Joint System Integration Laboratory Division Research, Development, Integration, experimentation, test and evaluation and operation of contractor UAS systems and subsystems

Synopsis: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY - This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This notice serves as market research in accordance with FAR Part 10. Responses to this notice will be used as part of the information gathered as market research that will be used to develop the acquisition strategy to satisfy this potential requirement. Solicitations are not available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the United States Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the United States Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the United States Government. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities site (FedBizOpps). It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. The US Army Contracting Command-Redstone (ACC-R) is exploring options for Contractor performance of AAI Corporation Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Products engineering and technical services in order to support the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Systems, Simulation, Software and Integration (S3I) Directorate's Joint System Integration Laboratory (JSIL) Branch with research, development, integration, experimentation, test and evaluation and operation of contractor UAS systems and subsystems. The proposed action is a new contract, similar in scope to W31P4Q-14-D-0020. Engineering and technical services will range from concept exploration through specification formation, development, test, integration, training, fielding, and sustainment operations including Post Production Software Support (PPSS). A Contractor would furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services, and facilities to perform the following services. The JSIL Branch is responsible to Service and Joint customers to further develop, refine, evaluate and integrate Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies, platforms and payloads with the potential of improving the Warfighting Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) capabilities of ISR and weapon systems. Aside from sensor payloads, ISR payloads are also construed to include lethal payloads deployable from or with the ISR platform. The JSIL Branch conducts development, experimentation, integration and testing of systems, capabilities and architectures beyond the boundaries of the typical UAS system. These activities include the integration of unmanned ground systems, unmanned combat air vehicles, unmanned surface and subsurface vehicles and the integration of manned and unmanned systems and architectures. Performance of the contractor under this performance work statement will include engineering and technical services that will support the spectrum of systems and architectures encompassing AAI Corporation UAS products. The JSIL Branch is responsible for the development, integration and operation of modeling, simulation and training systems and modules in support of systems, processes, capabilities and integrated joint, component and allied tactics, techniques and procedures involving AAI UAS equipment and products. The modeling, simulation and training systems are constantly revised, upgraded and tuned to represent state-of-the-art capabilities in support of war fighter processes. The contractor will perform engineering and technical services required to support JSIL Branch and JSIL customers in the development, integration and operation of modeling, simulation and training systems and modules in support of systems, processes, capabilities and integrated joint, component and allied tactics, techniques and procedures. The contractor shall provide engineering and technical services required to install, maintain, and operate UAS systems for the purposes of accomplishing and demonstrating the required technical objectives at both CONUS and OCONUS sites. The required period of performance is two years with performance up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level. ACC-R is seeking the following information: 1. Potential respondents shall describe how they would propose to successfully perform each of the required UAS engineering and technical services, assuming that all services provided by respondent would be accomplished in accordance with all applicable U.S. laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. 2. Potential respondents shall describe both their previous experience in performing the required UAS engineering and technical services as well existing relationships with the following entities and the extent to which such relationships would enable respondents to successfully perform these services: a. The SHADOW, SHADOW 200, UAS Prime Contractor; b. The UAS SHADOW, SHADOW 200, airframe avionics and Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS), datalink, software subsystem prime subcontractor; c. The UAS Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS) and One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) Prime Contractor; d. The datalink subsystem prime subcontractor; e. The Gray Eagle UAS ground control station system prime contractor; g. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (USATRADOC); h. U.S. Army Aviation Program Executive Office (PEO) and the U.S. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office; i. U.S. Army PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors k. Unified Combatant Commands, including United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), European Command (USEUCOM), United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM); and l. U.S. Government entities with Foreign Military Sales responsibilities, national governments or public authorities associated with FMS efforts involving SHADOW, Shadow 200, its major subsystems, the Universal Ground Control Station and AAI unmanned products. 3. Potential respondents shall provide answers to the following sample tasks: 1) Describe the process to modify, design and approve for flight operations a Shadow UAS Ground Control Station V1 crew station display processor in which the supplier has recently published an end-of-life notification. If applicable, this process discussion should include how the respondent would address software information assurance, safety of flight and risk management framework required to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO). 2) Describe the process for incorporating a new version of the Common Message processor (CMP) client/server software into a new Universal Ground Control Station Software release and prepare to field it. This process discussion should include how the respondent would address software information assurance, safety of flight and risk management framework required to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO). 3) Describe the process to integrate a new air vehicle platform into the UGCS within the existing system architecture. This discussion should address aircraft payload space, cooling and electrical power limitations as well as how to implement within the existing datalink the uplink messaging payload command and control and downlink messaging for payload output to the ground control station within the existing datalink system performance parameters. This process discussion should include how the respondent would address software information assurance, safety of flight and risk management framework required to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO). The interested parties shall address the steps necessary to conduct each sample task, indicating steps to accomplish, risk analysis/assessment, Safety of flight, aerodynamics (if applicable), software verification and changes (if applicable), testing, including bench and flight and how to interact with prime or subcontractors that hold proprietary rights to technology that needs to be modified, and any actions necessary to accomplish and sustain the design during ground and flight testing. The offeror shall also indicate the type and magnitude of engineering support needed from the prime or its subcontractors in order to complete the sample task. Information submitted by respondents to this Sources Sought should include consideration of such technical issues as Information Assurance, as well as interoperability verification and validation of changes resulting from the above tasks. The respondent should identify its perception of any technical limitations impacting these tasks and providing a complete scope of risk reduction efforts needed for each of the proposed tasks as well as the following technical considerations: design verification, Information Assurance with new system software integration, and safety of flight issues. The interested parties shall describe both their previous experience in performing the required UAS engineering and technical services as well existing relationships with the following entities and the extent to which such relationships would enable respondents to successfully perform these services. It is important that respondents to this Sources Sought address how to resolve the sample tasks in their response. 4. The required services are currently being performed under an existing sole source contract with the United States Government, W31P4Q-14-D-0020, with an applicable NAICS of 541712. Potential respondents shall describe existing or proposed technical agreements with UAS System Prime and Subcontractors that will make possible the performance of the required UAS engineering and technical services described in this notice. The response must be submitted on white papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format and shall be limited to 10 pages based on Font: Arial, Font Size: 12. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To assist the Government's efforts, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified and properly marked. The Government reserves the right to request further clarification to enhance our understanding of the respondent's submittal. The response date for this market research is September 14, 2018, 4:00 pm CST. All questions and industry responses to this RFI shall be submitted via e-mail to Army Contracting Command-Redstone, Judson Alexander-Contracting Officer, at Judson.t.alexander.civ@mail.mil and Porsha Bell Contract Specialist, at porsha.j.bell.civ@mail.mil. No telephone requests will be accepted. CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS ACC-RSA - (Missile), ATTN: CCAM-RD-D, Building 5400, Fowler Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5280