International Monitoring System (IMS) Waveform Operations and Maintenance

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE; there is no solicitation available at this time. No response will be provided to requests for solicitation. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS PUBLISHED FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has a requirement as follows: DTRA is the Department of Defense (DoD) executive agent for the Nuclear Arms Control Technology (NACT) program which operates, maintains, and improves the majority of the U.S. portion of the International Monitoring System (IMS) in support of the United States Government (USG) and Department of Defense (DoD) objectives and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban- Treaty (CTBT) for nuclear detonation monitoring, mitigation of impacts from natural and other catastrophes, and other civil and scientific applications. The IMS was established to detect worldwide nuclear weapons tests via an extensive network that includes radionuclide, seismic, infrasound, and hydroacoustic monitoring technologies. The IMS station locations and types, and high-level standards for the operation of these stations are specified by the CTBT and the IMS Operational Manuals. The NACT program directly manages, operates, maintains, and improves 25 of these US IMS stations, involving primary and auxiliary seismic, infrasound, and radionuclide monitoring stations. These NACT managed U.S. IMS stations are located across a wide range of disparate and extreme environments in the continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, USG-controlled Pacific Territories, and Antarctica. Relevant to this Sources Sought Notice, the seismic and infrasound stations are often grouped together and referred to as waveform stations. Additional details on the US portion of the IMS and further descriptions of the various monitoring technologies are available at the following link: www.ctbto.org DTRA seeks a performer to operate and sustain the 14 US IMS waveform monitoring stations (eight Infrasound (IS), one Primary Seismic (PS), and five Auxiliary Seismic (AS)) beginning April 2026, with a potential overlap with the prior contractor to ensure a smooth transition starting February 2026. Each of these US IMS stations was designed and installed under supervision of the NACT program and according to the technical requirements specified in the relevant IMS Operational Manual. Each of these stations has also been formally certified, by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO PrepCom) Provisional Technical Secretariat (PTS) for IMS operations; note that Palmer Infrasound Station will have just been installed and will likely still require CTBTO PrepCom Certification. Each station is a custom design and various site-specific requirements were taken into consideration in the station design and installation so as to optimize data quality, data availability, and improve long-term operations and sustainment. Following station certification by the PTS, the configuration of each of the IMS stations have been strictly controlled and all changes in configuration since certification have been approved and documented according to the procedures outlined in the associated station operational manuals. The US IMS stations are operated in accordance with provisional operational guidance defined by the PTS for the entire IMS network of stations. Under provisional operations, all IMS station operators are required to achieve station data availability and data quality levels as high as possible. The NACT program objective is for the waveform stations to maintain an operational requirement of 98% data availability. The US IMS station operations are generally automated and do not require a continuous daily on-site presence of a highly skilled station operator or engineer. The station operator should maximize the remote performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and repair of the stations. In general, the achievement and sustainment of a sufficient level US IMS station performance periodically requires the efforts of a local caretaker to accomplish light housekeeping tasks, replenish consumables, and make minor adjustments as required to the station facilities and systems. These station caretaker activities are typically performed under the supervision and direction of the station operator. Further, the US IMS stations occasionally require varying levels of preventative and unscheduled maintenance or upgrades which must be carried out by the station operators to sustain required data availability and data quality. If these required maintenance activities are of a significant level of complexity, the station's technical parameters and performance may need to be reviewed and revalidated by the PTS following completion of the maintenance activity. Station operators are responsible for the provision of continuous and timely monitoring data and IMS station state-of-health data from each US IMS station to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, Austria. Station operators are also responsible for the provision of station technical documentation and problem reporting, and any configuration updates as required by the operations manuals and the PTS. Each US IMS station has a Global Communications Infrastructure (GCI) communications system which is installed and maintained by a contractor under the direction of the PTS. The GCI system is used to transmit all of the required IMS station data between the station and the IDC via various communications technologies, including satellite, internet, and cellular. The GCI system also enables two-way communication between the IDC and station operators for receiving and executing command and control actions from the IDC or other operational troubleshooting between the station and the IDC as required. Additional requirements are as follows: 1. Operate and maintain eight (8) infrasound stations for the U.S. monitoring effort at the following locations: Fairbanks, Alaska (IS53); Palmer Station, Antarctica (IS54); Windless Bight, Antarctica (IS55); Newport, Washington (IS56); Pinon Flat, California (IS57); Midway Island (IS58); Hawaii, Hawaii (IS59); and Wake Island (IS60). 2. Operate and maintain one (1) primary seismic station at Mina, Nevada (PS47). 3. Operate and maintain five (5) auxiliary seismic (AS) stations at the following locations: Tuckaleechee Caverns, TN (AS107); Pinon Flat, CA (AS108); Yreka, CA (AS109); Kodiak Island, AK (AS110); and Shemya Island, AK (AS112). 4. Maintain standard station interface (SSI), authentication capability, enhanced SOH monitoring, and coordinate with United States Geological Survey and Global Communication Infrastructure (GCI) Contractor to ensure continued operation of seven (7) auxiliary seismic stations managed by the USGS at the following locations: Guam, Marianas Islands (AS105), Palmer Station Antarctica (AS106), Albuquerque, New Mexico (AS111), Elko, Nevada (AS113), South Pole, Antarctica (AS114), Newport, Washington (AS115) and San Juan, Puerto Rico (AS116). 5. Provide all necessary logistical support and sustainment for each US IMS station infrastructure and installed monitoring system, including but not limited to: system and component repairs, spare and depot management, hardware and software upgrades, and recapitalization planning for stations and systems listed in paragraphs 1-3. 6. Perform preventive and unscheduled corrective maintenance of the station structures and equipment to enable the continuous operational capability of the station and optimal data availability and data quality. 7. Perform system and sensor calibrations and tuning as necessary to ensure stations meet operational data quality requirements specified in the operations manuals. 8. Conduct NACT O&M activities in accordance with existing or planned support and lease agreements. Six NACT US IMS stations are located on private, State, or other non-Federal properties which typically require the O&M performer to establish a lease arrangement with the land owner for the operators access to the property. The lease agreement also provides a vehicle for the local operator to make cost reimbursements to the land owners for select station operations costs such as utilities or rents. The six stations are as follows: Fairbanks, AK (IS53); Pinon Flat, CA (AS108); Pinion Flat, CA (IS57); Hawaii, HI (IS59); Mina, NV (PS47); and Tuckaleechee Caverns, TN (AS107). 9. Support the PTS GCI performer and IDC as required in troubleshooting and resolution of occasional communications problems at any US IMS stations, so as to most efficiently resolve the GCI issue and minimize the negative impact to timely data transmission and communication between the US IMS stations and the IDC. 10. Conduct engineering and development tasks on systems and components to operationalize prototypes, conduct test and evaluation, and transition system or components into normal station operations. Conduct the necessary acceptance and revalidation tasks required by the PTS for the station to be returned to operations and data accepted in the IDC. 11. If required or requested, relocate a given station, including conduct of site selection, site surveys, participate and support any requisite environmental assessments, site preparation, construction, and certification. 12. If requested by the NACT Program Manager, participate as part of US Delegation to the CTBT for Working Groups and Special Technical Meetings, typically conducted at the Vienna International Center, in Vienna, Austria. 13. If requested by the NACT Program Manager participate in meetings with other NACT partners involved in waveform research and development such as Sandia National Laboratory and the Pennsylvania State University Applied Physics Laboratory, colleagues from organizations such as the Air Force Technical Application Center and Army Research Laboratory, and workshops such as the Infrasound Community Workshop and Infrasound Technology Workshop; note that some of these meetings require a secret or top-secret clearance. Parties submitting a response to this RFI are encouraged to offer input regarding what they perceive as the most efficient way to operate and maintain the US IMS stations. Sources having the capability and/or concept to meet these requirements are invited to respond to this notice by the designated date/time. Responses should be limited to a five (5) page white paper in 12 point Times New Roman font for any given capability and concept, not including cover page, cover letter and table of contents. Any proprietary concepts of information should be clearly identified as such. Submitted data and information will not be returned. Any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice is strictly voluntary. This notice is for information planning purposes and the Government will not pay or otherwise reimburse respondents for information submitted.