DAF Market Research for LMR Alternatives (SS).pdf

Department of the Air Force (DAF) Market Research for:

Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Alternatives

Request for Information Announcement

25 August 2025

DISCLAIMER: This is not a formal solicitation for proposal or proposal abstracts but rather a Sources Sought synopsis only. The purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classifications relative to NAICS code 811210. Nothing provided in response to the below topics/areas of interest should be construed as a promise of future funded efforts. Participation is strictly voluntary, and the Department of the Air Force will not provide reimbursement for any costs incurred due to participation.

Nothing shared as a response to the below topics should be construed as a guarantee of future work or as direction to modify an existing contract. Only an authorized contracting officer acting within scope of authority may bind the Government.

Please be advised that information provided in response to the topics below is not private and should not contain proprietary information. Information received in response to areas of interest may be made publicly available and should thus not contain classified information nor be proprietary in nature.

Overview

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Product Management Office (PMO) through Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), is conducting market research to identify and evaluate alternatives to LMR devices and maintenance solutions. Alternative solutions shall provide similar/same capabilities in a stand-alone configuration or integrate into existing LMR APCO P25 architecture without the inclusion of additional infrastructure to the existing DAF LMR architecture.

The objective is to identify available alternative technologies and gain insights into industry maintenance and sustainment requirements for these alternatives. The government encourages vendors to share best practices for managing LMR alternative requirements, including commercial standards, subscriber management, emerging technologies, and maintenance and service processes.

This research encompasses information collection for LMR subscribers, alternative communication solutions, end-user devices, software, maintenance services, and related support required for effective and responsive communications. The scope includes requirements in both the Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS).

The government requests vendors provide a one-page narrative, access to vendor catalog (if available), and a data submission in response to this Request for Information (RFI) using Attachment #1, " Request for Information Details." Make submissions at the link below:

RFI submissions will be made at "https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/NZFeaA4cst".

Organizations are limited to one submission. The one-page narrative and catalogs can be emailed to “AFIMSC.A53P.DAFLMRPMO@us.af.mil” with the following subject line “Company Name RFI Supporting Items” or mail to the government to the address below:

ATTN: DAF LMR PMO - Bernardo Salas Kelly Field Annex 3515 S. General McMullen Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78236

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RFI Breakout

The requested data is a total of 52 entire and is organized into the following sections:

Section 1: Introduction Section 2: Company Profile Section 3: Product Technology and Specifications Section 4: Sustainment and Maintenance Services Section 5: Interaction with Government Section 6: Product Lifecycle Section 7: Emerging Technology Section 8: Industry Best Practices

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Atachment 1: Request for Information Details

Section 1: Introduction Description: This section gathers essential vendor information to ensure clear communication and proper categorization of the organization.

COMPANY NAME:

BUSINESS SIZE:

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS:

POC NAME(s):

POSITION(s):

EMAIL(s):

PHONE NUMBER(s):

PRIMARY INDUSTRY FOCUS:

WEBSITE:

BREIEF DESCRIPTION: (Provide a high-level summary of your organization. Including, mission, core competencies relevant to this Request for Information (RFI).)

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Section 2: Company Profile Description: This section aims to understand the company's overall capabilities, experience, market position, and focus within the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and broader DoD market, including a comparison of DoD and commercial business.

1. What was your company's total revenue for the last accounting year? Please briefly describe the trend in revenue over the past 5 years (e.g., steady growth, significant increase/decrease, stable).

2. Please describe your company's experience providing communication solutions, end-user devices, software, maintenance services, or related support to the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

Include specific examples of projects or contracts, if possible

3. How many years of experience does your company have doing business with federal and/or DoD customers?

4. Please list your top 3-5 major non-DoD customers (by contract value).

5. Please list your top 3-5 major DoD customers (including contract number and contract value).

6. Please list any relevant DoD industry groups, conferences, or working groups in which your company actively participates (e.g., AFCEA, NDIA, specific working groups on LMR or communications).

7. What are your organization's key functional areas (e.g., engineering, sales, support, research & development)?

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Section 3: Product Technology and Specifications Description: This section seeks to understand the breadth and depth of the organization's offerings in various communication solution categories, with a focus on interoperability with existing LMR systems, specific DoD/DAF implementations, emergency communication capabilities, and adherence to relevant regulations and policies.

1. Do you have a product catalog to provide?

a. Yes

b. No

2. What types of technology products are offered by your organization? (Select all that apply)

a. None

b. Land Mobile Radio (LMR)

c. Wifi/Mesh

d. Broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT)

e. Tactical Radio

f. Mobile Satellite

g. Web/Application Communication Platforms

h. Other

3. List and describe any STANDALONE communication products or services you provide.

4. Please describe any capabilities your organization offers to support emergency communication needs within the Air Force or DoD (e.g., disaster recovery solutions, interoperability with emergency responder networks, priority communication services).

5. Please describe any communication products your company offers that can integrate with existing Motorola ASTRO 25 Land Mobile Radio (LMR) infrastructure without requiring additional hardware or software installation on the existing LMR system.

6. Please describe any communication products your company offers that can integrate with existing L3Harris VIDA Land Mobile Radio (LMR) infrastructure without requiring additional hardware or software installation on the existing LMR system.

7. Please provide specific examples of your products and any DoD agencies or DAF installations where they are currently used to interoperate with existing LMR capabilities (e.g., "[Product Name]" is used at "[DAF Installation]" to connect with their LMR system).

8. Referring to each product/service listed above, please list any relevant federal, state, or local regulations or policies to which your company adheres (e.g., FCC regulations, data privacy laws, cybersecurity standards).

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Section 4: Installation, Sustainment and Maintenance Services Description: This section aims to gather details about the sustainment and maintenance services required for each device offered, encompassing network configuration, installation, lifecycle management, cybersecurity hardening, and warranty specifics.

1. List the products that require network configuration and installation.

a. List

2. If infrastructure is required to operate these products, does your organization offer network configuration and/or installation services?

a. Yes, both configuration and installation

b. Yes, configuration only

c. Yes, installation only

d. No

e. N/A

3. If infrastructure is required to operate these products, does your organization implement lifecycle management on infrastructure components?

a. Yes

b. No

c. N/A

4. If infrastructure is required to operate these products, does your organization implement cybersecurity hardening and upgrades?

a. Yes

b. No

c. N/A

5. List and describe the services that are covered by warranty.

6. List and describe the products that require software services to operate.

7. Please describe any subscription details related to your communication products.

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Section 5: Interaction with Government Description: The goal of this section is to learn more about the vendor's existing relationships with the DoD and their perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the DoD market.

1. Does your company track product sales across the DoD?

b. No

2. If yes, please provide general estimates (e.g., percentage of total sales) for each DoD department, if available?

3. What is your company's estimated share of the DoD market for the communication solutions you offer, compared to your entire market? How has this trended over the last 5 years? If specific market share data such as market values and percentages are unavailable, please describe the general trend (e.g., increasing, decreasing, stable).

4. From your company's perspective, what are some common challenges or barriers to successfully competing for DoD contracts related to communication solutions?

5. Please indicate which contract vehicles are most frequently used by your company for DoD communication solution proposals.

6. List of incentives or discount opportunities specific to DoD customers.

7. Based on your experience, how does the Department of the Air Force's (DAF) purchasing behavior for Land Mobile Radio (LMR) assets typically vary throughout the fiscal year (FY)?

(e.g., concentrated at the end of the FY, consistent throughout the year, etc.)

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Section 6: Product Lifecycle Description: This section is designed to gather information about the lifecycle of the offered products for planning and budgeting purposes, including update frequency, warranty details, and technology refresh recommendations.

1. How frequently does your company release new versions or updates for the end-user devices or software associated with your communication solutions? (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually)

2. Do end user products come with warranties?

b. No

c. Other

3. If yes, what is the standard warranty arrangement (structure/period, etc.)? Please provide details about the typical warranty period and what it covers (e.g., parts, labor, software updates).

4. For your paid communication services, are there any dependencies or compatibility requirements related to the version of the end-user device or software being used? For example, are older versions of devices unable to access certain service features?

5. Does the organization offer an end user device buy-back program?

6. If yes, please describe the organization’s buy-back program and provide an example.

7. What is your company's recommended technology refresh rate for end-user devices associated with each of your communication solutions? (e.g., replace devices every 3 years, 5 years, etc.)

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Section 7: Emerging Technology Description: This section aims to identify market-leading technologies and emerging trends that could optimize communication capabilities within the DAF.

1. What emerging or existing technologies and trends (e.g., 5G, satellite communications, AI-powered communication tools) is your company currently monitoring or developing that could potentially enhance communication capabilities within the DAF or DoD?

2. For each emerging technology or product mentioned, please provide an estimated timeframe for its commercial availability.

3. Beyond your company's specific offerings, are you aware of any existing technologies or capabilities offered by other vendors or available in the broader market that could be implemented to enhance or augment existing LMR capabilities within the DAF or DoD?

4. Please describe the services and capabilities your organization provides to support DoD cybersecurity policy mandates such as Security Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) or Multifactor Authentication (MFA), Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) compliance, and End-to-End Encryption (E2EE), specifically in the context of Trunked Land Mobile Radio (TLMR) networks or alternative communication solutions.

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Section 8: Industry Best Practices Description: This section seeks to gather information about the vendor's best practices and recommendations for implementing and managing communication solutions.

1. For each communication solution offered, please describe the data encryption standards employed, including details about the hardware and software encryption methods used to protect customer data at rest and in transit (e.g., AES-256, FIPS 140-2 compliance). If you have security certifications, please list them here (ISO 27001, CMMC etc.).

2. From your perspective, what are some best practices or processes that your current customers use when acquiring communication assets from your organization that you have found particularly effective or efficient (e.g., standardized Performance Work Statements, clearly defined requirements, streamlined procurement processes)?

3. Do you have any recommendations for ways the DAF could become more efficient with communications solutions and asset management/acquisition (i.e., from either a cost or performance perspective)?