Request for Information: Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) Planar Array Antenna Assembly (PAAA) Production from FY 2025 to FY 2030

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in FAR 15.201(e). The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), on behalf of the Command-and-Control Program Executive Office directorate (PEO IWS 6.0), is conducting market research to seek industry inputs and interest as well as identify potential sources that possess the capability to accomplish potential future requirements in support of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) program. The information obtained in response to this RFI is intended to increase our understanding of industry interest and capability for CEC and inform acquisition decisions related to the CEC program. SECTION 1: ABOUT CEC The Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle-force Anti-Air Warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information such that the superset of this data is available to all participating CEC units. This in turn provides improved Battle Force Air and Missile Defense by coordinating all ship/air sensor data into a single, real-time, composite track picture supporting integrated fire control. The CEC system is installed aboard United States (US) and allied ships (through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program) to include cruisers, frigates, destroyers, amphibious warfare ships, and aircraft carriers. The CEC Planar Array Antenna Assembly (PAAA) is a multi-face antenna assembly used in the shipboard AN/USG-2x CEC configuration. SECTION 2: SCOPE The potential future requirements in this notice consist of CEC PAAA production requirements that will be procured through a follow-on contract providing continued production coverage of the PAAA, including, but not limited to, antenna manufacture, assembly, and repair for the United States Navy and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, testing, Installation and Checkout (INCO) kits, spares, provisioned item orders, and ancillary engineering support from Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through FY2030. The contemplated scope of work requires a source that currently possesses the required capability to meet the program schedules for the production and repair of the CEC PAAA sub-systems without delays in fulfilling the Navy's requirements. This contract effort is for the continued production and repair of the critical CEC PAAA sub-systems, obsolescence management, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) technology insertion, the procurement of the associated test equipment, and the related engineering support. This contract action will have a hybrid approach which will encompass both build-to-print and build-to-specification production efforts. The build-to-specification efforts are to replace known obsolete parts in the PAAA design reflected in the current Technical Data Package (TDP). The prospective source would provide for the continued production of the PAAA sub-system based on a proposed revised design to address these obsolescence issues and approved under a Government approved Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process. Scope of work will include antenna manufacture and assembly for the United States Navy (USN) and FMS customers, testing, Installation and Checkout (INCO) kits, spares, provisioned item orders, and all ancillary engineering support. Ancillary engineering support includes all material and other direct costs, such as components; accessories; related documentation; associated tools; packing; packaging and marking; and any necessary system testing in support of the CEC program required for USN, United States Marine Corps (USMC), and FMS customers. The prospective source would also be required to have the ability to provide services in support of installation, checkout and testing of the production end items. Any potential contract award will be based in part on the offeror's demonstration to the Government that it's engineering approach and technical solution for these replacement parts or components can meet the form, fit and function requirements. Due to the nature of these requirements, the potential offeror will need to demonstrate the required level of technical expertise and the production capability necessary to deliver the fully tested equipment in time to meet shipyard - In-Yard Need dates and backfit installation schedules. NAVSEA anticipates that a majority of the work contemplated under this notice will be performed at the contractor's site. The applicable NAICS code for this notice is 334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing. SECTION 3: SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS NAVSEA invites all interested potential sources, including small business concerns, to submit written information sufficient to demonstrate the respondent's ability to fulfill the requirements. Qualified sources must demonstrate that they possess the requisite facilities, equipment, and capabilities to perform the work. Please note that a minimum US facility security clearance level of SECRET is required prior to award. Responses are to be submitted via email to the points of contact listed in this notice, and must be received?no later than, 15 March 2023. Please ensure that the subject line of any emails containing responses or questions related to this notice includes the name of your firm and "CEC Planar Array Antenna Assembly (PAAA) Production RFI Response" (without quotations marks). Please limit responses to a maximum of ten (10) pages in length, excluding the cover page, with a minimum font size of 10 points. All information received bearing proprietary markings will be handled in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations. Responses to this notice will not be returned. An acknowledgement of receipt will be provided for all responses received. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within two working days, please notify the points of contacts listed in this notice. Responses to this notice must include the following: SECTION 3.1: COVER PAGE Include a cover page containing the following information: Solicitation number for this notice (N00024-24-R-5241) Company Name Mailing address and physical address (if different) DUNS number CAGE code Business size status (based on NAICS code 334511) Type of small business (if applicable) Name, position, email address, and phone number of point(s) of contact SECTION 3.2: COMPANY INFORMATION a. Provide number of employees employed by company, and annual revenue/receipts for the last 3 completed company fiscal years. b. Identify contracts within the last five (5) years with similar scope and provide brief overview of company responsibilities under the contract. SECTION 3.3: DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES 1) Production of a Data Distribution Antenna for use in Littoral and Blue Water Naval environments If a contract is awarded, the company will be provided the TDP, from the Government, for a legacy CEC PAAA shipboard antenna. Please provide an overview of your company's experience and capabilities producing shipboard equipment, including specific experience in Data Distribution System (DDS) equipment, high-power Radio Frequency (RF) equipment, and RF testing, and providing updates to a Government provided TDP. The overview should describe experience with current or past contracts (USN or DoD) in the following: i. Manufacture, assembly, and repair of complex mechanical enclosures and radomes for RF equipment and antennas in a production environment. ii. Manufacture and test of electrical components and electronic circuit card assemblies in RF equipment and antennas. iii. Acceptance testing of commercial off the shelf (COTS) items and items manufactured to Government approved TDP specifications: including RF equipment and antennas. iv. Production, integration and testing of RF radiating technologies such as (but not limited to) Gallium Arsenide and Gallium Nitride Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC). v. Troubleshooting high-power liquid cooled planar phased arrays, including beam formation, calibration, and steering. vi. Formation of test procedures and fabrication of test fixtures for RF equipment and antennas, including all Line Replaceable Units (LRU) assemblies. vii. Availability of facilities to conduct testing of high-power RF equipment (e.g., compact antenna range, outdoor antenna range). Additionally, using relevant experience from USN or Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, interested companies must summarize their experience and production capacity to support the following activities and processes: i. Managing all design and production aspects of radiating RF equipment hardware production program. ii. Providing systems engineering to design, develop, test, qualify, produce, deliver RF equipment and related hardware. iii. Conducting formal design and test reviews in accordance with DoD requirements/manuals/instructions. iv. Implementing and maintaining a Configuration Management (CM) program. v. Managing Government Furnished Material/Property (GFM/GFP). vi. Managing obsolescence to include a Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) plan and metrics. vii. Implementing and maintaining a Reliability, Maintainability and Quality Assurance (RMQA) program. viii. Development, implementation, and maintenance of a Risk Management Plan to identify, evaluate, and mitigate program risks including technical environmental, safety, cost, and schedule components. ix. Conducting Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analyses and updates. 2) Schedule To support fleet fielding schedules, potential sources must be able to complete production of initial antenna units to support a Production Readiness no later than the 1st quarter of FY2026 (1QFY2026). Discuss any circumstances or capabilities that would accelerate or impede your company's ability to deliver antennas by the required dates. 3) Barriers to Competition Identify any obstacles to competition in the areas of production, engineering support, test facilities, or defined scope of work that would hinder or restrict your company's involvement in a future competitive procurement. In addition, recommend solutions or mitigation paths for the Navy to overcome the obstacles. SECTION 4: DISCLAMIER This notice is not a request for proposals. Per FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice do not constitute offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or obligation on the part of the Government. The Government makes no representations that a solicitation for the requirements described in this notice will be issued. Respondents are wholly responsible for any costs or expenses associated with submitting a response. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice or any further requests for information relating to a response. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this notice. The information obtained from submitted responses may be used by the Government in the development of a procurement strategy. Information submitted in response to this notice will become the property of the United States Government. Respondents should properly mark any materials submitted with the appropriate restrictive markings. Information that is proprietary or competition-sensitive may be protected from disclosure under the public records statutes only if properly labeled as such. Any small businesses that believe they can accomplish this entire requirement should indicate their small business status (see FAR Part 19) in their response. Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing via e-mail to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer's email addresses. Verbal questions will not be accepted. Questions shall not contain classified information.