Attachment 1_ One-on-One Sample Questions.pdf

Radar Next Industry Day Attachment 1: One-on-One Sample Questions

This One-on-One (1:1) Sample Questions list is provided to give you advance insight into the programmatic areas for which we have the most interest in gaining additional insights from industry. It is also intended to help guide the content and focus areas of your organization’s short abstract. The Government does not expect to discuss responses to every question in this list. In addition, this is not exhaustive; you may include any additional topics you consider relevant. If selected, you should expect the 1:1 conversations to be open-ended.

To maximize the value of these limited sessions, the Government expects a highly interactive dialogue rather than a passive briefing. Participating organizations must come prepared to initiate the conversation, share their insights, and directly address the specific program questions they wish to explore. Please do not use this time for standard corporate capability briefings or sales presentations.

I. Overarching Radar Next Program Strategic Questions:

1. Tell us about your general experience with large programs of a similar scope, e.g. standing up and operating complex and large networked radar systems, including hardware, software and signal processing, and performing systems integration of the entire environment? What similar projects have you completed, and what were the outcomes?

2. Would you consider teaming with other key players in order to bring the best possible solution to the Government, e.g. radars, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data integration, etc. If so, how? How would you best motivate multiple organizations/contractors to work together?

3. How do you support an open systems architecture, including open interfaces, non-proprietary data, hardware/software platforms, etc.?

4. What do you expect to be the greatest cost drivers? Where do you see the greatest cost uncertainty and risk?

5. What do you see as the major challenges in standing up a radar site, and what are your recommendations for minimizing risk to both the Government and contractor, while maintaining an aggressive schedule?

6. What is your ability to support evolving technical capabilities, to include the ability to integrate AI, use of Models Based System Engineering (simulation and test beds), etc.?

7. What is your experience and ability with providing portable/mobile weather radar solutions and/or services? Do you provide transportable weather radars as a service?

8. What different approaches to maintenance, logistics, and/or reconditioning of parts could be considered in a future Concept of Operations (CONOPS) that are either Government/commercial hybrid and/or fully commercial?

9. How would you propose enabling the on-ramping of future technology and/or incorporate regular system/product improvements?

II. C-Band Radar

The National Weather Service (NWS) is particularly interested in Industry perspectives on how C‑Band radar capabilities and/or C-Band commercial weather data buy services can be leveraged to meet and enhance its mission needs. Several of the questions below are designed to elicit your vision, strategy, and technical approach for implementing a C‑Band radar solution that aligns with NWS requirements, including your view of the “art of the possible” in terms of performance, coverage, and innovation (see attached Draft C‑Band Requirements). At a high level, we invite you to describe how you would structure and deliver a C‑Band solution, as well as identify anticipated barriers to entry, primary challenges, and organizational constraints associated with executing this effort.

A. C-Band Dish Weather Radar Commercial Data Buy Service Implementation

1. What is your interest level in exploring the implementation of a C-Band Commercial Data Buy service? Tell us your thoughts and interest level in providing this service for Continental United States (CONUS) and/or Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). What incentives might the government provide to support this implementation?

2. To meet NWS requirements, with respect to C-Band dish weather radars, would you recommend a commercial data buy model, a Government-Owned/Contractor-Operated model, or hybrid? What are the assumptions and justifications for your response?

3. Discuss the technical aspects for implementing a C-Band Commercial Data Buy service to meet the mission needs of the NWS through an operational availability of greater than or equal to 95%.

4. Describe your thoughts on potential business models for implementing a C-Band Commercial Data Buy service. Discuss barriers to entry from upfront investment through implementation and operations and sustainment. What obstacles can the Government work to remove?

5. What is a notional roadmap/timeframe for implementation from a timing and logistics perspective, e.g., time to develop the capability (assume initial award Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) to the first site being operational; how many sites could be available year 1, year 2, etc.?

6. What is your perspective on data rights in the context of the C-Band Commercial Data Buy service?

What would be the expected relative difference in monthly/yearly costing for different tiers of data rights. Would you anticipate other applications or user demand for this data?

7. What would incentivize you to pursue implementing a C-Band Commercial Data Buy service?

What types of safeguards would help mitigate some of your risks and further incentivize you to pursue a Commercial Data Buy solution?

8. How does the Government prevent vendor lock and ensure price stability long term? How does the Government maintain its continuity in weather radar service if a company goes out of business?

B. Additional C-Band Dish Weather Radar Tactical Questions:

1. What is the anticipated typical lifespan of a C-Band dish weather radar? How do you handle part obsolescence?

2. What is the typical time from award to operations for a C-Band dish weather radar? What is your process for siting?

3. What is the operational availability of your current C-Band dish weather radar units when operating continuously for 24 hours, 7 days a week? What information is used to calculate your radar operational availability? Can you provide specific examples of deployed radars and their computed operational availability?

4. What is the typical warranty period and what does it cover? What is the typical cost for a 10-year warranty (CONUS locations and OCONUS locations) and what does the warranty include (e.g., all parts and labor)? What maintenance plans/options are available?

5. Regarding Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS), how much customization/modification is anticipated? What hardware and/or software modifications may be needed to work within the NWS infrastructure and meet NWS requirements? Which NWS requirements need to be changed to conform with your COTS solution? Please describe any changes to the pedestal, tower, antenna, shelters, radome, power, transmitter, receiver, Radar Data Acquisition (RDA), Radar Product Generation (RPG), and any other components.

6. What is the unit price for a radar for purchase of a single unit and also unit price for 10, 50, and 100+ radars? What is included in the unit price (e.g., X year warranty)? Are all components included in that price (e.g., pedestal, tower, antenna, shelters, radome, power, transmitter, receiver, RDA, RPG, and any other components)? Is deployment, installation and land/site acquisition included?

What is not included in the price?

7. Describe activities needed to deploy a C-Band dish weather radar. How much does it cost to deploy in CONUS and OCONUS, and what are deployment cost drivers?

8. Describe training offerings to operators and maintainers. What do typical classes entail, (e.g., in person, duration, class size, online offerings, use of virtual reality and simulation models, etc.)?

C. C-Band Dish Weather Radar Technical Questions:

1. How long does it take for your C-Band radar system to switch to backup power, and what is the typical behavior? For example, is the switchover seamless or does the user have to reset the system?

2. Do your C-band radars generate the six products NWS requires? Do you use spectral processing techniques for generating these products?

3. How do you condition the radar system input and distributed power? What techniques, equipment, or methods do you use to ensure stable, high quality with few to no surges or sags is distributed to critical radar system equipment?

4. What standards do you follow for grounding and lightning protection? What additional effort would be required to meet NFPA 780 and Motorola R56 standards?

5. Installing a C-Band dish weather radar on top of a water tower has been considered. However, some initial research indicates that 24x7 operations over 15 years may stress the water tower. As a vendor, how would you address this concern? What are other alternatives?

6. What environments is your radar system designed to operate in / what standards do they comply with?

7. How are you maintaining / calibrating your radar system to ensure accuracy? How are maintenance and calibration performed?

8. What frequency bands do your systems operate in? What challenges do you currently experience, or foresee in the future operating in this band?

9. How do you manage the impact of external interference on weather radar products?