1.0 Contracting Office:
Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Special Operation Forces Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (SOF AT&L), Directorate of Contracting (SOF AT&L-K), 7701 Tampa Point Boulevard, MacDill AFB, Florida.
2.0 Introduction:
USSOCOM is issuing this Request for Information as part of a market survey. This Request for Information (RFI) is for information purposes only and issued in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. RFI’s are a market research tool used to determine potential and eligible businesses capable of providing the services described herein, determine the extent of available commercial products and/or services available, as well as determining other aspects of competition and defining the Government’s requirement. There are no funds available to pay for the preparation of response to this notice. This RFI does not constitute an invitation for bids (IFB), a request for proposal (RFP), a solicitation, a request for quote (RFQ) or an indication the Government will contract for the items provided by any responder(s). The Government will not reimburse responder(s) for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the information requested. Response to this RFI is strictly voluntary and will not affect any potential offeror's ability to submit an offer if a solicitation is released. The Government will disregard any requests for a solicitation package. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested. The Government will not return submissions to the responders. The Government may request responders provide additional information/details based on their initial submissions.
Any resulting contract will require, at a minimum, Secret level security clearances for all contractor personnel and facility access at the time of contract award. There is a potential requirement for a higher level of clearance access for certain locations.
Anticipated Places of Performance:
- Ft Huachuca, AZ
- Launch and Recovery Element, site (OCONUS), United States Central Command (CENTCOM)
- Mission Control Element, Ft Liberty, NC
- Launch and Recovery Element, United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) (OCONUS) (Option)
3.0 Description:
USSOCOM is seeking to identify contractors capable of providing contractor-owned / contractor-operated (COCO) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services in support of Department of Defense (DoD) combat and contingency operational requirements. This RFI is related to support for land-based operations to provide reliable delivery of sensor data. Contractors would be responsible for resources to produce sensor data, such as trained personnel, non-developmental UAS equipment, certifications, operation and maintenance, spares, and product support. Contracted services would be in direct support of OCONUS ISR missions requiring around-the-clock imagery and other sensor capability in support of those missions. Contractors shall be capable of providing ISR services on a normal and surge basis, 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment support would be required, and would entail execution of a variety of responsibilities inherent to execution of such support, including but not limited to, equipment transportation, export control licensing, insurance, personnel travel, processing for overseas movement and accountability, visa coordination, compliance with requirements at DFARS 252.225-7040, Contractor Personnel Supporting US Armed Forces Deployed Outside the US, compliance with DoD Instruction 3020.41, Operational Contract Support, as well as others.
4.0 Responses:
Responses are requested from all interested and capable sources with systems answering the questions in Section 8.0. Please respond with a white paper via electronic mail no later than 30 calendar days after the posting of this RFI. Responses shall be limited to no more than 15 single-sided 8.5 x 11-inch pages, no smaller than 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. Responses shall be compatible with Microsoft Office and Adobe Products. Photographs, pictures, and hyperlinks are permitted. Newspaper column formatting, fold out pages, or zip files are not permitted. It is the respondent’s responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any follow-on information.
Responses shall include your CAGE code, Unique Entity Identifier number, current number of employees, annual revenue history, office location(s), the respondent's web page URL, and a statement regarding current small or large business status based on the designated NAICS code.
Please submit responses via electronic media (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.) to the points of contact listed below.
Amy Chauvin, Contracting Officer, amy.e.chauvin.civ@socom.mil.
Courtesy copies: Jude Lucien, Contract Specialist, jude.d.lucien.civ@socom.mil;
Kerry McDonald, Contract Specialist, kerry.a.mcdonald.civ@socom.mil.
5.0 Proprietary Information:
Responders are required to segregate and clearly mark proprietary information. Responses to this RFI that indicate the information therein is proprietary or represents confidential business information will be received and held in confidence for US Government use only. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.
6.0 Contractor Support:
The Government will utilize contractor consultant/advisors to assist with the execution of this RFI. All advisors shall comply with procurement integrity laws and signed non-disclosure agreements with USSOCOM. The Government will take all necessary and required actions to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure advisors comply with safeguarding proprietary data.
7.0 Requirements:
USSOCOM is specifically interested in UAS ISR services capable of the following performance parameters. The Government requests that interested vendors submit a brief capability statement package demonstrating ability to perform the services based on the parameters in this section. The following parameters constitute mandatory minimum requirements:
Endurance: A minimum of 30 hours in mission configuration with sufficient fuel reserves.
Operational range: At least 400 nautical miles (nm) from the ground control station located at the launch site, with a single air vehicle.
On Station Time: 10 hours’ Time-on-Station (TOS) at maximum range.
Datalink range (communications and Full Motion Video (FMV)): Line of Sight with Type-1 Encryption utilizing the Bandwidth Efficient Common Data Link (BE-CDL) waveform.
Simultaneous, multi-intelligence (multi-INT) capable with FMV sensor(s) and an Electronic Warfare (EW) type sensor.
FMV: Electro Optic (EO)/ Infrared (IR) National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS) of Level 7 or above for EO and IR when taken from the UAV at an altitude of 10,000 feet above ground level (AGL) at a 45-degree slant range.
Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise Positioning Service (PPS) receiver.
Operate in contested/degraded situations (UAS shall be capable of a minimum 74dB of GPS anti-jamming for all phases of flight).
Operate in austere environments.
The Air Vehicle (AV) shall operate on commonly available fuels at forward-deployed locations, such as MIL-DTL-5624, grade JP-4/JP-5; MIL-DTL-83133 grade JP-8/JP-8+100; ASTM D910, aviation gasoline grade 100LL; and their equivalent NATO and commercial versions.
In accordance with DoDI 8510.01, Risk Management Framework (RMF) for DoD Information Technology, obtain an Authorization to Operate (ATO) from the USSOCOM/J6, or reciprocity ATO inherited from another DoD Service Branch are acceptable.
Meet the NDAA2023 Section 817 requirements for country of origin of UAS and critical components.
Submission of a data package that contains engineering data necessary to support Air Force Military Flight Clearance in accordance with AFPD 62-6 and AFI 62-601.
8.0 Questions
The respondent should include detailed information in response to the questions listed below.
General Info
- What is your experience and maturity (a) with manufacturing and developing Unmanned Aircraft System products and (b) with providing ISR services?
- What is the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of your candidate UAS as described in the DoD Technology Readiness Assessment handbook?
- Is the UAS currently available on one or more GSA schedules? If so, which one(s)?
- Did you receive funding to develop your UAS from a government agency?
- Have you deployed and operated this UAS OCONUS? If so, please provide the contract number.
- Have you sold this UAS to United States Federal Government? If so, please provide the contract number.
(B) UAS Operating Parameters/Configuration:
1. Describe how the UAS satisfies the minimum requirements stated in paragraph 4.0 above. In addition, describe the following:
(a) System's anti-jam capabilities.
(b) System's Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) solutions capabilities in a degraded/contested GPS environment.
(c) System's weather limitations to include but not limited to ice, rain, and wind.
(d) System's environmental limitations (altitude, temperature, etc.).
(1) System's level of compliance with MIL-STD-461G.
(2) System's level of compliance with MIL-DTL-901E (Grade B).
(e) System's ability to remain visually and audibly non-detectable at operating altitude.
(f) Data link used to include waveform, operational frequency band, analog or digital, and encryption capabilities.
(g) Data link range at different operating altitudes.
(h) How ground control station communicates with the air vehicle should the system be operating in a Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) situation.
(i) How is the air vehicle launched and recovered?
(1) How many launches, recoveries, and total flight hours have been successfully accomplished for this configuration?
(j) Describe staffing requirements at the organizational level.
(1) How many people are required to operate the UAS?
(2) How many people are required to maintain the UAS?
(k) Provide data supporting that the UAS has been tested in a relevant operational environment, including day and night video, if available.
(l) Has the UAS conducted field user evaluations for the U.S. Government? If so, please provide the following:
(1) Applicable (unclassified) results as to what was demonstrated
(2) Any changes since the demonstration, as relevant to this RFI
(3) U. S. Government Point of Contact.
(m) What software operating system and autopilot does the UAS use? Was the software/autopilot developed and coded in the U.S.? Does the operating software interface with DoD software and DoD mapping imagery software or does it require company proprietary software to operate the system?
(n) How does the UAS download and store data through the ground control station and for how long?
(o) Is the UAS controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)?
(p) Do you have an export configuration? If so, please describe the Export Configuration.
(q) Has Critical Program Information (CPI) or Critical Technology (as defined in the DoDI 5200.39) that requires anti-tamper protection and/or low observable requirements been identified for the UAS? (Unclassified responses only)
(C) Training and Field Support:
1. Describe any other ancillary equipment that is not included as part of the system configuration, such as calibration equipment.
2. Indicate whether there are existing operational and maintenance publications or manuals.
3. Provide the UAS's sparing requirements based on 9,000 flight-hours per year per site
4. Describe the UAS's facility and infrastructure requirements at a fielded site.
5. Describe Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) field support on the UAS while deployed to include harsh or hostile environments overseas.
6. Describe the existing training curriculum (course type classes, devices, duration, training location and any certification requirement timelines).
7. Provide any other system features that the UAS has that are unique and stand out from other system platforms.
(D) Cybersecurity Support
1. Describe whether the system has undergone a DoD sanctioned ATO or IATT using the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process prescribed in DoDI 8510.01.
2. Does the system have an active Authority to Operate/Interim Authority to Test from a DoD Service Branch? If so, which branch?
3. Can artifacts be provided to support a USSOCOM ATO?
4. Describe the current processes that you have implemented to ensure the system meets the information security requirements established within the NIST 800-53 SP framework.
5. Has the system undergone cybersecurity test and evaluation?
6. Is there a network architectural diagram for the system? If so, does this include component/subcomponent interfaces, information flow, ports, protocols, and IP addressing used?
7. Does the system have a System Security Plan (SSP) outlining its implementation status with security controls?
8. Has the system undergone network vulnerability scans, and network enumeration scans (Nessus, Wireshark, NMAP, etc.)?
9. Does the system have a list of hardware used to process, store, and transmit information? (i.e., Full Bill of Material (BOM))
10. Does the system have a complete list of the software used on the system and its function(s)? (i.e., Software Bill of Material (SBOM)
11. Have software assurance techniques been applied to the system, ensuring origins of the code and that it is free from vulnerabilities (secure SDLC, code scanning, quality checks, patch management planning, software testing, configuration control, and SBOM)?
12. Describe how your company has implemented enterprise cybersecurity standards onto your resident IT equipment to be ability to process, store, and transmit DoD Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
13. Is the company's IT infrastructure capable of meeting the requirements directed in DFARS 252.204-7012 for safeguarding covered defense information and cyber incident reporting?
14. Has the company assessed their cybersecurity implementation against the NIST SP 800-171 SP framework?
15. Has your company undergone a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)?
16. Does the company have an enterprise SSP?
