Active

Contract Opportunity

THIS IS A RFI ONLY. This Sources Sought (SS)/Request for Information (RFI) is being posted to be used for preliminary planning purposes in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. The Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal, AL (ACC-R) intends to issue a solicitation for a single prime to integrate the NW-A components and deliver the NW-A system. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This announcement does not commit the Government to solicit or award a contract now or in the future. Responders are advised that the US Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the Responder’s expense. However, responsible, interested parties may identify their interest and capability by responding to this notice. The Government will consider all information received prior to the closing date of this notice.

Purpose: The Product Manager Air Warrior (PdM AW) is seeking to identify interested contractors capable of being the single prime contractor to deliver the NW-A system

***Please see attachment for Picture***

Background:

NW-A System:

The baseline configuration of the NW-A system consists of sixteen (16) tablets and one (1) NW-A support kit.

NW-A tablet (shown below):

The NW-A tablet is a modified commercial off the shelf tablet for Army cockpit use, replacing the current Electronic Flight Bag and provides air crews with a tactical mission planning and execution capability, aligned with currently issued ground forces capability. NW-A tablet consists of a tablet with protective case, kneeboard, stylus, stylus lanyard and s Secured Digital card. The NW-A tablet uses a converged software baseline starting with the established capability within Nett Warrior’s Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) Software (SW), with added aircrew required capabilities and loaded on the tablets prior to fielding. Currently, the NW-A tablet baseline is the Samsung Tab Active 3, with Android operating system 11. The initial NW-A system baseline replaces paper in the cockpit and operates as a standalone Situational Awareness (SA) tool, containing a static Common Operating Environment (COE) for ground forces. However, even in the baseline configuration where a network connection node is not provided, the NW-A tablet still carries the requirement to connect to available networks.

NW-A Support Kit (Shown below):

The NW-A support kit is packaged in a protection transit case and consists of a Getac laptop with a NW-A image loaded, including Windows Tactical Assault Kit (WINTAK), enabling conversion of Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) products for use on the NW-A tablet. The NW-A support kit also includes a wireless router to establish a closed wireless network for loading data/AMPs products on tablets, ample charging capability for tablets, and Universal Serial Bus multi-port hub for direct data transfer in the absence of the wireless network.

NW-A Network Connectivity:

NW-A has been purposefully engineered with future capability in mind, leveraging available or future Tactical Networks, such as the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN), to provide enhanced SA. During NW-A development, PdM AW has demonstrated SA can be accomplished until maturity of platform network connection infrastructure is fully integrated. PdM AW showed through participation in multiple experimental events using the Aviation Information System (AIS) Demonstration Kit (ADK). The ADK leverages the Gateway Mission Router as a radio agnostic method to expand software capability to meet COE requirements set forth by Aviation Enablers - Requirements Determination Directorate (AE-RDD).

The US Government requires the offeror to be capable of the following:

1. Perform Program management functions as the lead prime for on time delivery of the NW-A system to include:
   
   
   
   1. Support a post-award conference NLT 45 days after award of this contract.
   
   
   2. Develop, maintain and deliver an Integrated Master Schedule showing optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely duration of planned events, milestones, accomplishments, exit criteria, with risk quantified in hours, days, or weeks of delay.
   
   
   3. Construct, maintain and deliver the Contract Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS) and CWBS dictionary with paragraph references linking each CWBS element to the relevant paragraph in the Statement of Work.
   
   
   4. Deliver all Contract Data Requirement List (CDRL) via TOPvue/CDRLvue on schedule.
   
   
   5. Conduct, at minimum, two (2) Program Management Reviews (PMR) annually but accommodate any Government request for a PMR with mutually agreed upon prior notification. The contractor will deliver the Read Ahead slides for any PMR to the Government via CDRL at least (10) business days prior and PMR notes/minutes NLT 5 business days after execution of the PMR via CDRL.
   
   
   6. Conduct and report proper Risk Management.
   
   
   7. Conduct any required meetings for overall management of the NW-A system. This includes, but is not limited to, In-Process Reviews, Integrated Product/Process Developments and Technical Interchange Meetings.
   
   
   8. Cost Reporting Requirements via CDRL:
      
      
      
      1. Cost Data Summary Report (DD Form 1921)
      
      
      2. Functional Cost-Hour Report (DD Form 1921-1)
      
      
      3. Progress Curve Report (DD Form 1921-2)
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   


2. Ensure proper program security and safety requirements are met in execution of the contract.


3. Form a partnership agreement with the PdM AW directed contractor for NW-A/GMR software and system engineering to:
   
   
   
   1. Ensure on-time delivery of required NW-A SW builds, delivered on the Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) HW and Android operating system the NW-A SW build is qualified on for operation, to include any Government directed changes, with mutually agreed upon timeline of notification of change.
      
      
      
      1. Planning factors for COTS HW and SW:
         
         
         
         1. COTS HW changes every three (3) years and each COTS HW operates three (3) Android Operating systems SW builds, that change annually.
         
         
         2. Expect one (1) large NW-A SW drop annually that will require full contractor, lab and Government testing, to include a full Army Interoperability Certification (AIC) built on a new COTS Android Operating system.
         
         
         3. Expect two (2) NW-A SW addendums that will operate on same COTS Android operating system, require contractor/lab testing, limited field testing and a self-determination, not a full AIC certification.
         
         
         
         
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. Ensure proper DISA STIG Compliance Guidelines are followed.
   
   
   3. Ensure proper SW license management.
   
   
   4. Assist the Government in management of Android operating system patch dissemination and application.
   
   
   5. Ensure GMR baseline is maintained as the NW-A baseline changes, to include requirement to test/confirm NW-A ability to connect to networks, if available.
   
   
   6. Provide technical reach back support for Government testing and field support.
   
   
   7. Plan to provide at least two (2) formal Software Change Packages.
   
   
   
   


4. Provide a fully integrated NW-A system, per the Government managed configuration and confirmed through System Acceptance Testing.


5. Procure the NW-A tablets and NW-A support kit components, per the Government managed configuration.


6. Assist the Government with management of the system configuration to include:
   
   
   
   1. Conduct annual audits of the configuration with the Government.
   
   
   2. Construct, maintain and deliver the Configuration Management Plan for the system.
   
   
   3. Conduct review for compliance with the Configuration Management Plan.
   
   
   4. Construct, maintain and deliver the Configuration Status Accounting.
   
   
   5. Conduct and deliver one (1) “As Maintained Audit” of configuration (Physical Configuration Audit).
   
   
   6. Construct and submit Engineering Change Proposals (ECP), as required.
   
   
   7. Establish and maintain data management documented in the Configuation Management Plan, to include a system to store data, accessible by the Government at any time.
   
   
   8. Provide all required CDRL deliveries, on time, via TOPvue/CDRLvue.
   
   
   
   


7. Provision all NW-A tablets and required support kit components with Government directed NW-A SW baseline.


8. Develop and deliver a Logistical Support Plan for the NW-A system, including:
   
   
   
   1. Provide required logistics reporting to the Government.
      
      
      
      1. Bi-annual Status Report documenting all NW-A logistics activities.
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. Starting with the baseline NW-A Training Support Package (TSP), update and deliver TSPs for NW-A iterations in the proper Directorate of Training and Doctrine format.
   
   
   3. Coordinate with PdM AW and Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) on Technical Manual updates for NW-A iterations.
   
   
   4. Develop, implement, and maintain a Supply Chain Risk Management plan for monitoring, reporting, and controlling risks and opportunities associated with executing the program to include:
      
      
      
      1. Conduct full Supply Chain Monitoring with emphasis on COT hardware and software lifecycles.
      
      
      2. Document and report all Continuous Technology refreshment requirements.
      
      
      3. Recommend any Life of Type procurements, Spares replenishment procurement and delivery to PdM AW warehouse.
      
      
      4. Recommend required spares to the Government.
      
      
      5. Recommend required long lead items.
      
      
      
      
   
   
   5. Obsolescence surveillance, to include establishment of and conducting an Obsolescence Management working group two (2) times annually.
   
   
   6. Package all NW-A tablets and support kit components for delivery to PdM AW warehouse or fielding.
   
   
   
   


9. Prepare and deliver all Provisioning Technical Documentation for NW-A components per Appendix A of Society of Automotive Engineers- Government Electronics and Information Technology Association-Standard (SAE-GEIA-STD)-0007 and GEIA Attribute Selection Worksheet for Army Communication and Electronics Command (CECOM) and AMCOM provisioning.

The RFI includes information representative of those that will be included in any future NW-A solicitation.

Instructions: Request that interested parties provide a response via email to this RFI no later than (NLT) 19 February 2024, 1700, CST to:

AMCOM Contracting Center Air Sparkman Center Circle BLDG 5303

Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-0000

Or email to:

Mr. Joe W. Pollard at joe.w.pollard.civ@mail.mil or

Ms. Felicia R. Dortch at felicia.r.dortch.civ@army.mil

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submissions can be made through written correspondence and/or electronic mail. Responses should be no more than ten (10) pages and include, at a minimum:

• Name and address of the interested company or organization;


• Whether the offeror is a small or large business;


• Contact information for the primary POC;


• A brief description of the potential offeror’s company/organization;


• A description of the potential offeror’s capabilities;


• A description of how the potential offeror’s capabilities either currently meet or how it could meet the PdM Air Warrior requirement;


• A Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) cost for execution from contract award to system delivery, to include travel costs.

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