CAF DMO RFI - 27 June 22.docx

Request for Information (RFI) For

Combat Air Force Distributed Mission Operations Services

27 June 22

Prepared By:

Air Force Program Executive Office Agile Combat Support (AFPEO/ACS) Simulators Division 2300 D Street, Building 32 Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433

CONTENTS

PURPOSE

This is a Capability Assessment/RFI only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3 – Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (October 1997). The results of this RFI will assist in formulating the acquisition strategy for the Combat Air Forces (CAF) Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) services contract. Specifically, it helps determine whether a competitive procurement is feasible and whether a small business set-aside is appropriate.

RULES OF INTERACTION

No contracts will be awarded based on this RFI. The U.S. Government will not pay for or reimburse any costs incurred in responding to this RFI.

Do NOT include any classified information in your response.

BACKGROUND

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) relies heavily on simulator-based training for pilots and aircrews. In turn, the USAF relies on contracted service providers to grow and sustain its simulators as well as the network that enables distributed training. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Agile Combat Support (ACS) Program Executive Office (PEO), Simulators Program Office (SPO) is tasked with competing, awarding, and managing the CAF DMO Services contract.

SCOPE OF EFFORT

The scope is to effectively enable distributed training capability for all current contractor sites and operational training sites, both CONUS and OCONUS by the end of the established transition period, June 2024, and provide distributed training capability to new sites as directed by the Simulators Program Office. The scope also includes services to operate and support training centers and to support the development and sustainment of DMO standards. Respondents should note that the performance of this effort will require some personnel to have access to material and facilities classified Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmentalized Information / Special Access Required (TS/SCI/SAR).

Site Management and Support The contractor shall manage existing sites and add new sites when directed by the government.

New Sites New sites will require a site survey, a gateway installation, and network activation. Furthermore, some sites (identified by the government) require installation and activation of a video teleconferencing (VTC) capability. In addition, some sites require the installation of a Controlled Interface (CI) or the Cross Domain Solution (CDS) enabling simulators operating at differing classification levels/caveats to interact over a network.

Existing Sites Existing sites require maintenance, sustainment, and periodic technology refresh. The contractor must be prepared to reconstitute incapacitated sites as quickly as possible. When possible, these functions will be accomplished without disruption to training.

Transition Planning Services The contractor shall produce and maintain a plan that details the transition services and networking services for the federate sites. The initial plan shall include approximately 100 sites located around the world; the majority are located within the continental U.S. (CONUS). The contractor shall work with the government to identify changes to the federate sites and continue to update the transition plan as necessary. The transition plan shall identify downtime to operational sites not to exceed five days per site. The plan shall provide flexibility to accommodate current training priorities. The plan shall be integrated into the contractor’s Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).

Transition and Expansion Services Initial Transition Services The contractor shall provide the preparatory services necessary to architect and maintain the Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON) and the Nellis Mission Operations Network (NMON). The DMON shall operate at levels from SECRET to SECRET //SAR. The NMON shall operate at levels from SECRET//SAR to TS//SCI/SAR. The preparatory services shall include all engineering services and security services necessary (not including CDS) to design and establish DMON operation center(s) infrastructure which has the ability to support the remote training sites. The contractor shall provide facilities for the DMON Operations Center. The government shall provide facilities for the Nellis Mission Operations Network. In addition, the contractor shall procure, deliver, set up, and functionally check the DMON and NMON gateways and network connections for the first remote site service of each network. DMON and NMON operations centers shall support VoIP phone service, VTC bridge services, and chat services over the DMON and NMON respectively. This first remote site service shall be considered complete when the DMON and NMON operations center(s) and the federate of each receives Authorization to Operate (ATO) and Authorizations to Connect (ATC) on the respective network. The architecture shall be scalable to allow for future sites. The DMON service shall be capable of supporting the number of security domains equal to the number of fighter MDSs (Mission Design Series) on the network plus three. The NMON service shall be capable of supporting a minimum of three security domains.

Network Expansion Services The contractor shall provide the preparatory services necessary to expand the design and infrastructure of the DMON and NMON as directed by the government to accommodate additional platforms and additional domains.

Networking Standup / Networking Services Architecture and Network Gateway:

The contractor shall be responsible for the overall design, implementation, and sustainment of the DMON and NMON. The contractor shall implement DMON and NMON in accordance with applicable CAF DMO standards. The contractor shall be responsible for installation of equipment including site coordination and set up of equipment. The contractor shall ensure site downtime does not exceed five calendar days including equipment install, integration and functional checks. The contractor shall provide a service utilizing an architecture that supports real-time training. The contractor shall procure, install, set up, and functionally check DMON and NMON gateways, including all hardware and software necessary to provide DMON and NMON service to and from each site ordered. The contractor shall complete successful functional checks for each gateway. Each gateway shall have the capability to route and filter (including the ability to configure, modify and/or remove data) Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) data to resolve interoperability issues between diverse simulators. The gateway filter capabilities shall be dynamic in nature and run-time configurable before and during event execution. The gateway filter capabilities shall be sufficient to implement the DMO Filtering Plan. The contractor shall be responsible for maintaining the DMO Filtering Plan for DMON and NMON through the life of the contract.

The gateway shall translate between protocols for DIS, High Level Architecture (HLA), and Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA) used by simulators at training sites and a common protocol on the DMO network, thereby allowing DIS, HLA, and TENA sites to interact in common training events. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol TCP/IP protocols such as H.323, H.264, G.722.1, XMPP, HTTP, and HTTPS shall also be routed through the gateway.

Gateways shall have the capability to periods process in accordance with Joint Special Access Required Implementation Guide (JSIG). The gateway shall include National Security Agency (NSA)-approved cryptographic equipment to encrypt data. Cryptographic equipment shall be procured and delivered by the contractor, and keys shall be provided and managed by the contractor in accordance with NSA doctrine and JSIG requirements. Gateways shall meet JSIG requirements for boundary protection. The security documentation shall include the gateways within the security boundary of the DMON system.

Availability and Latency The contractor shall provide and maintain a network infrastructure that performs with Event Availability and Systems Availability rates at or above contractually established thresholds.

The network service shall utilize an architecture that supports real-time training. Latency/Quality of service shall not exceed the established threshold. The government prefers that latency be less than the set objective within a theater (e.g. USAFE, PACAF, CONUS).

Network Services and Circuit / Network Management The contractor shall provide network services to and from each of the federate systems for DMON and NMON events. The contractor shall provide a network that allows simultaneous events. Any single event shall be capable of providing service to any number of operational training sites in a single domain or any number of operational training sites. Any single event shall be capable of processing a connection of any approved domain on the DMON. The simultaneous events shall be capable of supporting the same or disparate training requirements. The network shall be capable of supplying scheduled network services for simultaneous DMO events that may be operating at different system-high security levels and in which participating federates may be operating in different geographic areas. The contractor shall ensure network and network traffic meet all JSIG requirements and are accredited by the Authorizing Official.

The contractor shall manage the ordering of the circuits and/or network as required. The contractor shall monitor network connections and coordinate directly with the service providers for resolution of all outages. The contractor shall support the government’s Global Information Grid waiver process as necessary. If the government decides to transition part(s) of the network from contractor provided circuits and network to government provided circuits and network, the contractor shall manage the ordering of the government network and circuits. The contractor shall monitor all network connections and coordinate directly with the government service providers for resolution of all outages.

Training Event Support The contractor shall operate and maintain a help desk for scheduling and conducting DMO training events. The help desk shall be available via toll-free telephone, facsimile, and a web interface. The help desk shall normally operate from 7am to 7pm EST M-F, excluding federal holidays. The NMON help desk shall normally operate from 7am to 4pm PST M-F, excluding federal holidays. The contractor shall track and help resolve trouble tickets and DMO issues. DMON services which were scheduled within established lead times shall be able to support DMON events 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (i.e., DMO events can be executed at any time once they have been scheduled). The contractor shall configure and operate the network in support of scheduled training, testing and maintenance events. The contractor shall supply bandwidth management services for operational sites. The contractor shall offer an online scheduling service to schedule the DMO events. The contractor shall provide the services and coordinating activities necessary to conduct DMO events.

Interoperability Services The contractor shall provide the services necessary to ensure integration of federates into federations necessary to meet the training objectives of DMO events. The contractor shall manage the integration test schedule and test events. The contractor shall also manage the Test Planning Working Group (TPWG) for CAF DMO.

The contractor shall provide support, analysis, and testing to integrate ordered sites. The contractor shall host a test-bed with representative products that generate constructive entities on DMON and test products for interoperability. The contractor shall provide detailed reports of interoperability and standards-compliance issues identified via the website.

The contractor shall provide the services necessary to identify, assign, and track to resolution any training limitations and non-adherence to DMO standards. The contractor shall produce a database of training limitations and deviations from standards. The database shall be kept current and be accessible to the government and federates through a web-based user interface. The contractor shall manage the System Problem Report Working Group (SPRWG) for CAF DMO.

Configuration Control Board (CCB) Services The contractor shall implement, manage, and maintain a DMO System Level Configuration Management process for the DMO CCB. The contractor shall perform the duties of the Configuration Manager and the CCB Secretariat to support the government CCB. These configuration management services include, but are not limited to, maintaining DMO system level documents; providing configuration controls to baseline documentation; archiving past baselines and resolving configuration control problems. The CCB obtains and reviews configuration changes, including federate changes, for impacts to DMO interoperability and DMO training and sustainment of certifications to standards. The contractor shall coordinate and include the federate changes in the IMS. The contractor shall produce and maintain a Configuration Management Plan for the network configuration including federations.

Support of Exercises The contractor shall provide on-site staff at various training centers (i.e., Distributed Mission Operations Center, CAF DMO Distributed Training Center, etc.) to support exercises which involve DMON or NMON assets as directed by the government in a task order. Services include operational subject matter experts, operation of constructive simulations, mission briefs and debriefs, scenario planning, generation of mission materials, sustainment of training centers. Services also include implementation, sustainment, and operation of systems supporting Live Virtual and Constructive (LVC) training. The contractor shall manage and accomplish all certification and accreditation activities necessary to support the DMON and NMON connections for the exercises.

Exercises The contractor shall support exercises involving DMON assets, including Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs) when required, as directed by the government in a task order. Examples include, but are not limited to: Red Kite at the Warrior Preparation Center (WPC) and Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) exercises at the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC). Because many exercises connect multiple networks, the contractor shall support network-to-network connections involving DMON assets as directed by the government in the task order. The contractor shall also maintain current TAAs to support exchange officers and co-manned crews utilizing training systems connected to DMON and NMON. The contractor shall manage and accomplish all certification and accreditation activities necessary to support the DMON connection for the exercise.

Controlled Interfaces (CI) and Cross Domain Solutions (CDS)

CI/CDS Installation The contractor shall perform the necessary activities to install and functionally check out CI/CDS devices at designated sites as directed by the government.

CI/CDS Rule Set Coding Services / Testing Through Initial Accreditation The contractor shall provide Controlled Interface and Cross Domain Solutions to support daily DMON training with selected DMO federates requiring interoperability across differing security domains, and to support periodic-recurring training with coalition partners. The contractor shall provide the services to develop and code the English Language Rules Plans onto a HW/SW solution. The contractor shall provide the required documentation and risk assessment for accreditation. The contractor shall assist in establishing Rule Set Working Groups (RSWGs) for each Cross Domain implementation. The contractor shall organize and participate in the RSWGs. As a member of the RSWG, the contractor shall assist in resolving CI/CDS guidance for each domain. The contractor shall perform activities including test activities and documentation necessary to obtain PL3 and PL4 security accreditations for CI/CDS devices and rule-sets. The contractor shall provide battle-space expertise for assessing technical and operational rules development to include inference risk to the RSWGs. The contractor shall support the government accreditation activities.

CI/CDS Maintenance / Configuration Review Board (CRB) and Configuration Change Request (CCR) Management The contractor shall manage and maintain a DMO System Level Configuration Management process for the CI/CDS CRB. The contractor shall perform the duties of the Configuration Manager and CRB Secretariat and support the government CRB Chairperson in accordance with the CI/CDS Configuration Management Plan (CMP). These configuration management services include, but are not limited to maintaining DMO system level documents; providing configuration controls to baseline documentation; archiving past baselines and resolving configuration control problems The contractor shall produce and maintain the CI/CDS CMP (utilizing the existing CMP as guidance). The contractor shall manage the DCDS/MLS rule-sets in accordance with an approved CI/CDS CMP. The contractor shall manage Configuration Change Requests (CCRs) in accordance with an approved CI/CDS CMP. The contractor shall assess CCRs, recommend change levels, and identify any change in the risk assessments for the CI/CDS solution. The contractor shall assist in obtaining the necessary signatures for the CI/CDS CMP and CCRs. The contractor shall manage and maintain all documentation associated with CCRs.

Research and Development The contractor shall provide services required to support CAF DMO research and development efforts as directed by the government. Such efforts may include, but are not limited to production of additional cross domain solutions, research into distributed training issues, future network initiatives, and/or research and development of distributed training solutions.

Standards Standards – General The contractor shall use and continue development of existing DMO standards that provide for interoperability among federates, using and building on existing standards. The contractor shall establish and maintain a Standards Maintenance Plan for the DMO standards. The contractor shall utilize the Standards Maintenance Plan provided as Government Furnished Information (GFI) as guidance. The contractor shall host and facilitate working groups as required to develop and update the standards. The contractor shall provide facilities accredited at the required security levels for working group meetings and activities. Working groups operate at various levels from Unclassified to TS//SCI/SAP. The contractor shall provide adequate staffing to develop and update standards, and complete the following requirements:

· Revise existing DMO Standards and shall develop new standards with the participation of DMO Stakeholders. DMO Standards shall build upon open industry standards.

· Produce an adherence test to determine the compliance of federate systems.

· Produce, distribute, and maintain a software tool for use by the federates to determine the standards compliance of their systems without being connected to a training network.

· Implement and maintain an access controlled web based system to identify standards non-compliance issues and impacts to training and training federations. This system shall be made accessible to all DMO stakeholders.

· Provide Independent Verification and Validation services to review and certify for federate system test plans and federate system test reports.

· Track federate certifications on the website.

Standards Collaboration The contractor shall have a current TAA for releasing data including standards to the United Kingdom and other coalition countries in association with this contract. The contractor shall submit standards work to Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) and participate in relevant study groups that will advance the DMO standardization across all military services. The contractor shall have an Associate Contractor Agreement (ACA) with the contractors managing other DMO standards in the DoD contractor to ensure the standards do not conflict. The contractor shall work with other service organizations/ stakeholders (i.e. the Navy) to coordinate SISO submittals. The contractor shall have ACAs with each contractor providing/sustaining training systems for the USAF, ensuing collaboration while protecting each other’s proprietary data.

Network Security Information Assurance (IA)/Cyber Security requirements must be addressed for systems provided and supported under this contract, and the contractor will be required to develop and document the security process or procedures to meet all applicable Assessment & Authorization (A&A) IA process controls. The contractor must identify and document the applicable information assurance controls from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 using Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) Instruction No. 1253. The contractor shall develop plans using a systems engineering process to incorporate the applicable Assessment & Authorization Information Assurance (A&A IA) controls into the requirements, design, and integration and testing process of all system components, as specified under the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF).

Program Support Program support activities shall include:

· Schedule management

· Risk management

· Personnel security adherence

· Meeting hosting and facilitation

· Data management and repositories

· Systems engineering

· Data rights management

· Configuration management

· Organizational conflict of interest elimination and mitigation

· Periodic and episodic reporting

· International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) compliance

· Associate contractor agreements.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND

In your response, please provide the following general information for your company/institution and for any teaming partners:

1. If subcontracts or teaming are anticipated to be used, provide a reasonable expectation for both small and other than small business utilization as a percent of total task order value. Provide specific details on how your company will comply with FAR clause 52.219-14, Limitations to Subcontracting. Delineate the small business utilization percentage and provide rationale for the recommended percentage. Teaming and/or subcontracting arrangements should be clearly stated, and previous experience in teaming must be provided.

2. What data do you require of the Government in order to assemble a proposal for this effort?

Direct and concise responses are preferred. Marketing material is considered an insufficient response to this Capability Assessment/RFI. Please submit a PDF file electronically; responses shall not exceed 20 8.5”x11” pages using Times New Roman font no smaller than 12 point font. This includes all graphs and charts. A point of contact that can represent your company should be identified to answer further Government inquiries and provide explanations that might be needed with regard to the information provided. Respondents should indicate which portions, if any, of their response are proprietary and should mark them accordingly.

Formal responses are due to the government by the start of business on 18 July 2022. Send responses to Ms. Margaret Thomas at Margaret.Thomas.3@us.af.mil. Ms. Thomas can address questions regarding contractual aspects of this acquisition via email. Programmatic and technical questions should be submitted to Ms. Kathryn Urse at kathryn.urse@us.af.mil.

QUESTIONS

1. How would your organization transition from the incumbent contractor (include staffing, personnel accesses, secure facilities, and duration of transition)? Provide an estimate of the amount of time required to reach operational capability of 110 sites.

2. Expected contract award is June 2024. The current estimated contract transition period is 30 days. Describe how your company would transition from the incumbent during this timeframe.

3. What recent and relevant experience does your organization have with developing and sustaining a world-wide network of training simulators? Include contract numbers, brief description of the work performed, period of performance and agency/organization supported.

4. Describe your company’s experience with providing global network services to both CONUS and OCONUS sites with multiple simultaneous virtual networks that are quickly established and reconfigured on-demand for daily distributed training.

5. Describe your company’s experience with successful execution of contracts providing secure global network services where all positions require security clearances (most positions require access to multiple special programs) detailing how a gap in service during the transition was avoided.

6. Describe your organization’s experience with the JSIG, Risk Management Framework, Authorizations to Operate, Authorizations to Connect, and Interconnection Service Agreements.

7. Describe your company’s experience developing and testing Cross Domain Solutions and /or Multi-level Security Solutions.

8. Describe your company’s experience in networking training simulators and in working with interoperability mechanisms such as DIS, HLA, and TENA.

9. Describe your company’s experience with providing a turnkey network gateway that allows federates using DIS, HLA, and TENA to connect to the global network and interact in distributed training events as if they were using the same protocol

10. Describe your company’s experience with establishing, implementing, and maintaining tools for generating, manipulating and managing training scenarios; manipulating, managing and controlling exercises; analyzing network performance and PDU traffic; and manipulating and managing Federation Object Models.

11. Describe your company’s experience with establishing, implementing, and maintaining tools for managing test results and certifications of federates’ compliance with standards and tools that automate verification of compliance.

12. Describe your organization’s qualifications with respect to standards development, implementation, and compliance testing.

13. Describe your company’s experience with providing VTC bridge and scheduling services for multiple virtual LANs on a global network, and management of VTC systems

14. Describe your company’s experience with providing COMSEC services, key management, and remote management (from a central location) of all NSA-approved encryption equipment for a global network.

15. The existing approximately 110 CONUS and OCONUS sites require maintenance, sustainment and period technology refresh. Describe your ability to quickly procure, maintain and install equipment with minimal disruption to training

16. Describe the risks you foresee in executing an effort of this scope. What steps will you likely take to manage these risks?

17. Discuss any other relevant topics, concerns, and information that will help the Government in forming an effective acquisition strategy.

ACRONYMS

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