Purpose:
This is a Sources Sought. The Space Systems Command (SSC) located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is seeking information in the form of Statements of Capabilities (SOC) from interested parties in support of the SSC, Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power Directorate requirement for the Counter Communications System (CCS) Meadowlands as described below. The Government is conducting market research to inform its Acquisition Strategy.
The purpose of this notice is to identify potential sources that can meet CFC/MD3's requirement. The Government reserves the right to set this acquisition, or portions thereof, aside for small business to include socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, 8(a) firms, or woman-owned businesses. The Government is seeking contractors interested in and capable of providing all technical and logistical effort required to design, develop, and deliver capabilities to support the CCS Meadowlands system.
Background and Description:
Scope: This effort encompasses all technical, logistical, software and hardware efforts required to produce CCS Meadowlands systems.
Period and Place of Performance: It is envisioned that the period of performance will be approximately 12 months in duration. The Government is working through the details to determine when the contract will start. The place of performance is flexible to allow contractor to provide an optimized solution.
Background:
CCS System:
CCS is a ground-based counter satellite communications (SATCOM) system specifically designed to reversibly deny, disrupt, and degrade adversarial SATCOM. The basic CCS concept is to provide a flexible, modular, scalable, rapidly deployable system with a key set of signal processing/generation (SP) capabilities, selected counter SATCOM missions, and a robust transmit capability. Its architecture will be designed to host core capabilities and/or other more sophisticated plug and play type modules to address the ever-increasing number of technologies and assets available to our adversaries.
The latest CCS Meadowlands will have upgraded capabilities compared to the existing CCS 10.2 Systems. The future CCS Meadowlands fleet will be composed of at least 32 systems. Meadowlands is a transportable SATCOM system composed of modular Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) / Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) Radio Frequency (RF) monitoring and generation equipment. The design incorporates multi-band antennas and equipment in transit cases. The frequency conversion system (FCS) that handles RF signals between the shelter transit cases to the antenna uses a proprietary photonics system. The system can be transported by C-130 or larger aircraft and by ground transport over improved or semi-improved roads. The system will be designed for operations by trained operators in US-controlled facilities world-wide, and in the Developmental Support Facility (DSF).
The Meadowlands Base Design system meets current A-spec requirements . All systems have same Transit Case and Antenna configuration/capability . The Meadowlands base design system is comprised of the following major capabilities:
- Three independent, bidirectional antenna polarization paths
- Native Support for a single Large Multiband Antenna (LMA)
- Bands Supported: UHF, L, C, Ku, Ka
- Two separate independently controlled antenna polarization paths
- Simultaneous dual polarization operation
- Receive-only operation if desired
- Supports Base, and unique network specific missions
- Native Support for a single 1.2m Antenna
- Antenna Supports L-Band only
The system can operate in three antenna Polarization Paths Each Polarization Path Contains an Uplink & Downlink RF Interface . The system is capable of simultaneously operating/controlling up to three antennas and associated components utilizing three polarization paths . The Meadowlands system utilizes Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Ethernet, TCP & UDP/IP Standard interfaces for network communications (Data, Command, Control & Status) between Transit case assemblies, Antennas and the Software Server
The Base System Configuration is composed of:
- 4 System Transit Cases in Shelter (Mission Control & Timing (MCT) Subsystem, Advanced Signal Processor (ASP) Subsystem, Shelter Photonics Unit (SPU1), SPU2)
- 1 Antenna Transit Case in Shelter for 1.2m Antenna (1.2m Transit Case)
- 1 Transit Case for Secure External Network Operations (Remote Ops Transit Case) Contains Firewall & Encryption
- 2 Transit Cases outside by LMA antenna (Antenna Photonics Unit (APU)2 & APU2)
- APU Transit Cases
The system can operate in the UHF, L, C, Ku, and KA RF Bands for Transmit and Receive via Frequency Conversion System (FCS)
The production of the CCS Meadowlands units has been accomplished as part of a Pre-Planned Product Improvement effort. The program utilizes equipment from the CCS Block 10.2 systems as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) including the LMA Antenna (Including Servo Controller, Feeds, High Powered Amplifiers (HPAs), Dummy Loads) ; the 1.2m Antenna (Including Servo Controller, Feeds, HPAs, Dummy Loads), Power Distribution Units (PDUs) (in transit cases) and also external PDUs, Environmental Control Units (ECUs), Tent, and a Power Management Unit (PMU)
Requirements:
The market research obtained from this request for information will be used to support a Government decision on the award of additional CCS Meadowlands systems between seven and up to an additional 24 systems. The intent for any future systems to follow the same design and functionality as the existing Meadowlands systems for efficiency in sustainment, training and and maintenance for the operational units.
Additional Background Information
Please contact the PCO should additional background information be required.
Schedule and Key Deliverables:
The Government may decide to hold an Industry Day at some point in the future. Should that Industry Day occur, contractors will be notified of the date and meeting details to allow for their attendance.
SOC Administrative Requirements:
The Government requests a maximum 10-page response in total with a 3-page limit for Company Information and Corporate Capabilities & Experience. Please submit via email to all the following points of contact:
Contracting Officer: Lakisha Porter
Contracting Officer Email: lakisha.porter@spaceforce.mil
Program Manager: Captain Brandon Goulet
Program Manager Email: brandon.goulet@spaceforce.mil
Program Manager: Captain Eric Honeyman
Program Manager Email: eric.honeyman@spaceforce.mil
Response Content:
Interested vendors must submit a Statement of Capability (SOC) in a narrative report that includes both the company/corporate information, solutions to the technical areas above and responses to the questions below. All SOCs are to be submitted in accordance with the administrative requirements identified herein.
Submitted SOCs must include all of the following information:
Company Information
Corporate Capabilities & Experience
Solutions and Identifying Risks for Key Technologies
Answers to Technical Questions
Answers to Contractual/Business Questions
Company Information:
1. Company name
2. Company's ownership and other relevant information
3. Personnel/Business size classification (Small/Large Business, HUB, veteran, etc.)
4. Mailing address
5. Point of Contact (POC) including e-mail and telephone numbers
Corporate Capabilities & Experience:
Describe previous work your company has performed and company expertise which is relevant to the Electromagnetic Warfare mission area and in the role of a Prime Contractor.
Technical Questions:
- What currently available facilities, equipment, processes, and solutions would you use to execute this effort? What is your approach to overcome any gaps in your current capabilities?
- Do you maintain a classified production facility at the TS/SCI level to execute this effort and if not, what would be required in order to achieve a secure environment at that classification for this effort?
- What Information or GFE will you need from the CCS Meadowlands program to ensure success? When will you need that information?
- How will you establish manufacturing, sourcing, and testing for the photonics-based FCS to meet the 12-month schedule?
- What is your timeline to stand up the integration environment, compile the existing codebase, and ensure 100% interoperability without delays?
- How will you guarantee delivery of the first fully qualified Meadowlands unit within 12 months from a cold start?
Contractual / Business Questions:
- Anticipated cost and time required by your company to have production line ready to begin production of a CCS Meadowlands system? What assumptions are you using to determine the cost and time?
- How could the government best incentivize current prime contractor, L3H, to support your company delivering successful requirements? What support will you need from L3H to successfully integrate?
- Do you anticipate using any proprietary technology or information as part of the proposed solution?
- Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate for Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs to establish a qualified production line, train personnel, and execute First Article Testing. What portion of these startup costs is unrecoverable through competition?
Response Classification: Narrative and SOC reports may be up to TOP SECRET/SCI/SAP. Materials will be reviewed separately at Los Angeles AFB, CA. If a Contractor plans to submit a SAPs level SOC, submission needs to be coordinated no later than one week in advance of submission. All material provided in response to this notice shall be kept non-confidential and non-proprietary to the maximum extent practicable. Firms providing confidential/proprietary information shall separately and clearly identify and mark all confidential/proprietary information. The USSF will take all necessary steps to protect/safeguard any confidential/proprietary information provided. The USSF will NOT be held responsible for any proprietary information not clearly marked.
Disclaimers and Notes THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal or Request for Quotations) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This notice does not commit the USSF to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the USSF is not currently, seeking proposals. Responders are advised that the USSF will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. The Government will not assume liability for costs incurred by any attendee for travel expenses or marketing efforts. All costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at the responding party's expense.
The following companies/organizations may review the submitted responses: The Aerospace Corporation, Tyto Corporation, SAIC, RSE, ARK GSI, and Tecolote. Thes companies are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements with the USSF. For further information regarding these agreements, contact the Contracting Officer identified herein.
