58 -- NATO NC3A Notification of Intent to Invite Bids for International Competitive Bidding for CIS Support to Operational Mentor and Liaison Team Mobile Operations - Satellite/Secure Phone Communication

The NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) intends to advertise for International Competitive Bidding (ICB) on works and services within the framework of the NATO Security Investment Program. Eligible firms will be invited to provide bids on a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the provision of Communication and Information System (CIS) support to provide voice communications to NATO Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) Mobile Operations. The main objective of this project is to provide voice communications to NATO OMLTs. The voice communications requirement addressed by this project is the internal communications between mobile teams, static NATO Communications Centers at Afghanistan National Army Garrisons, Regional HQ, and ISAF HQ. This will underpin robust force protection and command and control qualities for these teams while they conduct their tasks. OMLTs need to be highly mobile without geographic restrictions due to communications limitations. This Notification of Intent (NOI) is for the second phase of this project and covers the procurement of the Satellite/Secure Phone. An NOI for the first phase - High Frequency (HF) - was issued on 4th August 2006. NC3A is serving as the Host Nation for this project, which was authorized by the NATO Infrastructure Committee. The envisaged bidding procedure for this RFQ will be the Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) procedure with the additional opportunity for nominations to the bidders list of firms in addition to those identified by NC3A as BOA vendors. The estimated value of this project is 1.0 million Euros ($1.3 million USD). The reference of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) is RFQ-CO-12070-OPL. The U.S. Department of Commerce will be using the same RFQ reference. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION Background The main objective of this project is to provide secure voice communication to NATO OMLTs in Afghanistan. The secure voice communication addressed by this project is the communication between 56 users of mobile teams and 20 users of static sites (ISAF HQ, Regional Commands and ANA Garrisons). The bidder shall provide a meshed (anybody could call anybody) topology secure voice communication network. Any user shall be capable establishing robust, reliable secure, full duplex voice communication, within a few minutes, to any other user. OMLT Mobile Kit: The mobile OMLT teams shall be provided with an easily transportable (one man) secure communication kit. That kit shall work via satellite, or as an alternative means of communication via a Global System Mobile (GSM) network, in areas where GSM (transparent data) service is available. The outdoor parts (antenna and integrated transceiver) of these secure communication kits shall be suitable for temporary outdoor operation; the desired Ingression Protection (IP) rating is IP54. The bidder shall deliver 56 sets of OMLT Mobile kits plus a reasonable number of spares. OMLT Fixed Kit: The static OMLT sites shall be provided with a fixed secure communication kits. This kit shall work via satellite, or as an alternative means of communication via GSM network, in areas where GSM (transparent data) service is available. The outdoor parts (antenna and integrated transceiver) of these fix kits shall be suitable for permanent outdoor operation; the desired IP rating is IP55. The bidder shall deliver 20 sets of OMLT Mobile kits plus a reasonable number of spares. Operational Requirements Crypto device: The bidders shall propose a solution using NATO-approved easily transportable secure phones, such as: - Kongsberg, Norway-made NSK 200/201 secure GSM/DECT telephony system. This is approved up to NATO SECRET level. - General Dynamics. USA-made Sectera family of products, Sectera GSM phone or Black Data Interface (Wireless Terminal) extended with a handset. This is approved up to NATO SECRET level. - Narrow band secure voice (NBSV)-II equipment such as the Motorola STU-IIB, Elcrovox 1-4D or Thales TCE-500. These devices can function over satellite and terrestrial mobile networks with suitable interfacing and service provision. Satellite communication device: The bidder shall propose a satellite communication device, which is suitable for supporting the secure phones (one of the selected ones) specified above. NC3A envisaged the following satellite phones suitable for supporting secure voice: - Thrane & Thrane, Denmark-made Explorer 500 (E500) Immarsat Broadband Global Area Network, Class-2 (Broadband Global Area Network) BGAN terminal - Thrane & Thrane, Denmark-made Explorer 700 (E700) Immarsat Broadband Global Area Network, Class-1 BGAN terminal -Hughes Network System, USA-made HNS 9201 Class-1 BGAN terminal (HNS BGAN) In order to create and integrate an easily portable secure voice communication kit, any combination of the proposed secure devices and commercial SATCOM equipment is allowed. The use of additional devices, necessary for interfacing and powering the devices are allowed; e.g., Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) terminal adaptor, common battery, etc. Voice Communication: The secure communication kit must be suitable for both secure and clear voice communications both via satellite and GSM service (where available). The OMLT communication requirement is robust, reliable, secure and clear voice communications that must be tested and verified for mobile-to (and from) -fixed calls: Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), ISDN; single Inmarsat satellite hop, and mobile-to-mobile; double Inmarsat satellite hop as well. The secure call set-up time shall be less than 2 minutes. Secure call probability shall be minimum 70%. Secure call quality shall be specified by Mean Opinion Score (MOS) value. The minimum required MOS value is 3.0 in order to provide useable communications to trained users, e.g., users who are familiar with the equipment and familiar with the voice quality provided. The call setup time, call probability and MOS values of clear voice communications shall be not less than those for secure voice communication. The exact values shall be provided by the bidder. Satellite service: The bidder shall specify the service type to be used in connection with its proposed secure voice communication solution, e.g.: 3.1kAudio ISDN service of Inmarsat BGAN (E500, E700 & HNS BGAN) Packaging, size, and weight: The mobile communication kit could be packed in tow options, such as: Hard carry case, approx size: 18?x12?x5? (suitcase) Soft carry case, approx size: 10?x13?x20? (backpack) Weight of any package: 10 kg (maximum) Power requirement: The mobile communication kit shall be powered by a central long life battery. Operational time, battery-powered minimum of 3 hours. - Charge retention time: up to four months at ambient temperature - AC power supply shall be provided for charging only: 110 to 240 VAC The fixed communication kit shall be powered by a central long life battery - AC power supply for permanent operation: 110 to 240 VAC - Central battery or Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) as an alternative means of power - Operational time, battery or UPS powered minimum: 3 hours - Charge retention time: up to four months at ambient temperature Temperature specification: Outdoor units and Mobile kit Operational: -25 C to +55 C Storage: -30 C to +60 C Indoor unit of fix kit Operational: 0 C to +45 C Storage: -30 C to +60 C Key distribution and management: The encryption device must be keyed with key-mat releasable to ISAF. Suitable security level is NATO CONFIDENTIAL equivalent. Given the distributed geography of the users, over the air re-keying may provide an effective key distribution mechanism. Interoperability: All fixed and mobile devices must interoperate. There must be smooth interoperability among the communication kits using different, i.e. satellite or GSM, services. BIDDING PROCEDURE The U.S. Department of Commerce does not serve as the Host Nation for NATO projects. Its role is to approve for bidding those firms of NATO-member nations with a facility located within the United States. Only firms approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce will be allowed to bid. Please visit the following website for instructions on applying for approval to bid on NATO projects: http://www.bis.doc.gov/defenseindustrialbaseprograms/OSIES/NATOprograms/index.htm With the exception of those firms already nominated as identified BOA vendors, additional firms must be introduced by their National Delegations with the required Declaration of Eligibility (DOE). A firm that has been approved for bidding on NATO projects must request that the U.S. Department of Commerce issue the required DOE for each project on which the firm wishes to bid. The DOE (Specimen in Annex V to Ref.A of NSIP Document 2261) is used to nominate the firm to the Bidders List for a particular project. The U.S. Department of Commerce forwards the DOE to the U.S. Embassy, which in turn forwards it to the Host Nation. The Host Nation will not accept requests for nomination received directly from firms. Firms that the U.S. Embassy nominates to the Bidders List will be contacted directly by the Host Nation when the Request for Quotation (RFQ) has been issued. Bidding documents are expected to be NATO UNCLASSIFIED. Further performance of the contract will require contractors to have personnel and facility clearances at a level of NATO SECRET. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) forwards to the Host Nation the NATO facility clearance certification as well as the personnel clearance certifications for all those assigned to the contract. IMPORTANT DEADLINES 1. Final date for the U.S. Department of Commerce to submit a Declaration of Eligibility on your behalf: 21 September 2006 2. Anticipated date that the Host Nation will forward the Request for Quotation (RFQ) to those on the Bidders List: October 2006 3. Anticipated closing date for receipt of bids: TBD 4. Anticipated contract award date: November 2006