Draft SOW_Profile_Floats.pdf

OCEAN PROFILING INSTRUMENTS

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

FOR

DATA-ENCRYPTED AUTONOMOUS IN-SITU SUBSURFACE PROFILING SYSTEMS

OCTOBER 30, 2025

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Description of Requirement

The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) will require the purchase of air-rigged or air/surface-deployable profiling floats in support of meteorological and oceanographic operations globally. Profiling floats and float data must meet NAVOCEANO standards. The profiling floats must communicate in Short Burst Data (SBD) format over the

Iridium Satellite communications system via the DoD Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) Enhanced Mobile

Satellite Services (EMSS). The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certified float data must be FIPS

140-2 encrypted (with Level 2 security) while being collected and transmitted. The data will then be decrypted and processed once secured within the NAVOCEANO firewall.

1.2 Ordering Period:

1.2.1 The ordering period is a 36-months from date of award.

1.2.2 Delivery date specified in the delivery order.

2.0 Salient Characteristics

An encrypted autonomous profiling float, which is air-rigged, is equipped with features required for the attachment and release of a parachute for air deployment; air deployable profiling floats are capable of being successfully deployed from an aircraft via parachute capable of operating in the open sea and providing underwater profile measurements of salinity, temperature, and pressure. The main housing of the profiling float encloses the batteries, circuit boards, satellite transmitter, and all electronics to perform sensing and collection operations. The primary function of the subsurface profiling float is to provide a platform with the capability to drift at a depth where the float is neutrally buoyant and cycles vertically from an operator-specified depth to the surface and then returns to an operator-specified depth. The profiling float system, upon contact with the water, must be capable of freeing itself from the deployment package.

2.1 Standard Float Configuration

a. Either alkaline or lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl2) will be specified as the power source for each individual profiling float at the delivery order level. When alkaline is specified, the profiling float unit must not contain any lithium power source(s).

b. The profiling float must be air-deployable and surface-deployable. The profiling float must contain all associated packaging and rigging. The float must be air-rigged.

c. The profiling float and float data must meet NAVOCEANO ingest standards at the delivery order level.

d. The contractor must program the profiling float to user specifications regarding operating temperature, salinity, and pressure environment to be determined at the delivery order level.

e. Each profiling float must be individually ballasted as specified in these salients and to user specifications.

Ballasting characteristics of any one particular profiling float which is individually ballasted as described must not be used to presume or infer the ballasting characteristics of any other profiling float or group of profiling floats.

Ballasting requirements will be determined at the delivery order level.

f. The profiling float data must be routed directly to the NAVOCEANO after deployment. After the profiling float platform has been activated, the manufacturer must neither collect, nor process, nor archive any float data.

g. The air-launched configuration must be deployable using military cargo or patrol aircraft.

h. The profiling float must be capable of operating unattended for at least 120 profiles to a depth of 2,000 meters, or

200 profiles to a depth of 1200 meters, at pre-programmed or operator-specified intervals.

i. The profiling float must be depth-rated for 2,000 meters (dbar).

j. The profiling float must be capable of collecting data according to NAVOCEANO directed sampling interval (spot-samples) or in a continuous-profiling interval, high-resolution mode.

k. The profiling float must be capable of being commanded, via the Iridium satellite Short Burst Data (SBD) based bi-directional communication protocol, to remain at surface and to transmit position until instructed to resume normal operating cycle.

l. The profiling float must be capable of collecting data from multiple profiling cycles to at least 2,000 meters in depth in less than 24 hours.

m. The profiling float must be capable of obtaining the first profile independent of the NAVOCEANO specified park and profile cycle interval.

n. The profiling float must be capable of initiating profile data collection from the park depth, or, after drifting at the park depth, descend to a deeper depth to initiate profile data collection.

o. The profiling float must be capable of automatic pressure activation.

p. The profiling float CTD sensor must be capable of sampling data at a rate of at least once every 2 seconds.

q. The profiling float must support in-water operations from sea state 0 through sea state 6 as per the International Sea and Swell scale.

2.1.1 Communications

a. The autonomous profiling float must report through the DoD Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) Enhanced

Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) using the Iridium satellite SBD based system utilizing bi-directional communication protocol for data dissemination and platform position determination. The profiling float must use a Global Positioning

System receiver for position determination. The contractor’s Iridium modem International Mobile Equipment Identity

(IMEI) must be DoD-approved and not a commercial IMEI and must transmit data via the DoD EMSS Gateway. The same modem and IMEI number must be provided by the contractor to NAVOCEANO for provisioning and activation by

NAVOCEANO.

b. The SBD float must be capable of reporting detailed engineering data, including all necessary parameters to control and troubleshoot the float, especially in shallow water operations, along with the profile data in short burst format to

NAVOCEANO servers.

c. The Iridium SBD profiling float must be capable of receiving a file over air containing commands that will change the settings of the operating parameters of the profiling float. The Iridium SBD remote control commands must include the ability to, at a minimum and while operational at sea:

i. Modify the park/drift depth;

ii. Modify the amount of time spent at the specified park/drift depth;

iii. Modify the ascent rate;

iv. Modify the park/drift pressure sampling rate.

d. All individual profiling floats shall be capable of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2, Level 2 encryption, and the contractor shall provide up-to-date proof of NIST certification of FIPS 140-2, Level 2 encryption capability, via the Cryptographic Module Validation Program, for all profiling float vehicles ordered with this capability.

e. All profiling floats must comply with the following cybersecurity policies and guidance to ensure the protection of

NAVOCEANO unmanned systems:

i. Committee on National Security Systems / CYBERSECURITY OF UNMANNED NATIONAL SECURITY

SYSTEMS. - CNSSP No. 28, 6 July 2018; https://www.cnss.gov/cnss/issuances/Policies.cfm

ii. Committee on National Security Systems / CRYPTOGRAPHIC KEY PROTECTION. - CNSSP 30, December 2017 https://www.cnss.gov/cnss/issuances/Policies.cfm

2.1.2 Pre-Deployment

a. The profiling floats must be capable of being stored for at least 1-year in a climate-controlled warehouse or in a climate-controlled space aboard a ship.

b. The profiling floats must be pre-ballasted for a specified area of the ocean before delivery as specified within each individual delivery order. Potential ocean deployment areas include, but are not necessarily limited to, the South

China Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Sulu Sea, the Arctic, and low density inland seas. Different depth sampling intervals may be specified by NAVOCEANO for different areas of the ocean.

c. The profiling float must be capable of running self-diagnostic tests conducted by the end-user.

d. The profiling float must be capable of being re-configured to change operating parameters at the end-user's facility. The float must also include the capability to connect directly to a NAVOCEANO laptop in an approved manner.

e. The contractor must provide software and software program code updates to NAVOCEANO no later than delivery of the profiling float for decoding the transmitted data stream as Government Off-the-Shelf (GOTS) software, applying calibration coefficients, and producing an output file containing: temperature (degrees Celsius), pressure

(dbar), depth (m), conductivity (S/m), salinity (PSU), and positional information.

f. All source code must be included as GOTS software. This software must be compatible with the Red Hat Enterprise

7 (or later) Linux operating system for a PC, and the software must be delivered to run on any such DoD system as a single, specific, non-privileged user. Root privileges must not be required to execute or build the software, and the software must use relative paths. The software must be directly supplied to NAVOCEANO and be DISA Security

Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) compliant (reference: https://iase.disa.mil/stigs/Pages/index.aspx).

g. The contractor must provide a digital copy of the technical specifications, including ballasting and calibration details, and user guides. Digital documentation describing float pre-deployment, deployment, testing, and operational software must also be provided with each delivery order.

h. The contractor must provide a basic user-friendly software utility to perform mission parameter verification checks and notifications prior to posting the commands for implementation. The utility should run on a Windows and Linux platform. The output should indicate whether the mission parameters are accepted or rejected, and if rejected, which parameter values were responsible.

3.0 Delivery/Storage Requirements

a. Upon delivery, the contractor must provide the necessary accessory(s) required to connect the float to a

NAVOCEANO laptop for communication. The contractor must also provide the accessories required to prepare the profiling float for deployment as indicated in these salient descriptions.

b. The contractor must provide necessary software and software program code updates to NAVOCEANO at least through the end of the final individual delivery order period.

c. The articles to be furnished must be delivered within the time frame indicated on each delivery order issued under the contract, with the Iridium IMEI provisioning supplied by the NAVOCEANO COR.

d. All instruments must be shipped freight on board (FOB) origin, contractor’s facility.

e. The contractor must not release any NAVOCEANO procurement or procurement-related information (e.g., number of platforms procured, type of platforms procured) to public and/or to private entities without the Government’s consent.

4.0 Technological Advancements

https://www.cnss.gov/cnss/issuances/Policies.cfm https://www.cnss.gov/cnss/issuances/Policies.cfm

In anticipation of any technological advancements to the functionality of profiling float parts, the parts of the profiling floats may be replaced for existing salient characteristics parts over the course of the resultant contract. Those technologically advanced parts may be evaluated and replaced when the technology proves to be superior, cost effective, compatible with existing salient characteristics of the profiling floats. These technological advancements in the functionality of the profiling floats to be procured that replaces existing technology shall be considered within the scope of this contact.

5.0 Packaging

a. Each shipping container must always be clearly marked on the outside to indicate any unevenness or weight imbalances, when applicable, to avoid injury to personnel, and to avoid damage to packaging or the actual float due to stacking imbalances.

b. Each profiling float must be marked on the hull area with only the float serial number which must be provided by the manufacturer. The float serial number shall also be clearly indicated on the exterior of each shipping container to help minimize inspection efforts.

c. Each profiling float must be packaged in its own individual shipping container unless otherwise stated. Within each shipping container, each individual profiling float must be packaged in its own individual deployment container.

d. The presence of a parachute(s) must be clearly indicated on the exterior of each shipping container to quickly assess and confirm delivery specifications for invoice approval.

e. The presence of tools, documentation and/or accessories must be indicated on the shipping container to help minimize inspection efforts.

f. All documentation (including shipping records) and containers must be marked with their associated contract number and the delivery order number.

g. Each deployment container located inside the shipping container as well as the shipping container itself must be visibly labeled with an impact monitor to indicate when float(s) have been exposed to a potentially damaging force during transit or storage.

h. All markings on instrument, deployment container, and shipping container must be clearly visible and all labels must be securely affixed.

i. Each shipping container, each deployment container and all packing materials must comply with all domestic and international shipping rules, regulations, and restrictions. The shipping container must be strong enough to protect its contents from the hazards of shipping and storage.

j. The shipping container must be as light in weight as shipping hazards and the inherent strength properties of the materials permit.

k. The actual shipping container framework must provide the primary basic strength and support to absorb most of the stress imposed by the container contents.

l. Each shipping container must be able to easily accommodate a standard pallet jack/pallet truck.

m. The shipping container must be completely enclosed on the top, bottom and all sides and constructed in such a manner as to reasonably protect the contents from inclement weather and adverse environmental conditions.

6.0 Security Requirements

6.1 The overall classification of this contract is CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information). Contractor does not require access to classification information in the performance of this contract. All contract personnel shall comply with the directives and policies established in 2 CFR Part 117 “National Industrial Security Program

Operating Manual”, DoD Instruction 5200.48 (Controlled Unclassified Information) and SECNAVINST

5510.36B “Department of the Navy (DoN) Information Security Program. The contractor does not require access to U.S. Government Information Technology (IT) systems.

6.2 All information and data related to this project that the contractor gathers or obtains shall be both protected from unauthorized release and considered the property of the Government. The contracting officer will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, must not be publicized without the written approval of the contracting officer.

7.0 Quality Assurance Performance Plan (QASP)

7.1 Vendors shall provide an organizational level quality acceptance plan as part of the proposal response outlining the vendor’s process to ensure delivery schedules are met and quality of the product mitigates failures of products on delivery. Vendors shall annotate facility standards, if any, within the International Standards Organization (ISO) for hazmat, safety, and production practices.

7.2 Military Specification (MILSPEC) LM_MIL-STD-129R_140218 shipping marking and labeling standards are instituted to meet FOB destination requirements to military locations globally.

7.3 The Government shall negotiate with the vendor at the delivery order level for any equitable adjustments for instruments that failed on deployment or while stored at no fault of the Government.