The Request For Information (RFI) response due date has been extended to October 3, 2024 4:30pm EST. The questions submitted for this RFI have been attached with the Government responses.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: EW Sensor - Effector
1.0 DESCRIPTION. Project Manager Electronic Warfare & Cyber (PM EW&C), Product Lead Strategic Spectrum Warfare (PL SSW) is seeking information from interested vendors who can offer sensor(s) and/or effector(s) solutions designed to support coordinated electronic warfare (EW) efforts on the battlefield that can be controlled, managed and be reprogrammed. PL SSW is particularly interested in understanding how such sensor(s) and effector(s) can collaborate coherently or cooperatively to achieve a set objective, as well as how these assets can be command and controlled (C2) either locally or through remote means.
This RFI, and the capabilities sought herein, are extensible across the PM EW&C portfolio, including but not limited to Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) Echelons Above Brigade (EAB), TLS Brigade Combat Team (BCT), and other current and future EW programs. For further information please visit: https://peoiews.army.mil/pm-ewc/.
1.1 This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes. It does not represent a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a guarantee of future RFP issuance. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. It is important to note that the Government is currently not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Any costs incurred while responding to this RFI will be the sole responsibility of the responding party, as the Government will not reimburse for any expenses. Not responding to this RFI will not affect eligibility for future RFPs, should they be issued.
1.2 Potential follow-on activities. The Government may use this RFI as a means of competition to grant one or more Title 10 USC 4023 experimentation agreements. These agreements will provide an opportunity for Vendors to demonstrate their software and potentially sell items for testing and evaluation purposes. Following these demonstrations, the Government intends to award one or more prototyping other transaction agreements (OTAs) and/or follow-on production contracts depending on the results of the testing and evaluation. Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace (C5) membership is required to be considered for any follow-on actions. For information on joining the C5 Consortium, please visit https://cmgcorp.org/c5/.
2.0 BACKGROUND. In the past, EW solutions were primarily centralized, with EW capabilities and command-and-control (C2) functions located on a single platform. This conventional setup often led to restrictions on C2 platform mobility and potential limitations in analyzing and targeting radio frequency (RF) emissions associated with targets of interest. To address these challenges, PL SSW aims to separate the EW command post from distributed EW sensor(s) and/or effector(s), be it electromagnetic attack (EA), electromagnetic support (ES), and/or electromagnetic protection (EP). This disaggregation aims to achieve the objectives outlined in sections 2.1 to 3.3.
2.1 Target Objective(s): EW sensor(s) and/or effector(s) can be classified as various combinations of ES, EA, and EP. The desired EW sensor and/or effector solutions can
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range from highly complex, state-of-the-art software-defined radio transceivers to more affordable, disposable options with a low-cost objective. In this context, low-cost refers to a sensor/effector priced reasonably enough for the United States Army to consider it an attributable/disposable asset. Please note that the cost of the sensor does not include platform integration or material expenses. It is acknowledged that striving for cost objectives may impose limits on the capabilities of any single EW sensor and/or effector solution.
3. REQUESTED INFORMATION.
3.1 Sensor(s) and/or Effector(s) Data and Interface Characteristics: Provide a schema and bandwidth requirements for C2 and patching/updating solutions for ES, EA and EP, consider the following structure:
3.1.1 Schema overview:
3.1.1.1 Outline the overall schema or architecture for C2 and patching/updating solutions for EW sensor(s) and effector(s).
3.1.1.2 Identify the components and interfaces involved in the schema.
3.1.1.3 Discuss potential vulnerabilities and countermeasures.
3.1.2 Bandwidth requirements: Estimate the required wired and wireless bandwidth for C2 and patching/updating solutions based on the number and type of EW sensor(s) and effector(s) involved, as well as the type of data, frequency and volume of data transfers. Exact bandwidth requirements would need to be estimated based on specific use cases and resources.
3.1.3 Transport optimization methods:
3.1.3.1 Discuss various transport optimization methods to reduce bandwidth requirements, such as data compression, prioritization, and selective data retransmission.
3.1.3.2 Explore innovative methods for transport optimization, like bandwidth-efficient error correction codes, intelligent routing algorithms, or edge computing techniques.
3.1.4 Compression techniques:
3.1.4.1 Propose data compression methods (e.g. lossless, lossy) for EW sensor(s) and effector(s) that achieves efficiencies in bandwidth utilization while preserving essential data and information.
3.1.4.2 Discuss the trade-offs between compression efficiency, complexity, and latency.
3.1.5 Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs):
3.1.5.1 Explore various TTPs to enhance C2 and patching/updating processes, such as time-sharing, queuing, or scheduling techniques.
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3.1.5.2 Discuss potential collateral effects and countermeasures for TTPs.
3.1.6 Security considerations: Address the security considerations for C2, mission execution and patching/updating solutions, such as encryption methods, secure key exchange, credential management, device authentication, asset tracking and zeroization capabilities.
3.2 Sensor(s) and/or Effector(s) Processing Capabilities:
3.2.1 In cases where a physical connection from the C2 command post is not required to the sensor(s) and/or effector(s), it is essential to identify and list the native signal processing capabilities of these components. Native signal processing capabilities: List the capabilities inherently present in the sensor(s) and/or effector(s), such as filtering, detection, geolocation or identification.
3.2.2 When a physical connection to the C2 command post is needed for signal processing, the following must be identified:
3.2.2.1 Non-native signal processing capabilities: Enumerate the signal processing functionalities that are not available within the sensor(s) and/or effector(s) but can be provided by the C2 command post or other external sources.
3.2.2.2 Software/Firmware processing algorithms: Outline the specific processing algorithms needed at each node for data processing in a battlefield environment. Detail how these algorithms will efficiently process data, minimize latency, and prioritize critical information.
3.2.3 While identifying these capabilities, it is essential to consider:
3.2.3.1 Performance constraints: Assess factors that may impact the performance of data processing capabilities, such as range, mobility, latency, and accuracy.
3.2.3.2 Growth determination and available bandwidth: Estimate the potential growth of signal processing demands and assess the required bandwidth to support this growth. Consider the practical limitations and availability of resources for implementing such capabilities within the specified resources and budget constraints.
3.3 Sensor(s) and/or Effector(s) Hardware and Software Architecture:
3.3.1 Software architecture: Include details on the software design, software licensing, programming languages used, software libraries/frameworks, and modularity of the software components. Discuss how the software architecture supports the required functionality of the EW sensor(s) and/or effector(s).
3.3.2 Hardware architecture: Describe the hardware components, microprocessors/system-on-chips (SoCs), communication interfaces, and external hardware modules used in the design. Discuss how the hardware architecture supports the required functionality of the EW sensor(s) and/or effector(s) and provides modularity, scalability, extensibility, upgradability and robustness.
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3.3.3 Open standards: Identify any open standards, protocols, or interfaces used in the design of the hardware architecture. This would include communication protocols, data exchange formats, and any other open standards that are essential to ensuring compatibility and interoperability with other systems or platforms.
3.4 Questions.
3.4.1 Question 1. Please provide information on the specific EW sensor(s) and/or effector(s) (ES, EA, and/or EP) that your vendor can offer which have achieved a minimum technology readiness level (TRL) of 5,6 or greater Candidate solutions of a lower TRL may be considered, by exception.
3.4.2 Question 2. What are the capabilities and limitations of those sensor(s) and/or effector(s) to include signal processing as described in Section 3.2 of this document?
3.4.3 Question 3. What is the vendors ability to produce sensor(s) and/or effector(s) in Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP)?
3.4.4 Question 4. What non-traditional and/or unique transport optimization methods and compression techniques are available for sensor(s) and/or effector(s) solution as described in Section 3.1 of this document?
3.4.5 Question 5. What obfuscation capabilities exists in the sensor(s) and/or effector(s) to mask inherent signal processing capabilities?
3.4.6 Question 6. Please provide information on the software and hardware architectures as well as any employed open standards and software licensing as described in Section 3.3 of this document.
3.4.7 Question 7. How adaptable is the sensor(s) and/or effector(s) to being controlled, managed and dynamically reprogramed (once deployed) to accommodate operational mission changes as they occur.
4.0 RESPONSES: Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI. Responses are encouraged even if they address only one of questions contained within the RFI. Responses shall provide the following minimum administrative information: Name, mailing address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact.
4.1 Responses are due no later than 10 September 2024. Vendors shall limit responses to 20 pages. Proprietary information, if any MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information (included in the page limit). Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Vendors shall submit responses via mail to:
• U.S. Army, PM EW&C, ATTN: SFAE-IEW-EW, Security Office, 6631 Cyber Street, Bldg. 5100, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005
4.2 Respondents may provide supplemental information such as product brochures, specification sheets, photographs, illustration, and technical descriptions that describe your company’s current products that most closely match these capabilities described
Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release. Distribution is Unlimited. U.S. Army PM EW&C PRAS -00041.
above. Vendors are encouraged not to include marketing informational materials that do not relate to the products recommended for consideration, as they will be discarded. However, responses may include universal resource locater (URL) links to technical documentation materials (i.e., technical data sheet).
4.3 Classified responses. Vendors may submit CLASSIFIED (up to and including SECRET) responses to this RFI. These submissions shall only include the CLASSIFIED portions of the Vendor’s response. Vendors shall submit any CLASSIFIED portions directly to the Government via hardcopy or electronic submission. When mailing CLASSIFIED documents, Vendors must ensure that they are securely packaged and properly labeled in accordance with the appropriate security guidelines.
4.3.1 CLASSIFIED hardcopy submission shall be addressed to U.S. Army, PM EW&C, ATTN: SFAE-IEW-EW, Security Office, 6631 Cyber Street, Bldg 5100, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005.
4.3.2 The inner wrapper of the submittal shall be addressed to U.S. Army, PM EW&C, ATTN: SFAE-IEW-ES, Attn: Alison Powell, 6631 Cyber Street, Bldg 5100, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005.
4.3.3 CLASSIFIED (up to and including SECRET) electronic submission shall be via SIPR email to: usarmy.apg.peo-iews.mbx.pmew-pmo@mail.smil.mil or via JWICS email to: ewc.pmewc.pmo.mbx@army.ic.gov.
5.0 QUESTIONS. Vendors shall submit questions regarding this announcement in writing via e-mail. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee answers to questions received. The deadline for questions is noon on 26 August 2024. The Government will release questions and answers to all vendors by 30 August 2024. Vendors shall submit questions via e-mail to:
• Oral Grant, Contracting Officer, oral.g.grant.civ@army.mil
• Amber Lowe, Contract Specialist, amber.m.lowe3.civ@army.mil
5.1 Secure Handling Questions. Vendors shall submit questions regarding handling of CLASSIFIED information in writing via e-mail to the PM EW&C Security Officer, Alison Powell, alison.t.powell.civ@army.mil.
6.0 SUMMARY. THIS IS AN RFI ONLY to identify sources that can provide EW sensor(s)/devices on the battlefield and how those disaggregated and distributed would be a command and controlled. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.
