Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract for Assured C2 Modems

Comtech Modems
PSC 5895
NAICS 334220
The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), in support of the Program Executive Office
for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (PEO C4I), Communications and
GPS Navigation Program Office (PMW/A 170), intends to award a sole source contract under the authority
of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and no other supplies
or services will satisfy agency requirements, to Comtech EF Data Corporation (Comtech), 2114 W 7th St.,
Tempe, Arizona, 85281. Request for Proposal (RFP), N00039-23-R-2002, using other than full and open
competition will be issued in anticipation of contract award. The North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) code is 334220.
The anticipated contract will be a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), five (5) year, single award, Indefinite-Delivery,
Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract under FAR Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items for procurement
of Comtech SLM-5650B modems, SLM-5650B Modem Upgrade Kits (MUKs) (to upgrade existing Comtech
SLM-5650A modems to a Comtech SLM-5650B modem configuration), firmware options and technical
support services.
Currently, over eight-hundred (800) Comtech SLM-5650A satellite modems are utilized by multiple Navy
programs. The commercially available modems support communications over both commercial and
military satellites, and are critical for interoperability across Navy platforms and shore sites. As bandwidth
requirements in the Fleet increase, and satellite technologies evolve to provide enhanced capability, it is
essential to upgrade the existing SLM-5650A modems in order to meet Navy requirements. The Navy's
requirements include use of enhanced technologies while maintaining seamless connectivity throughout
the Fleet. In order to meet the Navy's requirements, the Government intends to procure new SLM-5650B
modems, and upgrade existing SLM-5650A modems to SLM-5650B modems. The SLM-5650B modem
offers a significant increase in operational performance by providing processing capacity that is a factor of
five (5) times greater than the current SLM-5650A and increased processing capacity reducing latency by
approximately 30%, which equates to higher data throughput.
This contract will provide for the procurement of an estimated one thousand (1000) SLM-5650B modems
and the upgrade of an estimated fifty (50) SLM-5650A to SLM-5650B modems, as well as an addition of
10% of the contract value to account for unknown Other Customer Funds (OCF) procurements. Firmware
upgrades will be procured, to include: Enhanced Bandwidth Efficient Modem (EBEM), Enhanced Offset-
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (EO-QPSK), Dynamic Adaptive Wideband System with local Interference
Suppression (DAWSIS), Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), Network Processor Quality of
Service (QoS) and Bridge Point to Multipoint (BPM) Mode, NetVue, and Non-Geostationary (NGEO)
Performance Capability. Comtech technical support services, called Engineering Support Services (ESS)
Prime, will also be procured to ensure successful integration and future software updates.
Comtech is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) SLM-
5650A and SLM-5650B modems. The Government does not have data rights (for hardware and firmware
(source code)) sufficient to enable alternate vendor(s) to provide a modem(s) that meets the
Government's performance requirements while simultaneously being backwards compatible to existing
SLM-5650A modems in the timeframe that the Navy requires.
Without the source code or hardware module design specifications, no other vendor's modem is
compatible with the currently fielded SLM-5650A modem. As upgraded modems are fielded, it is required
that they interoperate with the existing SLM-5650A modems to ensure seamless connectivity throughout
the Fleet. Backwards compatibility will ensure there is no loss or degradation of communication
capabilities, making backwards compatibility/connectivity a key requirement.
This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A competitive solicitation will not be
posted. Interested parties may express their interest and capability to satisfy the Government's
requirement by writing directly to the Contracting Office. A determination by the Government to not
compete the anticipated contract based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the
Government.
Capability Statements in response to this announcement should be addressed to Shaylen Harris at
shaylen.harris.civ@us.navy.mil and courtesy copy to Christopher J. Murr at
Christopher.murr.civ@us.navy.mil no later than 30 days following the issuance of this synopsis.