RFI Data Transfer Module II Removable Memory Module.pdf

Sources Sought (SS)

47QSWC25N8888

Data Transfer Module II Removable Memory Module

Federal Acquisition Service

General Supplies and Services Office of Contract Operations

819 Taylor Street Fort Worth, Texas

76102-6124

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT (SS) ONLY. This SS is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This posting does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever.

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND IS

PROVIDED ONLY TO GIVE VENDORS AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION’S REQUIREMENT. UNDER NO

CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD INFORMATION BE DISCLOSED TO ANY OUTSIDE PARTY.

1.0 Description

The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Office of General Supplies and Services (GSS) and Office of Contract Operations is conducting a market assessment to identify potential sources, and companies that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to respond to the requirements listed in this document for the Data Transfer Module II (DTM II) Removable Memory Modules (DRMMs).

GSA is investigating the obtainability of a production-ready DRMM with hardware available immediately. In your response(s) to this SS, please only identify non-developmental and production ready units. GSA is not currently investigating developmental capabilities that are not production ready.

PURPOSE:

This notice is part of Government Market Research, a process for obtaining the latest information on the ‘art of possible’ from industry with respect to their current abilities. All company proprietary information contained in the response shall be separately marked and properly protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one firm to establish the capability and requirements for any future systems acquisition so as to not inadvertently restrict competition. Any material that is not marked proprietary will be considered publicly releasable.

2.0 Background and Objectives

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this SS are to identify responsible sources and interested parties who have proven solutions that can meet requirements. For the purpose of this SS, the Government is seeking solutions at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 8 or higher for any production-ready units. TRL levels claimed should be in accordance with the Technology Readiness Assessment Guide, dated April 2011.

Please provide justification for hardware TRL claimed by your company.

BACKGROUND:

Modern data transfer devices are required to improve all USAF F-15 models to take advantage of the Data Transfer Module in addition to other modernization efforts for operations and mission capabilities.

OPERATIONAL SCENARIO:

The DTM II equipment will be installed on the F-15 E/EX aircraft and will replace the legacy DTM equipment. The DTM II system provides an interface between the aircraft and ground station support systems. The DTM II consists of two primary subcomponents: DTM II Remote Receptacle (DRR) and DRMM. The DRR permanently resides in the cockpit of the aircraft and allows aircrew and maintenance personnel to easily insert and remove DRMMs as appropriate to transfer data to and from the aircraft to meet mission objectives and maintenance actions. DRMMs will be utilized to transport data from ground stations to the aircraft and vice versa. The DRMMs will consist of two distinct but physically interchangeable memory modules for both Maintenance and Operational use.

• The Operations DRMM is used to store and transfer mission-related information, which may be classified, between the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) and the aircraft.

• The Maintenance DRMM is used to store and transfer maintenance-related information between the Fully Automated Debrief Station (FADS) and the aircraft.

REQUIREMENTS:

For any production-ready units, the F-15 Division will require evidence of technical maturity at TRL 8.

The Air Force must take delivery of these items no later than 31 May 2026 to meet it’s fielding timeline.

Please demonstrate the ability to produce components for data access and distribution for the F-15 E/EX models which can address all the attributes listed below:

1. The DRMM shall have an external USB interface to communicate with aground station via USB

3.0 interface.

2. The DRMM shall be capable of a sustained read/write rate of 100 Megabytes/sec via either (ground station-to-DRMM) USB 3.0 interface.

3. The DRMM shall utilize a COTS connector for the dedicated ground station power port.

4. The DRMM weight of a Maintenance Cartridge should not exceed 1.5 pounds.

5. The DRMM weight of an Operational Cartridge should not exceed 1.5 pounds.

6. The DRMMs shall be capable of quick removal from the DRR without the use of any tools.

7. DRMMs shall fit entirely inside the DRR and be covered by the access door.

8. The Operational and Maintenance DRMMs shall have identical physical outlines.

9. The DRMM shall consist of multiple partitions to allow for repairability of specific components within the DRMM.

10. The DRMM shall provide a dedicated access panel to replace batteries.

11. The DRMM shall be equipped with a user accessible dedicated physical switch/pushbutton to initiate a non-destructive erase of DRMM RAM disk content.

12. The DRMM shall be equipped with a LED(s) (single multi-color or multiple monocolor LEDs are permitted) to indicate DRMM operational status.

13. The DRMM shall provide a physical projection to allow insertion/removal from the DRR.

14. The DRMMs shall be capable of insertion/removal, in the DRR without requiring power.

15. The DRMM shall include a commercially standard interface connector to the SSD (internally) so that the SSD can be replaced.

16. The DRMMs shall be installable/removable (with potential damage to neither DTM-II interface circuitry nor non-volatile memory corruption) into the DRR without having to first shut down power to the DTM II.

17. The DRMM shall be designed for 6.5W maximum average power consumption.

18. The DRMM shall be fully accessible after a hot swap (DRR does not power cycle) without any loss or corruption of non-volatile memory.

19. The DRMM shall be capable of complete functionality at maximum performance while connected to ground station equipment and ground station power.

20. DRMM should possess stand-alone battery power.

21. DRMMs shall allow for OFP software / firmware updates via an internal connector accessible only through removal of chassis cover. The DRMM OFP software/ firmware shall not be configurable via the USB 3.0 interface.

22. The Operations and Maintenance DRMMs shall be capable of 256Gb of storage. An additional version of the Operations DRMM must be capable of 512Gb of storage.

23. The Operations and Maintenance DRMM SSD memory design shall be based on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Solid State Hard Drive technology.

24. The DRMM shall contain a user accessible (without requiring any tools to access) physical switch/button to initiate a non-destructive erase while not powered externally (powered internally via a battery).

25. The DRMM shall meet all requirements and shall provide required performance, life and reliability under any natural combinations of the service conditions necessary for utilization on combat aircraft.

26. The Operations and Maintenance DRMM must only use parts approved in the baselined Bill of Materials to specifically include the following processor. Any responses that include alternate parts will not be accepted.

a. (Micron) IC LPDDR SDRAM 1GBIT: PN-MT46H32M32LFB5-5AAT B TR

Please provide an estimated production asset procurement timeline; from production contract award to actual delivery (describe in detail the long lead components and their associated timelines). Please provide an estimate for the production throughput capacity for the various DRMM variants and describe significant factors that influence the throughput capacity. Additionally, if a low quantity of assets are immediately available for procurement to aid the Government in assessments and tests please indicate on-hand quantities that would be available immediately.

Please detail any utilization of existing DRMM components currently fielded in support of other applications.

Please provide other applicable attributes or technologies which the vendor feels may contribute to combat effectiveness.

3.0 Responses

3.1 Responses to this SS are due by 10:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time (EST) on May 5, 2025 and shall be emailed to gary.carson@gsa.gov and dominic.lackey@gsa.gov.

3.2 Instructions to respondents

Interested parties should provide capabilities, qualification statements, and examples that demonstrate their ability to satisfy the requirements detailed in the REQUIREMENTS paragraph of this announcement. Companies or parties are to submit responses in Adobe Acrobat compatible electronic mailto:gary.carson@gsa.gov format. If you plan on responding for both production-ready and development, please do so in separate responses. In your response(s) to this SS, please be clear to identify whether you are identifying a production-ready unit or a unit in the development phase. The maximum page limit per response is 30 pages, 8.5” x 11”, including attachments, figures, and/or drawings, and no smaller than size 12 font.

4.0 Requested Information

4.1 Responses must include:

A) Company Name, Address, CAGE Code, Industry Point of Contact (POC) for technical and contractual issues to include name, position, telephone number, and e-mail address B) Complete System Description C) Overall capabilities of the system as compared against the REQUIREMENTS section of this announcement D) Detailed information regarding the system capabilities/performance (prior testing, test reports, etc.)

E) Hardware TRL and software maturity levels along with justification (see attachment of Technology Readiness Assessment Guide dated April 2011) F) Availability of technical data for maintenance and depot level repair G) Firms responding to this announcement should indicate whether they are an other than small business, small business, small disadvantaged business (SDB), woman-owned small business (WOSB), economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB), 8(a)-certified business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), veteran-owned small business (VOSB), or Historically Underutilized Business Zone small business (HUBZone). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this action is 334511, size standard 750 employees please indicate number of employees relative to the indicated size standard. All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract. Note that the NAICS code for this requirement, if applicable to the company’s capabilities, should be included in the company’s NAICS code listing in SAM.

The acquisition strategy has not yet been determined. Market research results will assist the Air Force in determining whether this requirement will be a full and open, a small business set aside, or a sole source acquisition. Note that, if there is sufficient demonstrated interested and capability among small business contractors, a key factor in determining if an acquisition will be a Small Business Set-Aside is that two or more potential small business prime contractors must be capable of performing at least 50% of the effort, as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting. If it is determined that a small business set-aside is appropriate and your company anticipates submitting a proposal as the prime contractor for a small business set-aside, please provide specific details and rationale as to how compliance with FAR clause 52.219-14 would be achieved, including specific details regarding teaming arrangements, etc. If subcontracts are to be used, provide anticipated percentage of effort to be subcontracted and whether small or large businesses will be used.

Teaming and/or subcontracting arrangements should be clearly delineated and previous experience in teaming must be provided.

If this effort is not set-aside for small business, small business utilization will be considered. Request that large and small businesses provide a reasonable expectation for small business utilization as a percent of total contract value. Please provide supporting rationale for the recommended percentage.

***It is imperative that responses clearly indicate which capabilities are available at or above the TRL specified above. ***

5.0 Questions

Questions regarding this SS shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to gary.carson@gsa.gov and dominic.lackey@gsa.gov no later than 10:00 AM, EST on April 25, 2025. Answers will be posted to the website where the SS is posted; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary information.

No questions received after 10:00 AM, EST on April 25, 2025 will be answered.

6.0 Vendor Discussion

The Government may elect to conduct one-on-one discussions with industry based on its analysis of the SS responses, the quality of submission and the specifications in the information provided. The Government is under no obligation to conduct these sessions. The Government does not commit to providing a response to any comment or questions. Any revision to this SS based on comments received remains solely at the Government’s discretion. These initiatives may ultimately result in the Government developing and issuing an RFP for respondents. The above information is for information gathering purposes only.

7.0 Summary

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY related to replacing or enhancing the current GECO2 platform.

This announcement is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for Quote (RFQ). GSA is not at this time seeking proposals or quotations and will not accept unsolicited proposals or quotations. The information provided in the SS is subject to change and is not binding to the U.S. Government. GSA has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed and respondents are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this SS; all costs associated with responding to this SS will be solely at the vendor/respondent’s expense.

Not responding to this SS does not preclude participation in any future solicitations, if issued. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the solicitation website(s) such as System for Award Management (SAM), where a potential solicitation of a future requirement may be published.

All submissions become U.S. Government property and will not be returned. Any document submitted in response to this SS that contains confidential information must be marked on the outside as containing confidential information. Each page upon which confidential information appears must be marked as containing confidential information. The confidential information must be clearly identifiable to the reader wherever it appears. All other information will not be treated as confidential.

All information in response to this SS that is marked confidential will be used for the sole purpose of U.S. Government planning. Confidential information may be reviewed by contractors; subject to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) including, but not limited to, commercial or financial data obtained by the respondent’s submitted documents. Otherwise, no information marked confidential included in this document or in conversations connected to it may be disclosed to any other party outside of the U.S.

Government.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Respondent’s attention is directed to the fact that contractor consultants and advisors to the Government will review and provide support during review and evaluation of submittals. When appropriate, non- Government advisors may be used to objectively review a particular functional area and provide comments and recommendations to the Government. All advisors shall comply with procurement integrity laws and shall sign Non-Disclosure and Rules of Conduct/Conflict of Interest statements. The Government shall take into consideration requirements for avoiding conflicts of interest and ensure advisors comply with safeguarding proprietary data. Submissions in response to this SS constitute approval to release the submittal to Government Support Contractors.

Per FAR 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997):

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although “proposal” and “offeror” are used in this Sources Sought, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of collecting Government Market Research, a process for obtaining the latest information on the ‘art of possible’ from industry with respect to their current and near-term abilities.

Primary Point of Contact:

Gary Carson Contract Specialist Gary.carson@gsa.gov Phone: 856-323-3126

Secondary Point of Contact:

Dominic Lackey Contracting Officer Dominic.lackey@gsa.gov Phone: 937-713-7622 mailto:Gary.carson@gsa.gov