Request for Information (RFI)

Subject: Operations, Sustainment and Maintenance of Existing Airborne Communication System

This RFI is solely to inform the Government’s market research for a potential follow-on contract for the Battlefield Airborne Communication Node (BACN) Operations, Sustainment and Support program. Currently the BACN program consists of two primary contracts: (1) The BACN Operations and Sustainment and Support (BOSS) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract and (2) The BACN Platform Maintenance contract.

The current BACN BOSS IDIQ contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Missions Systems (NGMS) in January 2021. This contract provides support for fielded BACN payloads, including their operations, maintenance, and sustainment in Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) operating locations. Under this contract, NGMS also provides the personnel for all operations and maintenance support. The ordering period for this contract ends in January 2026 and the Periods of Performance ends in January 2027.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC/HNAB) is seeking information from interested contractors specializing in systems facilitating tactical edge information exchange by reducing communications issues associated with incompatible systems, adverse terrain, and distance. Specifically, the Government is interested in contractors who are capable of operating and providing sustainment and maintenance for an existing communication system currently providing these capabilities. This RFI is intended to gather information and evaluate industry capabilities in providing interoperable information exchange between disparate Tactical Data Link (TDL) systems and voice relay and bridging between unique tactical voice systems.

The existing communication system facilitates tactical edge information exchange by addressing communication issues associated with incompatible systems, adverse terrain, and distance. It achieves these capabilities without modifying or placing size, weight, and power (SWaP) loads upon end-user platforms. The system operates as a multi-faceted gateway communications system, providing the military commander with a versatile means of exchanging information from multiple air, ground, and maritime sources. This includes host nation, joint, and coalition forces via message relay, translation, and forwarding.

The systems primary objectives are as follows (in no particular order):

1. Facilitate the transport of data and voice across the battle space
2. Enable network connectivity among weapon systems, sensors, warfighters, decision makers, platforms, and command centers at all echelons of command and control (C2)

Submission Instructions:

All businesses interested in receiving the detailed capabilities document and statement of objectives should complete all the attached documentation and submit via email to rhett.reed@us.af.mil and emina.velovic@us.af.mil no later than (NLT) 1600 EST, 29 July 2024. To receive the formal RFI, the interested business must be a U.S. company with an active US CAGE Code and possess, at a minimum, a Secret facility clearance. Companies will need to designate two (2) individuals to receive the formal RFI documentation. The designated individuals will need to sign both attachments to this Sources Sought. Companies will also need to simultaneously send a visit request (VR), for a period of 90 days after Sources Sought notice, to AFLCMC/HNAB via Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), SMO Code: LK1MFNG6. The Point of Contact is AFLCMC/HNAB Security Manager: Mr. Antonio Smith, email: antonio.smith.26@us.af.mil, (781) 225-5632. Document requests that are missing required information, or signature will be returned without action. Once the submitted Document Registration and Disclaimer form, individual Non-Disclosure Agreements and visit requests are received and approved the detailed RFI will be provided via encrypted email through Department of Defense (DoD) Safe Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) Website (https://safe.apps.mil/).

Please submit your capabilities statement, clearly presenting evidence that your organization is capable of providing the stated requirements with sufficiently qualified personnel. Include any relevant experience, expertise, and successful past performance in similar projects. Interested contractors should consider the following in their submission:

1. Description of proven fielded or existing systems that meets or has the potential to meet all the current system capabilities.
2. A Technical Requirements Level (TRL) assessment of your company’s system maturity.
3. Comparison of your system capabilities against the capabilities identified detailed capabilities document. Identification of which capabilities your system meets and does not meet.
4. If your company’s system, does not currently meet the full complement of technical and functional capabilities, provide a summary of how you plan to meet the full complement of capabilities.
5. A description of the timeline and a Rought Order of Magnitude for implement a program that meets the system capabilities and achieves the mission requirements (operations, sustainment, support).
6. A description, contract number(s), period of performance, and associated Government point of contract of demonstrated experience in operating and sustaining a similarly complex airborne subsystem to include continuity of operations, hardware and software operations, maintenance, and sustainment.
7. A preliminary support concept to enable communication payload operations that meet mission performance requirements including sustainment of the payload and associated ground and support equipment.
8. A description of previous experience in flight-line operations of US military aircraft and pre-flight check-out of on-board mission equipment as well as remote in-flight operations of that equipment.
9. A description of your company’s ability to satisfy the requirements in the Draft Statement of Objectives.
10. The ability to provide Government Purpose Rights or Unlimited Rights to the proposed BACN payload system.
11. Established facility clearance up to SECRET and current COMSEC accounts.
12. Adequate program personnel with U.S citizenship and DoD SECRET security clearances.

Please note that this RFI is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a contract will be awarded. AFLCMC/HNAB reserves the right to use the information received for market research and acquisition planning purposes.

Attachments:

1. Contractor Registration and Disclaimer Form

2. Air Force Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

3. Statement of Objective (SOO) dated 21 March 2024

4. System Requirements Document (SRD) dated 01 January 2024

* Access to restricted attachments will only be granted upon receipt of Contractor Registration and NDA *

Attachments/Links