IWRP October 22, 2024 Quarterly Industry Day

Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) and Naval Information Warfare Centers (NIWC) Atlantic and Pacific announce the Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) Consortium Virtual Industry Day hosted by Advanced Technology International (ATI), the IWRP consortium management firm, on 22 October 2024, at 0800 Eastern Time. It is anticipated that the topics may be the basis of upcoming Requests for Prototype Projects (RPPs) to IWRP consortium members. This is not an RPP and is intended for planning purposes only. A project will not be awarded from this announcement. In addition to RPPs, the Government may present Pre-Solicitation Collaborations (PSCs) and Technical Collaboration Exchanges (TCEs). RPPs and PSCs will include a short brief and one-on-one breakout sessions. TCEs consist of a short brief and round table discussions. In order to obtain more information regarding the below projects, you must be a member of the IWRP consortium. For more information on becoming an IWRP consortium member, please visit https://www.theiwrp.org. The purpose of this announcement is to provide members of the IWRP consortium, and industry in general, advanced notification of government intent. 1.24-LANT-1893 Next Generation Durable Application Platform PSC: Description: The government is seeking to develop an advanced next generation application platform in a simulated environment to demonstrate cutting-edge application hosting and resilience techniques within clustered environments that mimic tactical edge constraints. It will include private repositories, multiple application nodes for failover and automated reprovisioning, and a mock logical single source of truth. The environment will showcase composable microservices, stateless containers, and Zero Trust security, while rigorous testing will validate durability, failover capabilities, and data consistency. The simulated execution of the advanced next generation application platform aims to enhance operational reliability and reduce maintenance efforts for modern, adaptable IT systems in diverse deployment scenarios. 2.24-LANT-2494 Decision Support as a Service Environment (DSaaSE) PSC: Description: NAVWAR is seeking to prototype a hybrid cloud/on-premise and cross-domain capable environment for data experts. The DSaaSE will be a modern self-service environment for data experts to perform full life-cycle data analysis, modeling, and AI/ML workflows. The solution will be a one-stop-shop Data Lake where hundreds of operational data types and sources are available for usage. The government intends to use this prototype to explore ways to establish capabilities that can empower the DCHE mission and operations that will enable data users' the ability to conduct and collaborate on decision support related tasks and share data products. 3.Atlantic - Strategic Laydown and Dispersal (SLD) Modernization Prototype PSC: Description: SLD modernization is an effort to more efficiently and effectively track and evaluate actual and potential changes to the Navy laydown using technology enabled analysis and linkages to select Navy databases. The SLD Decision Support Tool will provide data management, traceability, ease of use, scalability, and an ability to identify and depict causal relationships, total ownership costs, and alternative laydowns based on correlation to key SLD criteria. 4.Pacific/NAVWAR HQ - PMW 790 C4I Arsenal Capability PSC: Short Description: The concept is to develop a secret Cloud capability that can provision Cloud hardware, execute a software load of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) with platform Core IA and IP Services, install/test Tactical Battle Mission Aids, and deploy to customers. GovCloud IL 6, On-Prem Cloud IL 6, and portable Expeditionary Edge Cloud IL6. PMW 790 has an initial IaC and IP Services currently in use on government systems that may be used if suitable for platform or reconfigured to suit purpose. The initial prototype could be the build capability for the more mobile portable Edge Cloud for Expeditionary deployments on Shore or Afloat, where Cloud Edge hardware is provisioned, built, OS and Core IP and IA Services installed, with Mission Communications utilizing existing GFE and at least one functioning Battle Mission Aid is loaded. The shipping and receiving is to occur at a location with adequate facility security and accreditation. Solution will reside where a high-speed secret C2 network is accessible to download Application Arsenal and other Battle support solutions, and upload data packages at designated points in time, including the end of the systems deployment. Additional deliverables would include a cost estimate, with manpower and skill estimates for a fully functional single site IOC, and the initial design for the GOVCloud and On-Prem Cloud in IL6, and to implement at least 3 distributed Navy sites (locations based on GFI) at SECRET enclave to take this IOC to a follow-on FOC IWRP effort. 5.Atlantic - Active/Passive RFID Tech for Inventory Tracking PSC: Description: Inventory tracking at NIWC Atlantic faces challenges such as time efficiencies and real-time visibility that can lead to discrepancies, delays and increased operational costs. Traditional methods like barcode scanning require direct line-of-sight and human intervention, that are labor-intensive. NIWC Atlantic is interested in pursuing active/passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies enabling automated, real-time tracking of inventory without the need for direct line-of-sight or manual scanning. The command believes these technologies can be used to assist in real-time inventory tracking, logging equipment in an area during the performance of a book-to-floor inventory, and logging equipment as it enters/exits specific areas and facilities. 6.Atlantic - Tactical Edge Solutions (TES) Networked Edge Warfighting Terminal (NEWT) Body Worn Computer, Battery Power, Cross Domain Solution, and Mesh Communications PSC: Short Description: Networked Edge Warfighting Terminal (NEWT) will be a body-worn system that aims to enable edge-to-enterprise information sharing across an array of different communication devices in military and tactical environments. NEWT's features will include augmented reality and biometric reporting, which can provide valuable insights and real-time feedback to commanders and operators. The goal of NEWT is to improve situational awareness, decision-making, and mission effectiveness for warfighters in the field by enabling secure, reliable, and efficient information sharing across different devices and networks. 7.Atlantic - Waterfront Management Application (WMA) project - Digital Twins PSC: Description: Investigations of the 2020 USS Bonhomme Richard (BHR) fire and the follow-on Major Fires Review revealed instances where the lack of pier related fire and safety attributes resulted in challenges to and inhibited fire response efforts at Naval waterfronts. Per Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VNCO) direction, the Most Consequential Topic 9 (MCT-9) Bonhomme Richard Major Fires Review (BHR/MFR) working group is charged to identify a means and codified process that ensures ship repairs and maintenance are conducted at berths/dry-docks capable of providing or hosting safety and fire protection attributes to protect the ship. The Waterfront Management Application (WMA) Digital Twin module will provide the Navy an enterprise level tool that supports waterfront planning to improve efficiency, reduce risks, increase communication, and allows for predictive planning. The Digital Twin will provide two different capabilities for Naval Port Operations and leadership to make tactical and strategic data driven decisions. Capability one will provide an interactive model (2D and 3D) of the various ports to allow for tactical (live) day to day operations such as ship scheduling, berthing, and logistics. Capability two will provide strategic (long term) view of ports uses modeling and simulation of waterfront activities to inform leadership of Strategic Laydown and Dispersal (SLD), battle damage repair, GMRP, and infrastructure investment data and insights to ensure proper port planning is taking place to ensure the correct resources are planned for and data driven decisions are being made. 8.Atlantic - Ka/UHF Link Effects Simulator for MUOS TCE: Short Description: The MUOS program is looking to develop a Ka and UHF Link Effects Simulator (LES) that will be used in the MUOS Service Life Extension testbed. The UHF link effects simulator will implement a subset of 120 defined fading channel models, RF level control, RF noise injection, Doppler effects, and delay. The Ka Link effects simulator will implement rain fade simulations, Doppler simulations, delay, and noise injection. It is envisioned these simulators will be model based software and run on commodity hardware to allow for long term sustainment of the testbed and will interface to a digital network using an interface standards like Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability (DIFI) or VITA 49. 9.Atlantic - GPU based Satellite Demodulator for MUOS Ground Site TCE: Description: The MUOS ground system currently uses an FPGA based technology to provide for the demodulation of the Ka satellite downlink to the MUOS ground system. The program is looking to implement these technologies in commodity-based hardware and software potentially with GPU acceleration to meet latency and timing requirements to allow for better sustainment and upgrading capability over FPGA hardware. 10.Atlantic - Modularized Data and AI readiness TCE: Short Description: The Intelligence Community (IC) faces significant challenges in sharing and utilizing data across agencies and missions due to the lack of standardized metadata. Current metadata standards focus on security and dataset characteristics, but do not capture the necessary business and mission context to enable data centricity and AI readiness. . The implementation of modularized metadata standards is necessary to increase the usability of data across organizations and missions, and to enable the use of AI in the IC. 11.Atlantic - Triad of Autonomy Prize Challenge - Optimizing Autonomy: Mastering Search, Maritime Patterns, and Dataset Quality TCE: Description: NIWC Atlantic is seeking solutions to various aspects and components of collaborative autonomy. Teams may pitch to one or more than one of the below topic areas: - Dynamic Multi-Agent Search Challenge - Autonomous Identification of Anomalous Maritime Patterns - Dataset Sufficiency for Computer Vision Models The challenge can be viewed at the following link: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=triad-of-autonomy 12.Atlantic - MECS Prize Challenge - Rapid Innovation at Sea: Achieving Maritime EMS Simulation Excellence in 24-36 Months TCE: Short Description: - The Navy seeks to define a technical approach that would achieve a Maritime EMS Constructive Simulator (MECS) prototype minimum viable product (MVP) within 24-36 months of design/prototype start. The challenge can be viewed via the following link: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=maritime-ems-constructive-simulator-mecs