Att 1 Call 014 SOO Space Data Networking Experimentation.pdf

AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (AFRL)

RAPID ARCHITECTURE PROTOTYPING & INTEGRATION DEVELOPMENT

(RAPID)

SPACE DATA NETWORKING EXPERIMENTATION (SDNX)

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

1. MISSION AND BACKGROUND

The operating environment in space is undergoing a period of accelerating change. A surge of civil and commercial space activity, proliferation of enabling technologies, and rapid advances in adversary capabilities pose urgent challenges to the United States Space Force (USSF) and US Space Command (USSPACECOM). They must continuously adapt to maintain domain awareness, protect US and allied space assets, and deliver critical services to the terrestrial warfighter.

It is broadly recognized that a space architecture rooted in the prevailing environment of the last century imposes unacceptable risk to US national security and freedom of operations.

Adversaries are exerting concerted efforts to develop technologies and tactics to disrupt, degrade and deny critical space services. This threat demands next-generation, resilient and scalable space architectures that ensure cutting-edge capabilities are available to the warfighter in benign and contested environments alike. Approaches under consideration include diversification of orbits, reprogrammable and reconfigurable systems, proliferated constellations, and the integration of allied and commercial capabilities.

The Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) laboratory within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) was established as a partnership between the Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) and AFRL to widen the future force trade space, validate capability area analytics, and accelerate pivots to new architectures. This includes conducting modeling and simulation, high-fidelity hardware- and software-in-the-loop testing, and on-orbit experimentation. As an AFRL-funded activity, RAPID operates in cooperation with research and development, requirements, acquisition, training, and end-user organizations to identify key challenges early, develop technical implementation strategies, define rapid prototyping opportunities, and collect feedback from potential early adopters. Critically, although principally feeding data back into the SWAC analytic process, RAPID also flows insight forward to partner stakeholders responsible for bringing future architectures to life.

2. SCOPE

RAPID is experimenting with a hybrid space architecture built from an ensemble of Department of Defense (DoD), allied and commercial satellite communication networks. The premise is that this approach introduces resilience by design and offers the ability to efficiently route data through space and terrestrial infrastructure to ensure reliable connectivity, but it requires managing network complexity dynamically in time and space. Several critical challenges impose risk to the development of a future space data network (SDN), and these must be explored through experimentation. This exploration will provide options to current and future programs of record as systems evolve to meet future needs.

3. APPROACH

RAPID has marshalled expertise from across the nation to forge an experimental SDN design that is technology and vendor agnostic. At the same time, RAPID is working with industry leaders to understand current and planned operations and future business cases, and to test technologies already in development. Building upon a rich ecosystem of cloud-based systems and services, RAPID will develop and experiment with key technologies that could be incorporated into a future SDN as USSF capabilities evolve and improve.

In particular, the overarching RAPID SDN Experimentation effort will conduct experimentation and prototyping in the transport of enterprise and high-data-rate user data flows through space and associated ground infrastructure, including the development and testing of required networking capabilities. This experimentation is not a replacement for ongoing USSF investments in resilient communications. Rather, it paves the way for future upgrades to these investments to ensure the performance, security and reliability of those systems keeps up with future threats.

4. LEVERAGING COMMERCIAL CAPABILITY

A key aspect of maintaining pace through Great Power Competition is the ability to leverage the rich ecosystem of commercial innovation. This effort builds first and foremost on commercial offerings for which the Government may represent only a minor current or future market player.

These products and capabilities can be routinely upgraded through robust competition enabled by standardized interfaces and modular designs. DoD-specific modifications, additions or wrapper functionality can be used to tailor these foundational capabilities to warfighter needs where required, but bespoke systems should be unnecessary.

5. OUTCOMES

This acquisition will bring together the key pieces needed for SDN development and experimentation by RAPID and its partners. It includes technology maturation and development, subsystem and system integration, and test and experimentation spanning the terrestrial, space, network and cloud services domains. It will identify and promote core capabilities in the industrial base that can be leveraged by future DoD acquisitions, demonstrating the approaches and utility of integrating them into a future multi-vendor SDN. At the end of the effort, the Government will have knowledge of and experience with the availability and performance of key commercial technologies and the DoD-unique modifications to those technologies that are required to meet mission objectives; a solid understanding of integration, policy, security and technology challenges; and clear roadmaps for future development and acquisition from a diverse marketplace.

6. DESIRED CAPABILITIES

6.1. A successful offeror will demonstrate deep understanding and capability in satellite communications, networking, and security. The offeror will have experience bringing commercial and developmental hardware to integrated efforts involving software, modeling and simulation, and field testing.

6.2. Although organic technology can and should be brought to this effort where applicable, the offeror will also have wide reach to industry partners including commercial concerns whose off-the-shelf products and capabilities might be adopted (and, where necessary, adapted) to meet DoD needs while preserving paths for competitive procurements and frequent technology refresh. As such, a successful offeror is expected to create and lead a diverse industry team to achieve these goals. Offerors may propose to all or part of the Statement of Objectives. Teaming is encouraged to facilitate capturing the complete scope.

6.3. Successful offeror(s) will work closely with the Government and supporting Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) and other contractors as part of a team working to meet RAPID’s goals.

Offerors may not include FFRDCs or UARCs as partners/subcontractors in their submission. Additionally, FFRDCs nor UARCs may submit white papers directly to the CALL.

7. REQUIRED TASKS

7.1. Three general categories of tasks comprise this acquisition: Systems

Development, Systems Integration, and Systems Testing. These tasks are interrelated and must be accomplished with a degree of concurrency that will vary over the life of the effort. Systems development refers to the performance, management and oversight of subtasks designed to create, mature and/or acquire specific technologies for assembly into the overall system of interest.

Systems integration denotes activities required to combine individual technologies and products into a larger construct that is more than the sum of its parts. Systems testing and experimentation encompass all activities required to assess the capabilities, performance, resiliency, security, suitability and durability of integrated systems.

7.2. A robust program management and systems engineering capability will be required for this effort. Integration of the key technology areas to create an experimental space data network is expected to be a significant aspect of the work.

7.3. Technology areas key to this effort include:

7.3.1. Network services orchestration (NSO) software, which refers to a family of capabilities required to manage and operate a federated network of networks, including authentication and authorization, monitoring and management of network nodes, topology management, mission planning, routing and quality of service.

7.3.2. Trusted network devices (TND) which provide the physical, networking and security interfaces between networks of different trust levels that potentially utilize different underlying technologies and protocols. The TND is a combination of packet-handling hardware and software functionality. Hardware units suitable for both terrestrial and space-flight use are required. It is likely that TND hardware and software represent distinct efforts capitalizing on industry strengths and will be integrated by the offeror.

7.3.3. SDN drivers, which are a software capability for deployment on existing and future dedicated or hybrid SATCOM terminals to provide access to a space data network’s features.

7.4. In general, the Government wishes to identify and experiment with multiple vendors’ instantiations of these technologies to promote competition, identify strengths and weaknesses, and avoid future vendor lock. A successful offeror will propose mechanisms by which to ensure competition, modular open systems architectures, and Government-owned interfaces, as well as to maximize cost/schedule performance throughout the effort through appropriate controls and incentives.

8. GENERAL TIMELINES AND DELIVERABLES

A 60-month technical effort is anticipated. More detailed timelines of activities and deliverables will be provided in a subsequent Request for Proposal, when issued. For scoping, RAPID’s major objective deliverables and dates include:

Event Estimated Months After Award (MAA)

COTS terrestrial TND hardware delivery 6 NSO initial experimental version delivery 12 TND functional simulator delivery 12 TND initial software integration 15 NSO upgrade experimental version delivery 24 TND software delivery 24 TND software integration 24 SDN driver testing on GFE prototype terminals 24 NSO upgrade experimental version delivery 36 TND space hardware delivery and integration 45 NSO final experimental version delivery 51

Contractual deliverables may also include standard reporting, including Monthly Technical Report, Contract Funds Status Report, Final Report. The effort may also involve the delivery of commercial and non-commercial software; hardware simulators, emulators, engineering units, production and/or flight units; systems engineering and test plans, reviews, presentations and related artifacts; safety and experimentation plans, readiness reviews, presentations and related artifacts; cybersecurity plans and assessments; and other technical or programmatic deliverables necessary to the successful performance of the effort.

9. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

9.1. Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements

Recipients shall participate in activities associated with the disciplines of the organization’s Industrial Security, Information Security, Personnel Security, Operations Security (OPSEC), Antiterrorism, and Program Protection programs, following appropriate measures in each program as required for this agreement. These are required to reduce program vulnerability to successful adversary collection, exploitation of critical information, and violations of export control requirements. The Recipient will ensure that all sub-awardees, if required, comply with these requirements as required by the Recipient. AFRL/Space Directorate (RV) Security or delegated executing office for this project can provide guidance as needed. The contractor shall provide operations security (OPSEC) protection for all sensitive/critical information in accordance with AFI 10-701 and the (RV/RD OPSEC Plan or specific Program OPSEC Plan). The applicable Critical Information and Indicator List (CIIL) will be provided under separate cover. It is incumbent upon the contractor to request this document via the contracting officer or directly to the OPSEC Program Office. The contractor shall describe the steps necessary to protect sensitive and Critical Technology Elements (CTE) to their staff and communicate any sensitivity to the government for the work they complete. The contractor will include OPSEC awareness, Program Protection, and Counterintelligence education and awareness training to all personnel as part of their standard security program on an annual basis. New contracted employees shall be trained within 90 days. Technology Protection unique security measures may apply. The contractor must also adhere to any Science & technology Plans (S&T) that may cover the protection of sensitive and/or CTE under their respective contract. On-site/on-base contractors will participate in the ongoing efforts and requirements laid out by the Phillips Research Site (PRS) OPSEC Program and S&T Protection Lead.”

9.2. Program Protection Plan (PPP)

As part of this effort, any potential Critical Program Information (CPI) will be reviewed for inclusion as part of an existing PPP or creation of a new PPP.

9.3. Security Classification

The principal development, integration and test elements of this effort are UNCLASSIFIED. To effectively conduct this effort, offerors must provide at least a minimum staff capable of attaining and maintaining a TOP SECRET clearance and eligibility for Sensitive Compartmentalized Information.