Request for Information for Situational Awareness, Boundary Enforcement and Response (SABER) Taps and Aggregators Production for Surface Ships

The Naval Sea Systems Command is hereby issuing a Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of PEO SHIPS AM. The Navy intends to procure electronics equipment for use in providing cybersecurity related defenses on board surface Navy ships. The Navy is internally developing a Government owned cybersecurity computer program operating environment and cybersecurity related software applications, called the Situational Awareness, Boundary Enforcement and Response (SABER) program. The RFI for the SABER Computing Hardware to host this operating environment and software was issued separately in January 2018. The Navy intends to procure sensors (taps) and aggregators from industry to feed information back to the SABER Computing Hardware. There are two types of taps to be developed: 10/100BaseTX Copper Tap 100BASE FX/1000Base LX Fiber Tap The RFP, if issued, will contain a Government-owned, build-to-print design for the Copper Tap. The RFP will contain performance specifications citing the requirements for the Fiber Tap and Aggregator. The RFP will require the successful offeror to combine multiple quantities of each Tap design with an Aggregator into a single unit, e.g., a Copper Tap & Aggregator Enclosure (CTAE), a Fiber Tap & Aggregator Enclosure (FTAE), and potentially a Mixed Tap & Aggregator Enclosure (MTAE) containing both Copper and Fiber Taps. Any enclosure containing a Copper Tap will also require a power input between 12-28VDC and 45-50 mA of current. The specific number of tap quantities in each enclosure is yet to be determined. Typical 10/100BaseTX shipboard systems using Cat5e cabling normally utilize M24643/59 cable with RJFTV-6MG connectors. Typical shipboard fiber systems utilize both 100BaseFX at 1300 nm over multimode 62.5/125 optical fiber, and 1000BaseLX at 1310 nm over single-mode optical fiber. The connections are full duplex over two fibers (TX from one system to RX at the other). Both TX and RX fibers will need to be monitored. For each of the system connections, there are also spare fibers provided. The Fiber Tap Aggregator Enclosure should provide a location and convenient access to the spare optical fibers. Shipboard fiber connectors typically use either matings external to the enclosure with MIL-PRF-28876 connectors or cable penetrations with matings internal to the enclosure using MIL-C-83522/16 connectors for shock and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS). The FTAE should utilize 1x2 optical splitters with split ratios of either70/30, 75/25, or 80/20. The lower power level should be sent to the aggregator, the higher power level will connect to the system being monitored. The FTAE ideally would be capable of modular tap loadout - all single-mode, all multi-mode, or a mix of both. The aggregator capability of the enclosure should be capable of taking multiple inputs (e.g., 12, 24, 48, or 72) and sending them out to at least one output (multiple outputs may be required for future capabilities). The aggregator shall be capable of adding an additional VLAN tag to the ingress network traffic to identify the input port without modifying any existing Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tags; this is referred to as QnQ per IEEE 802.1ad. The anticipated output of the aggregator would be several single-mode SFP and/or SFP+ outputs; one or more multi-mode outputs available at 100BaseF would be of benefit. Compactness and ease of technician access for maintainability are key areas of concern. The aggregator should operate on a similar power feed as the Copper Tap (12-28VDC and 45-50 mA of current), but 110VAC may also be acceptable. The RFP, if issued, will likely require the successful offeror to design each of the enclosures to meet the performance requirements and to test (1) of each type of unit as first article test units. The Navy anticipates that the First Article test units will be required to pass each of the following environment qualification tests: Heavyweight Grade "A" Shock Testing MIL-STD-901D Vibration MIL-STD-167-1A Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) MIL-STD-461 Rev F High Temp MIL-STD-810G CN1 Method 501.6 Low Temp MIL-STD-810G CN1 Method 502.6 Rain (drip) MIL-STD-810G CN1 Method 506.6 Humidity Temp MIL-STD-810G CN1 Method 507.6 Airborne Noise Requirement MIL-STD-740-1 The successful offeror will be responsible for identifying the test facilities and conducting all tests as well as documenting results and taking corrective actions, if necessary, to meet all environmental qualification testing requirements. Once the first article test units have passed testing, the contractor would be responsible for producing as many as 50 of each type of unit (e.g., CTAE, FTAE, MTAE) each year. The equipment vendor will not be required to provide cybersecurity computer program operating environments or cybersecurity computer program applications as these will be integrated by the Government after the equipment is delivered. However, the equipment vendor will be required to provide all the commercial operating systems and licenses associated with the commercial hardware in the units and the vendor will also be responsible for developing and providing equipment self-test and diagnostic software. REQUESTED RFI RESPONSES: - 1 1. Describe your technical capabilities and experience in potentially meeting the requirements of a Government provided performance specification for designing and producing Tap & Aggregator units for multiple NAVSEA ship classes. - 2 2. Describe your engineering capabilities and experience at testing and qualifying electronics equipment to meet Grade "A" shock as well as all the other environment qualification tests. Include your experience at locating and obtaining test facility support and your success at passing the tests and obtaining Government concurrence of the testing results. - 3. Describe your manufacturing capabilities and quality production management capabilities to produce large numbers of SABER equipment configuration components (up to 50 quantity of each of 4 different types of units) each year for use on multiple surface ship classes. 4. Indicate your intent to utilize subcontractors for a significant portion of the effort described herein. Responses and comments are requested by 4:00 pm (EST), on May 3, 2018. Information should be e-mailed to Tara Borntreger at tara.borntreger@navy.mil. Responses should indicate enough detail so that the Navy may assess a potential offeror's capability in relation to the anticipated requirements described above. Responses are requested to be provided electronically and acceptable formats include Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint files. The information provided will assist NAVSEA in developing the hardware requirements for inclusion in future developments, procurements and acquisitions. As the requirements will be publically available once published, the comments provided should not contain proprietary information. However, if some of the background on the comments provided is considered proprietary to the respondent, that portion shall be segregated and labeled as such and will be treated as Business Sensitive and will not be shared outside of Government activities and agencies without the permission of the provider. It is noted that membership of the extended Navy team includes Government support contractors, but no information will be shared with non-Government employees without express permission from the source of the information. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. This RFI in no way binds the Government to offer contracts to responding companies. Defense and commercial contractors, including small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned business, HUBZone small businesses, and women-owned businesses are encouraged to participate. Academia and other research organizations are also encouraged to participate. This RFI is the initiation of market research under Part 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). All information shall be provided free of charge to the Government. NAVSEA may request further information regarding the capabilities of respondents to meet the requirements and may request a presentation and/or a site visit as deemed necessary. Follow-up questions may be asked of responders for clarification, but this will not indicate a selection or preference. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP or other solicitation, if any is issued. Classified material will not be accepted.