs could be adapted and/or replicated for use at military frequencies; 3) components, subsystems and segments of current and emerging commercial satellite systems could be used. Leveraging commercial communications systems quantities (satellites, terminals, etc.) to reduce overall SATCOM costs is the primary objective. Military satellite communication systems have been built for meeting general purpose, core (operate through some interference) and hard core (operate under highly stressed jamming and scintillation environment) requirements. The study will focus on how to satisfy the general purpose and core military requirements through use of military systems, commercial systems adapted to military frequencies and/or commercial systems. The hard core requirements will be satisfied with a dedicated military system. The system concepts should address the entire communications system, including the space segment, communication management, network control, spacecraft control, and fixed, transportable, and mobile terminals capable of being interfaced with existing and planned government command, control, and communications systems. Different procurement strategies should be considered to include streamlined development o DOD unique systems, government owned/commercially operated systems and leasing arrangements, military use of commercial systems, and commercial equipment transitioned to military frequencies. The overall objectives of the study are: 1) develop a concept of how planned commercial communication systems can be used by the military, 2) develop a system concept for the military satellite communication system, 3) recommend the most cost effective procurement strategies to minimize system life cycle cost. PROPOSED TASKS: The contractor will be expected to perform the following task(s): Task 1. This task examines how emerging commercial satellite systems/services (commercially owned and operated) can satisfy military SATCOM needs. a. Review the current Government allocation of requirements to different SATCOM segments, including the split between commerical and military SATCOM. The Government will provide a functional requirements document for the military satellite communications requirements. In addition to the requirements allocation, the process used to allocate the requirements will be described. b. Identify and characterize emerging commercial SATCOM systems. Evaluate how well they support the military's requirements in the functional requirements document, including unique needs such as anti-jam, anti-scintillation and unique network configurations such as netted voice. c. For the commercial systems characterized in Task 1.b. with the potential to meet military SATCOM requirements, develop a system concept for utilizing commercial systems that includes end to end communication management, network control and end-user terminals. Determine if the emerging commercial systems are forecasted to have sufficient surge capacity to support a major regional conflict scenario. Identify how these services interface to/complement the systems addressed by Tasks 2 and 3. d. For the system concepts from Task 1.c., determine the usage and terminal costs of the emerging commercial SATCOM systems in satisfying these military SATCOM requirements. Task 2. This task examines how current and emerging commercial satellite systems (space, terminal, and control segments) could be procured by the DoD either without modification or modified to operate at a military frequency for the DoD's sole use. a. Identify possible minor modifications that commercial providers may be willing to make to purely commercialsystems that could satisfy the unique military requirements. Modification of a commercial system to a military frequency band is considered a more significant modification and will be covered by Task 2.b. b. Evaluate the feasibility (including frequency allocation issues) of DoD procuring a complete current or emerging commercial SATCOM system for worldwide operation: 1. At the existing/planned commercial frequency band, 2. Transitioned to a military frequency. c. Identify the military-unique SATCOM requirements that should/could be satisfied most cost-effectively by this type of SATCOM system rather than by the systems explored in Task 3. d. Identify any issues such as international laws, treaties and frequency landing rights that may impact world wide system operations of a DoD unique system operating at commercial frequencies. e. Develop a system concept (space, ground, control) to meet those military requirements. Identify how this system interfaces to/complements the system addressed in Task 3. f. Develop a schedule for procurement, development/design and production of the system concept developed in Task 2.e. Develop a streamlined program management concept that would increase efficiency and reduce the acquisition cost of the system. g. For the system concept developed in Task 2.e., evaluate system performance and identify time-phased life-cycle costs. Identify and evaluate the relative trade-offs in system performance between the proposed modified commercial system(s) and exisisting/planned DoD MILSATCOM systems in terms of numbers of networks supported, capacity, O&M loading, ease of use and ability to meet unique military requirements. Task 3: This task examines how to reduce system life-cycle costs for a DoD owned/operated military-unique SATCOM system. a. Develop a system concept (space, ground, control) to meet the MILSATCOM requirements. 1. Develop a ground segment concept that includes end-to-end communications management, network control and spacecraft control; 2. Develop a communication terminal segment concept that interfaces with the military communication infrastructure, including the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN); 3. Evaluate different satellite concepts, including various satellite sizes and orbits, for the space segment. Develop conceptual satellite functional designs for the space segment elements. b. Evaluate system performance and identif time-phased life-cycle costs for the system concept developed in Task 3.a c. Develop a schedule for procurement, development/design and production of the system. Develop a streamlined program management concept that would increase efficiency and reduce the acquisition cost of the system. DELIVERABLES INFORMATION: Two to six Firm-Fixed Price contract awards are anticipated, for a period of performance of approximately six (6) months. Expected contract award(s) is Feb 96. Proposals are to be valid through 30 Apr 96. Two types of contract awards are anticipated. The first type of award will include all three SOW tasks at an anticipated value of approximately $1M each. The government reserves the right to make multiple awards to Small Business (SB), Small and Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU/MI) if capability to perform is determined. In the case of submissions of equal caliber, preferance will be given to SB, SDB and HBCU/MI. SB, SDB and HDCU/MI are encouraged to participate. The second type of award will include only Task 1 (characterization of commercial systems) at an anticipated value of approximately $400K each which will be restricted to SB, SDB and HDCU/MI. For purposes of this acquisition, the size standard is 1,000 employees (SIC 8731). Firms responding should indicate their size status. The contract deliverables will include (but are not limited to) commercial utilization report, system concept, life-cycle cost reporting, recommended program management concepts, top level segment designs, contractor cost reports, meeting minutes and presentations, and a final report. Products will be delivered to the Government throughout the course of the contractual period. The data derived from the study may be used in future Government procurements. Progress reviews will be held at two months and five months after contract start. BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD: The selection of sources for contract award will be based on four separate criteria, given in descending order of relative importance. The first criterion is utility to the government. Given the Government's emphasis on low-cost system concepts, the offeror's ability to generate credible cost data will be a prime focus in evaluating utility to the government. The offeror's past experience will also be factored into this evaluation. The second criterion is soundness of approach wich is based on the depth of the offeror's understanding of the problem, the approach to accomplish the technical objective, the availability and competence of experienced engineering and other personnel for the study. Depth of the offeror's total system perspective, to include system operations, terminals and ground control, will also be a factor in the soundness of approach. The third criterion are new and creative solutions which will be based on the merit of the ideas and concepts proposed (including novel, original or innovative ideas or concepts.) The fourth criterion is the proposed cost of the study, which will be evaluated on reasonableness of the labor and other resources required to perform the proposed effort. Contracts will not be awarded to offerors who exceed the cost target or do not demonstrate in their proposals that they can exercise adequate management control of costs. Any award is subject to the availability of funds. The first, second and third criteria above will be evaluated solely on the content of proposal volumes II, III, and IV (see below for description of proposal volume content). The fourth criterion will be evaluated using proposal volumes IV and V only. No further evaluation criteria will be used in selecting the proposals. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS: Proposals in response to this Program Research & Development Announcement (PRDA) should be submitted in five volumes: Volume I, Executive Summary with an integrated Statement of Work (SOW), 10 copies, no more than 5 pages; Volume II, Technical Management with an integrated schedule of work to be performed based on the tasks described in this announcement, and suggested data items to be provided by the study, 10 copies, no more than 25 pages; Volume III, Relevant Past Performance, a brief resume of past experience, to include commercial system experience, of both company and proposed study team members with emphasis on the offeror's experience and capabilities in proposed areas and how the experience and capabilities would be employed in support of this program, 4 copies, no more than 5 pages; Volume IV, Management Plan describing offeror's work organization and detailing how the effort described in this announcement will be managed (to include discussion of manning over the contractual period and scheduling of tasks), 10 copies, no more than 5 pages; and Volume V, Cost Proposal, in clear and concise format,4 copies, no limit on pages. Pages in excess of the above limitations will not be considered by the government. Proposals must be submitted on 8 1/2 X 11 inch paper, printed on single side, elite or equivalent type not smaller than 12 point character height (vertical size) and no more than 12 characters per inch with type spacing of one and a half spaces. Responses should reference PRDA 95-99 and are due by 3:00 PM. on 20 Nov 95 to SMC/MCK, Los Angeles AFB, 2420 Vela Way, Suite 1467-A8, Los Angeles AFB, CA 90245-4659, Attn: Hayley Philbrick. In order that proposals are afforded proper handling, offerors must mark their proposals with restrictive language stated in FAR 15.509(a). There will be no formal Request for Proposal or other solicitation in regard to this requirement. Offerors should be alert to any PRDA amendments that may be published. POINTS OF CONTACTS: All technical questions/comments must be submitted in writing to SMC/MCX, Lt Chuck Gadda (Voice# 310-336-4752, Fax# 310-336-4905). Contractual issues should be referred to the buyer, Ms. Hayley Philbrick (Voice# 310-336-4748, Fax# 310-336-4681). Potential offerors may contact the above individuals for clarification of technical/contractual issues and cost response format. SECURITY AND OTHER INFORMATION: At the time of contract award, DoD SECRET clearances for all personnel working on the effort and SECRET facility clearances are required. Some of the requirements information to be used for this study will be classified SECRET/NOFORN. Responders are cautioned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the Government. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the government to pay for any proposal preparation costs. Furthermore, the cost of preparing proposals in response to this announcement is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resulting contract or any other contract. However, these costs are allowable as expenses to the normal bid and proposal indirect costs specified in FAR 31.205-18. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award any, all or none of the proposals received to this announcement. Award of any contract is subject to availability of funds. An industry conference will be held, details of which will be published in the CBD. (0289)

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