SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- Broad Agency Announcement-Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) Spiral I
- Notice Date
- 11/16/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- MICC - Fort Gordon, Directorate of Contracting, 419 B Street, Bldg 29718, 3rd Floor, Fort Gordon, GA 30905-5719
- ZIP Code
- 30905-5719
- Solicitation Number
- AEWE11162012
- Archive Date
- 2/14/2013
- Point of Contact
- Tara McAdoo, (706)791-1831
- E-Mail Address
-
MICC - Fort Gordon
(tara.mcadoo@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Posted Date: 16 NOV 2012 Response Date: 14 DEC 2012 1.Introduction. The Fort Gordon Signal Center of Excellence (SIGCoE) Capabilities Development Integration Directorate, Experimentation Division, (CDID-ED) is seeking commercial vendors and DOD organizations that would like to showcase their emerging communications and networking technologies at the U.S. Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) Spiral I that will be conducted at the U.S. Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE), Ft. Benning, GA, 2nd Qtr FY 2014. 2.Background. AEWE provides U.S. Army Capability Developers, the Science and Technology (S&T) community, and Industry with a repeatable, credible, rigorous, and validated operational venue to support Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities (DOTMLPF) concepts and materiel development efforts in a realistic, live, prototype, force-on-force experiment. AEWE also presents industry with an opportunity to gain Soldier and Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) feedback on new product developments prior to demonstrating them at events such as the Network Integration Exercise (NIE) at Fort Bliss, TX. The experiment culminates with a VIP Day where technologies are given visibility at the Army Acquisition Community level. AEWE is focused at the Small Unit level (Company and below) and examines concepts and capabilities for the current and future force across all Warfighting functions. AEWE is sponsored by the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) and executed by the MCoE in cooperation with the Signal Center of Excellence (SIGCoE) and other Army TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command) Centers of Excellence. 3.Network Capabilities Sought: a.The SIGCoE will work with selected vendors and government organizations to design a reliable communications (transport) network for AEWE Spiral I that can adequately support the integration and evaluation of diverse intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies, while providing voice and data services for the AEWE Experimentation Force (EXFOR) and Opposing Force (OPFOR). See Attachment 1 for sample EXFOR layout. The network must provide voice, mission command (mounted and dismounted) and video services (streaming and still picture) in support of an Infantry Company performing tactical operations (Cordon/Search, Defense, Attack, Ambush, Route Recon, Area Recon). b.While stable network performance is required, the ideal AEWE Spiral I transport network would have a hybrid design that integrates/augments software defined tactical radios that are part of the Army's Communications Capability Set (CS) 13/14 with emerging network/communications technologies and concepts that can be evaluated against documented capability gaps, operational need statements (ONS), and Joint Urgent Operational Need Statements (JUONS). The Spiral I network should also provide the Army a network concept that can be explored for future Capability Sets, CS 15/16 and beyond. c.At a minimum, the AEWE communications network must provide the following services for the EXFOR and OPFOR: i.Dismounted, Man-portable Voice/Data Communication Systems; ii.Mounted Voice/Data Communication Systems; iii.Communications Range Extension Capabilities; iv.Mission Command Systems (mounted and dismounted); v.Video Compression and Distribution technologies. d.Respondents are encouraged to create partnerships with other vendors or Government organizations to bring together a partial or full set of communications capabilities required for the AEWE Spiral I communications network. 4.AEWE network technologies of interest: Below is a list of capabilities that the Army SIGCoE is interested in seeing demonstrated as part of the AEWE transport network: a.Any technologies that can improve current Army communication system's Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWAP-C) characteristics; b.Adaptive/phased array antenna technologies capable of interfacing with existing tactical radios; c.Cognitive radio technologies; d.Aerial mounted communications platforms (UAV, aerostat, etc.); e.Technologies that optimize tactical (BN & below) network performance; f.Augmentation of CS 13/14 assets with technologies that will improve the transmission of ISR data to the tactical edge; g.Technologies that improve network security of tactical-edge information system devices and the associated network; h.Systems that bridge dissimilar tactical networking waveforms (SRW, ANW2, WNW); i.Hybrid systems that integrate multiple communications capabilities (Radio, COMSEC, data services, user interface, etc) in one form-factor to improve SWAP-C characteristics and/or network performance; j.Peripheral devices that improve Soldier-to-Device interfaces, to reduce cognitive and dexterous load, allowing the Soldier to maintain tactical situational awareness, while simultaneously being able to efficiently/effectively interface with their respective communications/ information system. k.Technologies that can be integrated with existing dismounted mission command systems to allow soldier tracking (Position Location Information) in GPS restrictive environments. l.Optimized NetOps tool that can be used by Signal Soldiers assigned at the BCT level and below to track network health, provide real-time RF signal coverage maps, record and analyze network statistics, monitor all network connected devices and associated SNMP MIBs, create reports, and provide remote device configuration capabilities. 5.Sequence of Events: Vendors that are interested in being considered for participation in AEWE Spiral I must submit a white paper and quad chart as described in paragraphs 6 and 7. The AEWE Spiral I selection process will adhere to the timeline shown below. a.14 Dec 2012 - White paper/quad chart submissions due; b.21 Dec 2012 - Vendors invited to present technology at AEWE Spiral I Technology Selection Conference; c.9-10 JAN 2013 - AEWE Spiral I Technology Selection Conference, TRADOC Headquarters, Fort Eustis, VA; d.25 Jan 2013 - AEWE Spiral I Technology Selections announced; e.20 - 22 Mar 2013 - AEWE Spiral I Initial Planning Conference; Fort Benning, GA. 6.White Paper and Quad Chart Submissions: a.The following organizations may submit white papers and quad charts on the technologies that they want considered for participation in AEWE Spiral I: DOD laboratories, colleges and universities, non-profit research institutions, commercial firms, large and small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, historically black colleges and universities, and minority business enterprises and institutions. Quad charts should be constructed in PowerPoint. See attachment 2. These two documents, along with a live 10 minute vendor presentation at the Technology Selection Conference, will be the basis of selection for participation in AEWE Spiral I. NOTE: Upon selection for participation in AEWE Spiral I, the SIGCoE Network Battle Lab may invite selected vendors to its facility at Fort Gordon, GA, to demonstrate that their network technology performs in a manner consistent with their published documentation. b.All white papers and quad charts should be submitted electronically to MAJ (P) Philippe Persaud (706) 791-8049 or (254) 290-3945; email: philippe.r.persaud.mil@mail.mil. 7.White Paper Requirements: a.Vendors may respond to one or more of the topics listed in paragraph 4 in a single whitepaper with a discrete description of each area of interest. b. White Paper Format: The white paper should be a maximum of 5 pages in length, including figures, charts, and tables. It should be single-sided, single line spaced, utilize one (1) inch margins and utilize Aerial 12 pitch font. The cover page shall be excluded from the page count and shall be marked with the BAA number, any required security markings, and the submitter's Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Number. Submitters should mark their white paper with a protective legend IAW FAR 52.215-1(e). All White papers must be unclassified. The white paper shall be prepared in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF electronic file format. The document must be print-capable and not password protected. White papers submitted via email must not exceed 5MB. White papers longer than 5 pages will be rejected. c.At a minimum, the following topics (as appropriate) should be addressed in the white paper: (1)A high level description of the capability to be discussed including: i.Hardware description: 1)Quantity / per unit cost / per bundle cost. 2)Physical interfaces. 3)Expected performance parameters. 4)Documentation/manuals/specifications/etc. 5)Information Assurance and/or Certifications. 6)Size, weight, and power (SWaP). 7)Antenna information. 8)JF-12 Spectrum Certification (if applicable). 9)If there is no JF12 on file for the technology, a 1494 - must be completed using the following website: https://www.stepstoneeditor.com/esceditor/. *NOTE: This will be required upon conditional selection. ii.Software description: 1)Operating system; 2)Platform; 3)Software interfaces; 4)Base Station Controller; 5)Information Assurance and/or Certifications; 6)Compatibility with existing commercial protocols; 7)Interoperability with commercial protocols; 8)APIs; 9)Portability of software solutions; 10)Documentation/manuals/specifications/etc.; 11)How will the discrete technology delivered under this topic be sufficiently innovative and flexible to be able to be integrated with other technologies or into other C2 systems? iii.Functionality provided by the capability; iv.Operational Architecture View (OV-1) depiction; v.Means to provide for Secure Operations; vi.Technology Readiness Level (TRL). All responders must state the TRL of their technology. See Tables III-I and III-II. 8. Vendor Participation: a.Selected technologies will be contacted electronically and the final technology selection list will be published on the AEWE website at https://www.benning.army.mil/mcoe/cdid/aewe/. b.Vendors selected to participate in AEWE Spiral I will do so at their own expense. c.Vendors will require an Army Safety Release in order to participate in the experiment. The AEWE MCoE team will provide guidance in acquiring Safety Releases as needed. d.Vendors must obtain approval from the appropriate Government or commercial agency for any technology that emits a radio frequency. e.Vendors must provide technical systems view diagrams of their respective technologies in order to facilitate integration of the technology into the transport network. f.Vendors will be asked to participate in regular planning meetings via teleconferences. The vendors should also anticipate participating in face-to-face meetings as necessary. g.Vendors that have technologies that will require significant integration efforts will be asked to participate in a risk mitigation exercise that will be conducted at Fort Benning, GA prior to the start of AEWE Spiral I. 8.Disclaimer: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the preparation or information provided in the white papers. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any legal purpose deemed necessary. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed; the information provided will be used to assess the respondent's ability to address the capabilities called for in this BAA. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. This is not an announcement of an acquisition solicitation. 9.Technology Selection/Evaluation Panel. The Government may use selected support contractor personnel to provide administrative assistance to federal employees regarding all aspects of any actions ensuing from this announcement, including supporting federal employees involved in the evaluation of white papers and quad charts. However federal employees will be responsible for actual reviews and evaluations. These support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary information and are not permitted to release any information to third parties, including others in their organization. 10. POINTS OF CONTACT. Questions on the objectives of the BAA or preparation of white papers and quad charts should be addressed to MAJ (P) Philippe Persaud (706) 791-8049 or (254) 290-3945; email: philippe.r.persaud.mil@mail.mil; or Mr. Horace Carney (706) 284-5411; email: horace.carney@us.army.mil. Questions related to contracting should be directed to Mrs. Tara McAdoo, (706) 791-1831, email: tara.l.mcadoo.civ@mail.mil, 419-B Street Building 29718, Fort Gordon GA 30905-5713, (706)791-1831. White paper responses are due by 4:30 P.M. Eastern Time on 14 December 2012.
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