2024-04-08_REQUEST_FOR_INFORMATION_M2S2_USBP-PMOD.pdf

MODULAR MOBILE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (M2S2)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

DESCRIPTION: The U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), as part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is conducting market research on the current availability and technological capabilities of vendors to provide advanced technologies to enhance USBP’s Modular Mobile Surveillance System (M2S2). It is recommended that the USBP’s Technology Design Principles & Standards for Interoperability, Autonomous Surveillance Strategy, and Modular Mobile Surveillance System Technology Roadmap documents (Attachments A, B, C respectfully) be referenced for additional context but should not be considered absolute requirements for M2S2.

The Government is interested in next generation systems. Through this Request for Information (RFI), the Government is not accepting responses for independent sub-components (i.e., software only, cameras only, radars only, etc.).

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF

THIS MARKET RESEARCH OR OTHERWISE PAY FOR INFORMATION RECEIVED. This RFI is issued solely for information, planning purposes, and market research; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP. This market research does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. CBP is not seeking proposals at this time. CBP will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this market research.

Not responding to this market research does not preclude participation in any future RFP. If a solicitation is released, it will be posted to the System for Award Management website (http://www.sam.gov). All submissions become the property of the Government and will not be returned. The information obtained from industry’s responses to this notice may be used in the development of an acquisition strategy and future RFP.

BACKGROUND: USBP is a sub-component of CBP whose mission is to prevent the illegal flow of people and contraband into the United States via air, land, and sea. USBP’s primary mission is to conduct law enforcement activities along the U.S. borders and between the official U.S. ports of entry. As the nation’s single, unified border agency, USBP’s mission is vitally important for the protection of the American people and the national economy. USBP represents the first line of defense of America’s borders. One of USBP’s strategic objectives is to establish and maintain effective control of air, land, and maritime borders with the appropriate mix of infrastructure, technology, and personnel. CBP currently leverages several means of conducting surveillance in its areas of responsibility (AoR), including:

• agents and trained asset operators;

• fixed and mobile assets with cameras, radar, and other equipment attached to towers/masts;

• unmanned aerial surveillance (UAS) systems (i.e., drones); and

• ground-based sensors.

An integral component to providing situational awareness will be the use of M2S2s, which will provide actionable information to the Border Patrol on the location and movement of potential items of interest (IoIs). The M2S2 interoperable and modular system of sensors will be tailored http://www.sam.gov/ for operational missions along the border based on threat, topography/terrain, weather, and operational considerations.

SCOPE: USBP desires a next-generation mobile asset with a technology solution capable of fitting into the bed of a light duty 4x4 truck (e.g., Ford F-150, F-250, or equivalents). This technology solution should be an interoperable and modular platform design and is referred to as a “skid.” The integrated combination of the truck and the skid is referred to as an “M2S2,” “M2S2 unit,” or “system.”

The skid and its associated technology should maximize the use of non-developmental items and use an open architecture (under DHS/CBP security policy) to allow for USBP to customize the suite of sensors and capabilities and tailor them to specific AoRs across the Northern and Southern borders (including coastal areas, such as those found around Puerto Rico and the Florida Keys). Trained agents/operators should be able to effectively and accurately detect, track, identify, and classify IoIs in their AoRs using the M2S2. Additionally, the architecture of the M2S2 should allow for integration with and communication between existing CBP sensors/infrastructure currently deployed (which includes other M2S2 units, sensor towers, ground sensors, etc.). USBP also desires the M2S2 to have autonomous capability for these surveillance functions; this is especially significant for IoI detection, tracking, and identification to help reduce historically human-driven operations and allow agents to focus on IoI classification, response, and resolution activities.

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT: The M2S2 should be non-descript and/or covert if possible, and it should be capable of operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, sometimes unmanned. The harsh CBP operating environment is characterized by complexity and extreme variances in:

• terrain (urban, rural, remote, remote/rugged, mountainous, riverine/waterways);

• environment (temperature extremes from -40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 125 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer; precipitation that includes average annual rainfall of 38 inches and nine inches of snow; sand and dust; extreme ranges in humidity, including salt air/water environments; and high winds up to 90 miles per hour);

• population density; and

• infrastructure (e.g., roads).

To deploy the M2S2, an agent (or agent/operator) will drive the system over extremely rugged terrain, sometimes for long distances. The M2S2 operator interface should not obstruct or disrupt the driver while in transport. Once the system is deployed, the agent will work an 8 to 10-hour shift. The operator interface should allow the agent to be seated comfortably in the M2S2 truck, and to easily control the skid’s set of surveillance sensors and communications equipment for extended periods of time. The agent should be able to adjust the screen brightness and monitor position as necessary. The operator interface controls should be intuitive and placed so that they are easy to reach (i.e., the agent should not have to shift in their seat or sit up every time they need to adjust the sensors). The agent should be able to rapidly move the M2S2 from one deployment location to another, and the system should allow the agent to easily and quickly prepare the M2S2 for transport and redeployment to a different site. The M2S2 operator display should not impede the agent’s ability to rapidly enter and exit the vehicle, nor should the operator display impede the agent’s ability to access and use any of the communications equipment.

TECHNOLOGY: The M2S2 should provide real-time, persistent surveillance capability through its skid technology solution and provide an Effective Surveillance Range (ESR) of up to

7.5 miles in all operating conditions. ESR is defined as the radial distance that the M2S2 technology solution (e.g., radar, cameras, etc.) employs to produce usable data to perform the primary mission of IoI detection, identification, classification, and track. Since a 7.5 mile ESR may not be necessary at all USBP AoRs based on topography, terrain, and other mission factors, an interoperable and modular design that allows different sensor components to be either added to the M2S2 and/or swapped with current sensors is highly preferred. USBP also desires the M2S2 to provide the option for remote operation, as well as autonomous detection, tracking, and identification of land, maritime, and airborne IoIs. Automation and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) should decrease manual operations and allow agents more time for response and resolution activities.

The self-contained skid should also be engineered, to the maximum extent practicable, to operate on the electric capacity of the commercial light duty truck without additional modifications; the fuel type for the trucks (gas, diesel, electric, etc.) is not specified in this RFI. Respondents should consider options and approaches for power solutions that best meet USBP needs, and any technology using alternative energy (e.g., solar, etc.) that can operationally enhance the M2S2’s capability in remote and austere environments should be considered where cost-effective. Any other means or ideas of integrating existing surveillance infrastructure with the M2S2 solution should also be noted. USBP also desires system security when a unit is unmanned during autonomous or remote operations; solutions to mitigate the risk of theft, vandalism, and/or damage from rodents should be noted.

Contractor-furnished equipment should include the following: 4x4 vehicle (truck), skid (technology solution), and a vehicle installation kit. The skid contains the structure physically containing all the payload equipment and is integrated within the bed of the 4x4 truck. The technology payload should include all equipment necessary to provide an ESR of up to 7.5 miles in all operating conditions. The proposed solution should maximize the use of non-developmental items and could include, but should not be limited to: electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) cameras, radars, multi-domain radars (for drone mitigation), global positioning systems (GPS), laser pointers, laser range finders, power subsystem, high voltage proximity detection, mast, overhead obstruction detection, auto-mast-lowering capability when detecting truck movement, and/or emerging technologies (e.g., tethered/untethered UAS, distributed non- M2S2 sensor sources such as satellite feeds, etc.). Located in the cab of the 4x4 truck is the sensor command and control (SC2) (formerly called the operator interface). The SC2 provides the human interface to control sensors and systems on the platform, display images and alerts, record events, communicate with other CBP communication nodes, and provide a tool for cohesive situational awareness to the M2S2 agent/operator.

The M2S2 should be capable of using multiple means of communication including, but not limited to, radio, cellular, satellite, mesh, etc.; and those communication paths should be reliable and available regardless of operating environment. USBP desires to take advantage of commercial advancements in communications technology such as LTE/5G, Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET), low cost/high bandwidth satellite communications, and other similar technologies. Industry is encouraged to consider incorporating multiple, flexible communications options. Industry is also encouraged to provide ideas and options for data storage (e.g., on-board, cloud storage, etc.) that provide USBP easy access to important law enforcement evidentiary data. Government-furnished equipment (GFE) communications equipment will consist of a land mobile radio (LMR) and team awareness kit (TAK), a digital tool (software and hardware) that enables data sharing in the field between agents and assets.

TAK GFE will include the necessary backhaul communications capability (such as MPU-5 or satellite); however, the contractor will be required to assist in the integration of their system to

TAK.

M2S2 should be capable of transferring all necessary data to perform the mission back to a USBP station command and control center (C2CEN) and/or a mobile device (like TAK) and transfer control and surveillance functions to an operator in the field or inside the C2CEN when required. The following example illustrates this need: a trained agent/operator, while controlling and performing surveillance operations from the M2S2, is required to help with an apprehension and must leave the M2S2 unit. The agent transfers control to a C2CEN, and through a web-enabled TAK device with bi-directional communication between the skid and TAK, the agent can now view the IoI, track the IoI, and intercept coordinates as he/she proceeds on foot. The agent with the handheld TAK device should also be able to take back control of the M2S2 from autonomous operations or from the C2CEN when such action is more operationally effective.

The M2S2 should contain all the necessary software, software drivers, and firmware modules for all the sensors that the M2S2 is equipped with when it is delivered. As stated, the M2S2 system should also have an open systems architecture design that provides USBP a flexible mobile surveillance system with interoperable and modular (“plug and play”) sensor capability. This should allow any M2S2 unit to be able to accept any number of different capable sensors characterized by the M2S2 provider. This capability should not require a major engineering upgrade or an engineering change proposal as long as those sensors have been characterized by the M2S2 provider. Modular changes should also not require the system to undergo software re-configuration to support the change. For interoperability and modularity to work, component interfaces should remain constant across modular components. Examples of expected deliverables to support modularity include, but are not limited to:

• interface control documents;

• cables, cable connections, and pin-outs (power and data);

• power supply schemas;

• data distribution units or sensor interface modules;

• quick disconnect adapter plates that mount the sensors to the platform;

• skid mounts or pins that connects the skid, mast, and sensor package to the vehicle;

• vehicle installation kits (wiring, parts, kits, and hardware to install the skid and SC2 equipment in the truck); and/or

• operator and maintenance training (qualification training for any modular variant that gets installed).

It should also be noted that in the near future, USBP may include a requirement to integrate M2S2s into the USBP Common Operating Picture (COP). USBP COP is a separate program of record within the USBP Program Management Office Directorate with the mission to centralize and integrate data from all accessible USBP sensor systems and to provide a common user interface to the agents through a cloud-based architecture. This COP/M2S2 integration should not require major redesigns or software impediments of any M2S2 components, but it is intended to allow USBP COP to seamlessly connect M2S2 technology (including required firmware/software) and enable control of the M2S2 and exploit useful data to be fused and/or correlated with multiple other sensor data in the AoR.

USBP COP integration will be done using an agile approach, and M2S2 vendors may be asked to publish their technology solution’s application programming interfaces, interface control documents, and software development kits (as applicable). They also may be required to produce data in CBP defined formats such as:

• machine-to-machine messages, such as cursor-on-target;

• video compressions of H.265; or

• motion imagery standards board-compliant video.

LOGISTICS: The M2S2 should perform mission-critical functions in support of USBP operations 24 hours a day, requiring a highly reliable and low maintenance system. The system should be able to report mission-critical failures to the agent/operator and, if possible, be able to isolate failures to the line replaceable unit to minimize downtime. Mission-critical failures include any failure condition that prevents the system from performing/enabling detection, identification, tracking, and classification functions. Upon notification of a mission-critical failure, the M2S2 operator should be able to assess the available health and status information of batteries/sensor systems and, if possible, apply corrective action such as a visual inspection or reboot. The M2S2 should be engineered to maximize the operator’s ability to troubleshoot and resolve as many mission-critical failures as possible in order to maximize the system’s reliability, availability, and maintainability. Consideration should also be given to the ability to perform prognostics (i.e., the ability of the system to predict future failures and/or provide approximate time to failure).

Open design standards and industrial best practices should be employed on the M2S2 design to ensure a high operational availability throughout the life of the unit, and any modular changes should minimize system downtime and not impact operational availability. The M2S2 should use processes that minimize logistical coordination and promote an efficient method for firmware and software updates to the skid and associated technologies.

ALTERNATIVES: The Government will consider alternative platforms and technologies as part of this RFI. For example, a skid on a ruggedized trailer towable by a light duty 4x4 truck that meets or exceeds the performance parameters outlined above will be taken into consideration. Any other technologies or capabilities industry believes could enhance the mission and operations of USBP will be considered. Please be sure to include pertinent information such as any current federal agencies using the technology; results of independent third-party testing; and/or anything believed to support the consideration of your technology.

BORDER PATROL SCENARIOS: The following three scenarios are provided to serve as indicative, but not exhaustive, operational scenarios that the M2S2 system should be designed to handle. The scenarios are also kept generic to maintain the integrity of Border Patrol’s enforcement operations. Additional details and/or information will not be provided.

Respondents are encouraged to account for all the background information provided in this RFI to ensure that their proposed solutions can meet the myriad challenges confronted by agents ultimately served by the M2S2.

Land Border: The Intelligence Unit receives information that individuals are smuggling several groups throughout the night through heavily forested areas in the lowlands. Extensive scouting takes place prior to a smuggling event, and if they see any Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) activity in a particular area, the guides are prepared to shift their routes of ingress. There are several stationery and ground-based surveillance systems in the area, but IoIs tend to break through the dense underbrush, making it more difficult to detect entry. As the groups continue ingress, there are small windows of detection capability, but deployment locations must often change to track IoIs.

The operator drives approximately two miles on pavement then drives off-road on routes that tends to be wet and muddy most of the year. Agents must be careful to choose dry or gravel roads to avoid becoming stuck due to the weight of the truck. Agents have pre-staged near previously identified entry locations. At approximately 2200 hours, the M2S2 alerts the operator to a detection track indicating movement on a nearby road. The M2S2 operator uses the EO/IR camera to confirm the IoIs, which appear to be four subjects walking along the road. The M2S2 operator advises other nearby agents of the situation via communications devices and indicates that the subjects have entered the timber and are out of view. Roving units begin to converge on the area and attempt to locate the subjects. The M2S2 is only able to see the IoIs moving south from the border and get a count of subjects. The operator must then stow the system and quickly relocate to a more advantageous area to reacquire the IoIs on the sensors.

The M2S2 is quickly in transit. Upon contact with roving agents, the IoIs scatter in different directions, making tracking difficult. Roads in the area are wet and muddy, making the M2S2 move slowly and limiting it dry dirt, gravel, or paved roads. After re-locating the M2S2 unit to a more advantageous location to search for the absconded IoIs, the M2S2 operator deploys the system to continue surveillance. While surveilling the area, the M2S2 operator receives information that foot-sign of the IoIs is located one field over. The operator gives a command to stow the system to move again, but the system does not respond, and the mast does not lower.

The operator follows procedure and lowers the mast manually. Once repositioned, the operator troubleshoots the issue with the mast while the supervisor attempts to re-deploy another M2S2 elsewhere within the station’s AoR.

Maritime: The sector received intelligence that an individual is currently moving several groups a week during nighttime hours across a lake, both upriver and downriver of the nearby boat ramp. Extensive scouting takes place prior to a smuggling event, and if they see any LEO activity in a particular area, the guides are prepared to shift their routes of ingress. There are no surveillance towers in the area and other surveillance sensors cannot operate within the boundaries of the national park due to the fluctuations of the lake levels. There is a location south of the boat ramp where the M2S2 can be driven in under the cover of darkness and surveil the suspected entry points both north and south of the boat ramp.

The operator drives from the station approximately 15 miles on pavement then drives off-road onto several ranch roads that have rough washboard sections. He/she parks and deploys the system at a location near the lake, approximately two miles from the boat ramp. At approximately 1000 hours, the M2S2 alerts the operator to a track indicating west-east movement across the lake. The M2S2 operator uses the EO/IR camera to identify an IoI, which appears to be a boat with several individuals on the front bow. The boat races across the lake to the boat ramp and several subjects jump off boat and make their way to a vehicle parked near the boat ramp. The M2S2 operator advised other units of the situation and indicates that a separate IoI has exited the boat. The M2S2 is only able to see the boat drop off the IoIs and then get a vague description of the vehicle as it is tracked for a short distance heading out of the boat ramp area before losing it. The operator then has to “tear down” the unit to quickly relocate to another, more advantageous area to locate the IoI that bailed out of the smuggling vehicle. The M2S2 is quickly in transit.

The boat operator immediately absconds back across the international boundary toward Mexico.

Agents realize the intel was flawed, as they were staged too far north and south of the boat ramp and call-in extra roving units to try to identify the vehicle leaving the area with IoIs. As units mobilize, roving units begin to converge on area, identify the suspected vehicle, and try to perform a vehicle stop on it. After a short pursuit, the vehicle “bails” and drives through a ranch fence and comes to a stop at the bottom of a small canyon off the road, approximately two miles north of the boat ramp.

IoIs scatter in different directions once the load vehicle “bails,” making tracking difficult. Ranch roads in the area are rough and extremely rocky, which causes the M2S2 to move slowly across the terrain. After arriving at a more advantageous location to search for the absconded IoIs, the M2S2 operator deploys the system to continue surveillance. While surveilling the new area, the M2S2 operator detects an air target moving across the international boundary towards the U.S.

side of the lake. The M2S2 operator advises other roving units of a likely drone incursion and provides track information to the other units’ TAK devices for potential interception.

Land Border (Autonomous): The Intelligence Unit receives information that individuals are smuggling several groups throughout the night through the lowlands. Extensive scouting takes place prior to a smuggling event, and if they see any LEO activity in a particular area, the guides are prepared to shift their routes of ingress. There are several stationery and ground-based surveillance systems in the area, but IoIs tend to break through the dense underbrush, making it more difficult to detect entry. As the groups continue ingress, there are small windows of detection capability, but deployment locations must often change to track IoIs.

The agent/operator drives an M2S2 unit with a ruggedized trailer-mounted skid towed behind it;

driving approximately two miles on pavement then off-road to pre-staged areas that provide good coverage of previously identified entry locations. The agent tows the trailer-mounted skid to the set destination, detaches the trailer, and deploys the trailer unit for remote automated operations.

The agent then drives the M2S2 to another nearby location that provides the most advantageous combined viewshed coverage between the M2S2 and trailer unit. The agent deploys the M2S2 and begins SC2 operations monitoring displayed images and alerts from both the M2S2 and the trailer-mounted skid.

At approximately 2200 hours, the M2S2 alerts the agent/operator of a detection from a ground-based surveillance system and begins to track movement on a nearby road. The M2S2 operator uses the EO/IR camera to identify a group of IoIs, which appear to be four subjects walking along the road. The M2S2 agent/operator advises other nearby agents of the situation via communications devices and indicates that the subjects are entering a difficult-to-access area and are now heading in the direction of his/her M2S2 position. Roving units are unable to converge on the path of the IoIs in a timely manner, so the M2S2 agent/operator sets the system to autonomous operations, secures the vehicle, and sets out on foot towards the subjects with his/her TAK device. The agent is now able to view IoI images, tracks, and intercept coordinates provided to him/her, via TAK, from the M2S2 and trailer unit. The agent begins to travel on foot to intercept the subjects as the other agents make their way to his/her location to assist. As other agents arrive in the area, they take control of the M2S2s using their mobile devices and direct others to assist the agent closest to the IoIs.

RFI RESPONSES: Your firm is requested to submit its response electronically, using Attachment D: Vendor Company Data, no later than April 30, 2024, to USBPPMODM2S2@cbp.dhs.gov.

This a wide-ranging RFI for the Government to learn more about next evolution mobile surveillance technology. Please be sure to include pertinent information such as any current federal agencies using the technology; results of independent third-party testing; and/or anything else your company believes may support the Government understanding of this technology.

Questions will be consolidated, and all feedback will be considered, but any responses will be at the Government’s discretion. Answered questions will be posted to the System for Award Management website and made publicly available to industry.

In addition, conduct of any “one-on-one” meetings with industry will be at the Government’s discretion. Please monitor www.sam.gov for any additional information.

Attachment A: USBP’s Technology Design Principles & Standards for Interoperability Attachment B: Autonomous Surveillance Strategy Attachment C: Modular Mobile Surveillance System Technology Roadmap Attachment D: Vendor Company Data http://www.sam.gov/