TMIS_NextGen_SOWs.pdf

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/STATEMENT OF WORK

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS (TMIS)

C.1 BACKGROUND

The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is a Federal fee-for-service organization within the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). The Volpe Center’s mission is to improve the nation’s transportation systems. In partnership with sponsoring agencies, the Volpe Center provides technical research and analysis services to the USDOT, other Federal agencies, state agencies, and other organizations in connection with the transportation-related components of their missions.

The Volpe Center’s focus is research and innovation in all areas of transportation to improve the transportation system for the future. The Volpe Center is an active partner with several agencies in defining and implementing the future transportation system. For example, the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) has developed an interagency framework in which several executive agencies of the U.S. Government, including the USDOT, are participating in developing the future aviation system. Within the USDOT, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is leading the future aviation system activities. Another agency the Volpe Center is supporting is the Federal Railroad Administration in the area of High Speed Rail (HSR) research and safety.

The Volpe Center is supporting the FAA and other modal agencies in future aviation system plans/developments as well as future plans in other transportation modes. The Volpe Center utilizes a combination of Federal and Contractor personnel to marshal the broad range and quantity of skills needed to support sponsoring agencies’ projects. By establishing a “pool” of professional technical/scientific resources, the Volpe Center can respond to uncertain, long-range requirements of its technical program in a timely and effective manner. The Contractor will constitute an important part of the Volpe Center’s resources and will provide high-technology capabilities and skills targeted to the Volpe Center’s programmatic requirements in the area of Traffic Management Infrastructure Systems (TMIS).

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The Volpe Center’s programmatic activities for TMIS fall primarily in the area of transportation infrastructure, the foundation of facilities, equipment, and related services needed for the safe and secure movement of goods and people. The Contractor must possess the primary skills required for TMIS, which are in the engineering and physical science disciplines (see below) as they relate to the specification, design, development, testing and operation of traffic management systems. The primary skill requirements for this contract may include, but are not limited to:

Systems Engineering and Integration Electronic Engineering Electrical Engineering Aeronautical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Marine Engineering Operations Research Industrial Engineering Environmental Test Engineering Civil Engineering Railroad Engineering

Safety Engineering Physics Chemistry Meteorology

In addition, the Volpe Center requires skills in a wide spectrum of other disciplines, including economics, program management, earned value management, financial management, emergency response as related to transportation, man-machine interface analysis and development, risk management, and information systems. Work under this contract may address all transportation modes — air, surface, marine, and potentially space. Current indications are that the largest volume of tasking will be in the aviation area, specifically in support of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) which will leverage new technologies to transform the National Air System (NAS) into a safer, more secure system while improving the capacity of air transportation systems. There may also be tasking in the area of surface transportation, including, but not limited to, motor vehicle crash avoidance technologies and transit/ traffic management systems. Representative work areas under this contract are described in Section C.3

The Contractor may be required to provide administrative and logistic services that are an integral and interconnected part of TMIS work performed. These support services may include business and technical writing, development of presentations, graphic arts design and production (demonstrations); and organizing, and/or participating in conferences, meetings, or symposia.

Work area requirements include:

Strategic Planning and Architecture Analysis Air Traffic Management (ATM) Systems Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Systems Surveillance Systems / Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Communication Systems System Engineering System Innovative Technologies

C.3 AREAS OF WORK

C.3.1 Strategic Planning and Architecture Analysis This work area covers, but is not limited to, the need, conceptualization, definition and planning of traffic management systems. Work will take into account transportation needs, present and/or planned systems, current and emerging technologies, policy guidance concerning future directions provided by the sponsoring organization and national commissions such as the JPDO, and economic, environmental, legal, and management factors. In general, the products of the work performed in this area will provide support to Government officials in making its decisions concerning proposed TMIS programs, and may address all modes of transportation, including air, surface, marine and potentially space.

TMIS programs identified as transformational include ADS-B, System Wide Information Management (SWIM), Data Communications, NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW), and, relative to surface transportation, IntelliDriveSM (see http://www.intellidriveusa.org). Other TMIS programs identified as enabling the NextGen include: Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI), En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS), Ground-based Augmentation System (GBAS), Terminal Automation Modernization Replacement (TAMR), Tower Flight Data Management (TFDM), Traffic Flow Management – Modernization (TFM-M);, and Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) enhancements. Although many of these programs are underway at the FAA, it is anticipated that work in this area may include definition of future segments and enhancements. Other TMIS programs could include technologies such as HSR.

In this work area, the Contractor may be required to perform, but not be limited to:

Formulate strategic plans and develop the concept of operations for a new capability (e.g., an airports surface traffic management system).

Provide recommendations for research and development programs in support of new initiatives and programs (e.g., an auto/truck traffic management system using in-vehicle transponders or, similarly, rail or marine vehicle/vessels to other management systems).

Conduct research in support of formulating goals and objectives for new capabilities (e.g., trajectory-based aircraft traffic management).

Provide comprehensive system analyses and syntheses for a new capability (e.g., networked surface traffic sensors).

Develop or refine enterprise architectures describing national-level systems and support in the decomposition of architectures into functional components and program products (e.g., new paradigms for a vessel traffic management system).

Develop the frameworks and/or strategic plans for dealing with the non-technical factors, such as the institutional, financial, and legal aspects of traffic management systems at the federal level (e.g., a civil-only satellite-based navigation system).

Evaluate technical feasibility of a proposed new traffic management system (e.g., a new general airport surveillance radar utilizing a low-cost electronic phased-array technology).

Develop cost estimates, analyze benefits, and perform trade-off studies to support the economic feasibility of proposed traffic management systems and solutions (e.g., the NextGen super-density concept).

Develop environmental studies, including impacts such as noise, fuel consumption, and emissions, for proposed traffic management systems and solutions. These studies can use existing environmental analysis tools, potentially augmented with supplemental tools and methods.

Construct proof-of-concept models, prototypes, and/or initial capabilities of NextGen or other transportation traffic management systems (e.g., a specific trajectory-based TM scheme).

Provide support for TMIS global harmonization standards and specifications development through participation in committees, meetings and workgroups.

Develop system architectures to achieve improved management and control of vehicles (surface, marine, and air) in the efficient and safe movement from their origin to their destinations. These architectures will account for all systematic, demand-driven, atmospheric, environmental, interoperative capabilities, safety systems and human performance constraints placed upon the systems. Services may include development of concepts for the system solutions and/or analysis of the operations. Systems may require human-in-the-loop (HITL) and automation control of vehicle spacing to achieve optimal throughputs without compromising safety.

Ensure that the systems architecture encompasses the optimal man-machine interfaces necessary to meet the system-wide goals.

Devise system architecture techniques, methodologies, and algorithms that allow the synthesizing of various navigation, surveillance, communication, and control data inputs to aid in decision making.

Provide support for the development of roadmaps that enhance and facilitate automation systems that predict the desired routes of vehicles and their future positions with respect to time and location from past positions, velocities, acceleration, and vehicle intent.

C.3.2 Air Traffic Management (ATM) Systems This work area covers ATM systems. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines ATM as “the aggregation of the airborne functions and ground-based functions (air traffic services, airspace management, and air traffic flow management) required to ensure the safe and efficient movement of aircraft during all phases of operations.” Activities in this work area relate to systems at various stages in their development, including initial research, design feasibility studies, design and development testing, implementation, and continued operation and maintenance.

Given that the FAA is a major sponsor of the Volpe Center’s work in ATM systems, understanding the FAA’s approach to ATM within NextGen is essential to understanding the nature of the Volpe Center’s future efforts in this work area. The data requirements for ATM system operation and validation require the use of several commercially available data resources, including the Performance Data Analysis and Reporting System (PDARS) and Terminal Area Route Generation, Evaluation, and Traffic Simulation

(TARGETS).

FAA activities leading to NextGen operational improvements are planned and categorized by the solutions that they support. The FAA’s solution portfolio is organized into seven solution sets, each focusing on a series of related operational capabilities. The seven solution sets are:

Initiate Trajectory Based Operations Increase Arrivals/Departures at High Density Airports Increase Flexibility in the Terminal Environment Improve Collaborative Air Traffic Management Reduce Weather Impact Improve Safety, Security, and Environmental Performance Transform Facilities

In addition, other new programs that directly support the transformation to NextGen in the NAS include:

ERAM; ITWS; Terminal Data Distribution System (TDDS); NNEW; SWIM; TAMR - Phases 1, 2, and 3;

TFDM; TFM-M; and enhancements to the TMA. This list is not inclusive of all ATM programs that may be supported under this work area as there are interdependencies with other programs to transform the NAS that are primarily covered by other communication, navigation, and/or surveillance task areas.

There are also existing ATM programs that may require support in the future; e.g., the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) and Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) initiatives.

Supporting the achievement of capabilities defined within the NextGen solution sets is expected to be a major aspect of this work area. Activities defined in the solution sets are intended to be representative of actual work that may be performed under this contract. These support activities are heavily focused on, but not limited to, the design, development, deployment, and integration of future NextGen systems, capabilities, and concepts. A wide array of datasets will need to be accessed and analyzed as part of this work area; major among them is the commercially available PDARS data.

C.3.2.1 Initiate Trajectory Based Operation (TBO) Trajectory based operations are a shift from clearance based to trajectory based control. Aircraft will fly negotiated trajectories, and air traffic control will transition to management by trajectory; the traditional role of the pilots/controller will evolve due to the increase in automation, support, and integration.

The “Initiate Trajectory Based Operations” solution set focuses primarily on high-altitude cruise operations in en route airspace, although its effects will impact all phases of flight. It is dependent on:

data communications, ADS-B, CDTI, SWIM, ERAM, TFM-M, Required Navigation Performance

(RNP), Area Navigation (RNAV), Oceanic Avionics, 4-Dimensional (4-D) trajectories, NAS Voice Switch, flight object, Flight Management System (FMS) Auto Load, training, procedures, airspace redesign, and automation enhancements, including those to meet more stringent safety requirements.

ATM work related to TBO may include, but is not limited to: assessing flexible airspace and dynamic resource management using TBO and its impact on TFM; creating trajectory based reroute modeling and development of detailed specifications and a near-term implementation approach; ensuring that TBO is supported by the flight object through participation in the SWIM Flight and Flow Community of Interest (COI); evaluating the flight object as a trajectory based interface between (1) ERAM and TFM, and (2) NAS users (commercial, general aviation, state, and military) and the FAA and its NextGen capabilities/systems; performing point-in-space metering; integrating air-ground man-machine interface assessment of TBO; and developing or refining TMA enhancements.

C.3.2.2 Increase Arrivals/Departures at High Density Airports (HD) The “Increase Arrivals/Departures at High Density Airports” solution set involves increasing operations at airports where there is potential for airspace or approach interference from other airports in close proximity, high demand for the runway capacity, or multiple runways with both airspace and taxiing interactions. This solution set is dependent on: data communications, terminal automation platform enhancements, RNP/RNAV, ADS-B, SWIM, TFM-M, flight object, data communications, NAS Voice Switch, FMS Auto Load, 4-D trajectories, training, Safety Management System (SMS) processes, and airspace redesign. It also depends and expands on the capabilities of the “Flexible Terminals and Airports” solution set described in section C.3.2.3.

ATM work in this area may include, but is not limited to: supporting the implementation of TMA and Time-Based Flow Management (TBFM); assessment of en route time-based metering (TBM) procedures;

assessing integrated arrival/departure management in major metropolitan areas; supporting the definition and development of TDDS in connection with SWIM; and assessing TBM using RNP/RNAV route assignments.

C.3.2.3 Increase Flexibility in the Terminal Environment (FLEX) The “Increase Flexibility in the Terminal Environment” solution set will provide the enhanced capabilities necessary to manage the separation of aircraft at and around all airports. Flexible terminal operations include a mix of Instrument Flight Rules/Visual Flight Rules (IFR/VFR) traffic with aircraft types ranging from scheduled airline operations to the recreational pilot. FLEX is dependent on: ADS-B, CDTI, SWIM, RNP/RNAV, 4-D trajectories, NAS Voice Switch, data communications, GBAS, SMS processes, and terminal automation platform enhancements.

ATM work in this area may include, but is not limited to: providing surface situational awareness information to aircraft operators and other users of ATM information; evaluating the impacts, benefits, and costs of continuous descent arrival procedures on noise, emissions, and fuel burn; defining wake vortex procedures; supporting the development of standard approach and departure procedures;

conducting concept engineering analysis and support vis-à-vis Required Time of Arrival (RTA); and assessing the benefits and impacts of new approach and departure procedures in the traffic flow environment.

C.3.2.4 Improve Collaborative Air Traffic Management (CATM) The “Improve Collaborative Air Traffic Management” solution set includes flow programs as well as collaboration on procedures that will establish balance by shifting demand to alternate resources (e.g., routings, altitudes, and times). CATM will bring together NAS status information (from multiple automation systems) into a common electronic format to enable improved flight planning. CATM will enable advanced methodologies to determine routing options as well as dynamic airspace sector boundaries and configurations to grant more flexibility in managing traffic. CATM is dependent on ADS-B, SWIM, data communications, SMS processes, airspace redesign, ERAM, TFM-M, flight object, and NAS Voice Switch.

ATM work in this area may include, but is not limited to:

Providing support to Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs) in the current CATM tools environment Developing reroute impact assessment (reroute modeling) and other decision support tools that allow traffic management specialists to automatically predict and examine the impacts of proposed Traffic Management Initiatives (TMI)

Exchanging flow strategies with air traffic control Evaluating trajectory flight data management techniques, including flight object Developing a common geospatial reference system encompassing appropriate aeronautical and meteorological information to facilitate increased levels of collaboration and common situational awareness across traditional geographic and organizational boundaries

Developing enhancements to TFM capabilities and probabilistic tools to improve the management of uncertainty

Supporting the integration of weather into TFM capabilities Developing a unified approach to flight planning Developing a TFM capabilities roadmap Conducting HITL and Fast-Time Simulations (FTS) in support of the Multi-Sector Planner

(MSP) and other Advanced Methods (AM) concepts Supporting transition activities between ETMS and TFM-M Supporting the SWIM program and SWIM COIs

C.3.2.5 Reduce Weather Impact (RWI) The “Reduce Weather Impact” solution set includes enhancements to weather information and its use to improve safety, capacity, and efficiency. RWI is dependent on: integration of weather processing and forecasting via NNEW, ADS-B, SWIM, ERAM, advanced surface automation, terminal automation platform enhancements, TFM-M, weather sensors, airspace redesign, SMS processes, and 4-D Trajectories.

ATM work in this area may include, but is not limited to: deployment of ITWS capabilities, prototyping of NextGen weather impact translators, and supporting the NAS Enterprise Architecture for dissemination of weather information to interests outside the SWIM Weather COI.

C.3.2.6 Improve Safety, Security, and Environmental Performance (SSE) The “Improve Safety, Security, and Environmental Performance” solution set involves activities directly related to ensuring that NextGen systems contribute to steadily reducing risks to safety and information security while mitigating adverse effects on the environment and ensuring environmental protection that allows sustained aviation growth. SSE analysis activities may derive from or correlate with any of the support requirements defined within each of the five prior solution sets.

Work in this area may include, but is not limited to: design, development, and deployment of the Security Integrated Tool Set (SITS) system; performance of information system security engineering tasks, including development and execution of Information System Security Plans (ISSP), Certification and Authorization packages, and System Certification and Authorization Packages (SCAP); environmental impact and risk analyses of NextGen systems and components as the systems and components relate to fuel consumption, noise, local air quality, and global emissions; evaluation of preliminary engineering candidate concepts and systems, refinements of operation concepts and requirements; investment analysis; trade-off analysis of routing and scheduling optimization against safety, environment, and cost considerations; and analyses of the impacts of air traffic on the environment. Similarly, corresponding security activities may be required relative to motor vehicle electronic control systems and corresponding environmental activities may be required relative to IntelliDrive Applications for the Environment: Real- Time Information Synthesis program (AERIS (www.its.dot.gov/factsheets/pdf/JPO- 024%20AERIS%20V5.5.1%20F.pdf )).

C.3.2.7 Transform Facilities The Transform Facilities solution set focuses on capabilities that enable a network of integrated facilities designed to support the delivery of safer and more efficient operations system-wide. It enables a facilities infrastructure that supports NextGen and other transportation related facilities (i.e., rail, HSR, ground, and marine) capabilities as they are integrated into the current system and as they mature over time. Business continuity is built into the system and provides for a more resilient infrastructure, better contingency operations, and a higher degree of service. This solution set includes multi-discipline laboratories and test beds to support NextGen or other transportation mode requirements development and risk-mitigation efforts.

Work in this area may include future facilities investment planning that may involve conducting the detailed engineering necessary to develop comprehensive facility requirements for future transportation facilities; integration, development ,and operational analysis that may involve prototyping and assessing the transition to NextGen or other transportation capabilities and conducting man machine interface simulations; and test bed demonstration that may involve, but not be limited to, testing of operational improvements during all phases of flight that will allow the integration of new and emerging technologies or applications into existing or planned NAS or other transportation infrastructure enhancements.

C.3.3 Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Systems This work area addresses the planning, development, and utilization of PNT systems for solutions to present and future transportation needs. Work in this area includes, but is not limited to, assessing PNT requirements for transportation systems, making recommendations for navigation technology to fulfill previously established requirements, performing analyses of the capabilities of current and future PNT systems, and performing technical and cost-benefit analyses on present and proposed navigation systems and concepts.

The Contractor may be required to provide support for the following operating or developing GNSS:

The NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS), the Galileo satellite navigation system, and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Space-based augmentation systems to GNSSs, including the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), the Multifunctional Transport Satellite (MTSAT), and the GPS and Geo-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system

Ground-based augmentation systems to GNSSs, including the Local Area Augmentation System

(LAAS)

Existing U.S. air transportation system: transition to the NextGen Air Transportation System

– Very High Frequency Omni Directional Range (VOR)/Distance Measuring Equipment

(DME)/Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN)

– Inertial Navigation System (INS) - gimbaled, strap down and space-stable mechanizations

– Radio beacons - unmodulated and modulated with GNSS corrections in various formats

– Instrument Landing System (ILS)

– Microwave Landing System (MLS)

– Electronic map or chart databases

The Contractor may be required to support activities that address:

GPS modernization reflected in the Block IIR-M and IIF satellites Delayed implementation of GPS L2C and L5 signals, constellation replenishment, schedules, and onset of increased solar activity Selecting a future radio navigation systems mix Harmonizing the evolving civil and military requirements and policies for GPS Current gaps in GPS PNT service; e.g., hostile jamming or spoofing environments, continuing to meet civil and military signal integrity requirements (in addition to current system improvements such as a new military signal on L1 and L2 and flexible power for PPS L1 and L2)

The Contractor may also be required to perform assessments that involve collection of laboratory and field test data, review reports with technical experts, and build prototype systems. This may involve, for example, supporting FAA studies currently underway to determine whether LAAS meets the requirements for Category II and III precision approach operations.

The Contractor may be required to conduct performance analyses and evaluation of current operational systems and to assess the need for new PNT systems and/or analyze proposed PNT systems to determine whether the proposed systems can be expected to satisfy projected needs/requirements developed by the Government (e.g., Nationwide Differential GPS). In performing these studies and evaluations, the Contractor may be required to perform simulation, modeling, and/or theoretical analyses; develop prototype hardware and software; and perform field testing. Additionally, the Contractor may be required to perform trade-off studies and to evaluate transition strategies, including the phasing-in/-out of existing systems and the scheduling of changeovers. Examples of proposed systems that the Contractor may be required to assess include:

Hybrid combinations of GNSS and INS Obtaining GNSS augmentation signals via a commercial terrestrial transmitter or geostationary satellite Satellite-based systems versus ground-based systems Use of GPS in National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) outer space projects and operations Laboratory, field, and flight tests of radio frequency (RF) interference location systems Radio wave propagation (for frequencies from 10 KHz through 2 GHz covering Loran through

GPS) to determine statistics for the PNT system availability, accuracy, and integrity

Research continues at NASA on using GPS signals for science observations and applications requiring high precision. Examples include:

Using signals for atmospheric research using occultation measurements through the Earth's atmosphere Observations of signals reflected off the Earth's surface Measurements used in geodetic applications

C.3.3.1 Geodetic Reference Frame NASA has undertaken the task of coordinating efforts among Federal agencies to identify the geodetic requirements to meet future PNT requirements. The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently assessing Satellite Laser Retro-reflectors (SLR) as a potential payload on GPS III-B and evaluating any integration/compatibility risks as well as identifying cost and schedule impacts.

The Contractor may be required to:

Support activities involving the GPS Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS), which provides land surface centimeter-level positioning capability in the U.S. The CORS network contains about 1,300 stations

Support Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) activities such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS) used for vessel traffic control around busy seaways

Develop GPS Radiofrequency Interference (RFI) mitigation techniques

The primary method of interference mitigation is provided by coordinated Government enforcement response to interference reports and information distribution (e.g., United States Coast Guard Navigation Center, FAA NAS Operational Control Center, United States Strategic Command GPS Operation Center).

Outage risks can be mitigated in part if the user makes a correct assessment of requirements and implementation of appropriate backup systems or procedures for each individual application.

C.3.4 Surveillance Systems/Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) This work area covers, but is not limited to, the planning, development, and utilization of surveillance sensors and systems for solutions to present and future transportation needs and challenges. The Contractor may be required to provide support to transportation activities associated with concept initiation, analysis, design, development, testing, integration, and evaluation of surveillance sensors and systems for all modes of transportation — air, surface, marine, and potentially space. Surveillance in this context refers to both:

Monitoring a set of characteristics (e.g., identification, location, velocity, size, orientation, and intent) of a vehicle (e.g., aircraft, ships, or cars/trucks) conveying passengers and/or cargo from a location other than on-board the vehicle being monitored

Monitoring a set of characteristics of non-vehicle entities that may affect and, particularly, may constitute a hazard or impediment to the safe and efficient transportation of passengers and cargo, including weather phenomena, emissions, and flow wakes from other vehicles, terrain, man-made objects fixed to the ground, debris, and vapors/particulate matter (e.g., volcanic ash).

This work area is divided into sub areas addressing non-ADS-B and ADS-B activities.

C.3.4.1 Non-ADS-B Activities This work area covers the planning, development, and utilization of surveillance sensors and systems for solutions to present and future transportation needs excluding aviation ADS-B. Surveillance sensors and/or systems addressed within this work area may in the case of vehicles be either non-cooperative or cooperative, depending upon whether or not equipment must be installed on the vehicle being monitored.

Non-cooperative surveillance technologies may be either active (e.g., requiring transmission of energy by the surveiller) or passive (e.g., relying on energy or matter naturally emitted or disturbed by the entity under surveillance. Non-cooperative surveillance may utilize (a) energy in any of many forms, including acoustic (frequencies from infrasonic to ultrasonic), electromagnetic (EM) radiofrequencies, EM microwave frequencies, infrared light, visible light, or ultraviolet light or (b) matter in any of several forms, including fluid flow and particulates in the ambient environment or emitted by a vehicle.

Examples of work that may be required are:

Feasibility analyses of new or significantly improved surveillance sensor and/or system concepts

— i.e., low-cost X-band radar for detecting convective weather activity near medium-size airports and radar or detection systems for rail vehicle to wayside activities

Cost-benefit analyses and Cost & Operational Effectiveness Analysis (COEA) on new surveillance sensors/systems; e.g., sensor for detecting cloud-to-cloud lightning before lightning ground-strikes occur

Requirements analyses, concept definition, and design and development of prototype systems;

e.g., snowfall detector for interstate highways

Specification development and refinement ; e.g., low-cost radar for Foreign Objects and Debris (FOD) on the airport surface

Performance analyses of Airport Terminal Area and Airport Surface Surveillance systems Performance analyses of automated weather observing systems and vortex and wind shear sensors and systems Field or flight test evaluation of sensors and systems; e.g., Runway Visual Range (RVR) sensor based on new emitter and/or detector technology Installation, test, and evaluation of systems in an operational environment (sensor/tracking/ communications, etc.); i.e., airports, shipboard wayside, rail, and roadway systems Design and development of data reduction and analysis software Sensor and system simulation Integration of various ground-based sensor and tracking systems, including data fusion techniques, data management, and methods of portraying information Requirements analysis for interfacing surveillance sensors with communications and automation systems Risk and/or threat assessment of proposed or existing surveillance systems.

C.3.4.2 ADS-B Activities The Volpe Center supports the nationwide implementation of ADS-B and related Traffic/Flight Information Systems – Broadcast (TIS-B/FIS-B). The Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of Surveillance Services has been obtained for the key sites of Louisville, the Gulf of Mexico, Philadelphia and Juneau.

The Final Rule requiring ADS-B avionics to operate in certain airspace by 2020 was published in May 2010. Each key site was chosen because it utilized a different air traffic control automation platform with which ADS-B must be integrated. The key sites and corresponding automation platforms are the Common Automated Radar Terminal System (CARTS) in Louisville, the Host automation system in Houston supporting the Gulf of Mexico, the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) in Philadelphia, and the Microprocessor En Route Automated Tracking System (MEARTS) in Juneau. The FAA achieved the In Service Decision (ISD) to use ADS-B for Air Traffic Control (ATC) separation services (also known as “critical services”) in September 2010. ISD authorizes deployment of a solution into the operational environment. The ISD consists of the Operational Test Reports, Independent Operational Test Reports (IOT&E), ISD checklist, safety risk management document and system safety assessment reports, information security certification and authorization, and the ISD action plan. The Contractor may be required to support the Volpe Center and the FAA in updating the reports and completing the action plans.

The Contractor may be required to provide support to the Volpe Center and the FAA to achieve full implementation of ADS-B in the NAS. This work may include implementation of ground stations, equipage of commercial aircraft, and integration with other air traffic control automation platforms. Prior to ISD, IOT&E was conducted at each key site to identify and assess any operational and safety risks.

The Contractor may be required to provide support to the Volpe Center and the FAA to continue to address these issues/risks, implement any required fixes to the system, conduct further tests, and develop action plans for unresolved issues.

The Contractor may be required to provide support to the Volpe Center and the FAA to collect and analyze more data to support terminal ADS-B separation services. It is not possible to cover every permutation of ADS-B and automation platform at this time. The Contractor may be required to provide technical support to address additional ADS-B capabilities/functionalities through the use of ISD action plans as defined by the FAA at the time of ISD. The ISD action plans shall address:

Terminal separation services prior to first production sites (ADS-B to ADS-B and ADS-B to

Radar) En Route Separation with ADS-B integrated into ERAM En Route Separation with ADS-B integrated into Advanced Technologies and Oceanic

Procedures (ATOP) Investigation of potential alternatives to provide terminal separation services with ADS-B integrated into MEARTS

Each action plan shall at a minimum contain a Safety Risk Management Document (SRMD); a plan for operational testing including flight checks; and strict configuration management through the use of NAS Change Proposals (NCPs).

Support for implementation of ground stations, aircraft equipage, and integration with other air traffic control automation platforms that the Contractor may be required to perform includes, but is not limited to:

System Engineering, including specifying, assessing and validating ADS-B/TIS-B/FIS-B performance in regard to integration with the automation platforms, and support for Ground-based Interval Management (GIM)

Field engineering services, including planning for and monitoring the full implementation of ADS-B/TIS-B/FIS-B ground stations

Risk Management, updating SRMDs; identifying, monitoring, assessing and mitigating technical, cost, and schedule risks

Data and Performance Monitoring to support terminal ADS-B separation services Operations Support for integration with other ATC automation platforms Program management support, including, but not limited to, support for communications with the users and other Government entities, schedule development, financial management, and earned value management.

C.3.5 Communication Systems This work area covers the planning, development, and utilization of communications systems for solutions to present and future transportation needs and challenges. The Contractor may be required to support a broad range of network and/or communication programs and applications, including ground-based networks, terrestrial radio systems, satellite communications systems, and other communication systems. Work in this area may include, but not be limited to, management; planning; system design/engineering; and system certification, test, and evaluation of communication systems. In terms of radio communications, Contractor support may be required for digital fixed, mobile (including 5.9GHz Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC)), and aeronautical communication systems and technologies.

C.3.5.1 Network Management The Contractor may be required to support specific investigations pertaining to network management.

For purposes of this contract, network management is defined as policy considerations, security and emergency response, development of tools for network management and planning, administration, budgetary analysis and projections, and related training. Examples of work required include, but are not limited to:

Planning, design, engineering integration, implementation, test, and support for computer networks and all associated Information Technology (IT) infrastructure Analysis of policy for network management, planning, and configuration control Budget analysis, review, and forecasting, including cost tracking and impact assessments Specification and dissemination of network standards and protocols Preparation and maintenance of technical specifications, orders, and directives related to the operation and management of IT infrastructure components Definition, development, and implementation of contingency plans and procedures Identification and assessment of current network technologies as well as future network trends Assessment and monitoring of network performance, reliability, and security IT transactional analysis methodology and troubleshooting Information System Security assessments, testing, and documentation Training in network management

C.3.5.2 Network Planning and System Engineering The Contractor may be required to support the Volpe Center in conducting network planning and system engineering. These activities include technical and management analysis; studies; design and operational support for information systems and software engineering, including architectures, data management strategies, and development; requirements analysis; alternatives analysis; feasibility studies; cost/benefit analysis; operational plans; performance measurement and operational capability support; strategy development; implementation; integration; testing; and maintenance. Examples of work required include, but are not limited to:

Requirements and specifications gathering, resource ordering, developing implementation and integration plans, and installing and configuring services Network system engineering tasks ranging from functional and technical system requirements and specifications to overall system design, acquisition, service, implementation, integration, test, evaluation, and troubleshooting

Specification and development of criteria and methodologies for measuring and assessing network and system performance

Design and development of tools and automation aids for network and system design, monitoring, configuration, and management

Analytical and discrete event modeling of computer network traffic loads Technical performance, reliability and risk trade-offs, cost-benefit studies, and economic risk analyses for networks and candidate technologies Technology forecasting and cost estimates Modeling and computer simulation of network, system, and application performance analysis Developing policies, procedures, and test methods to ensure network infrastructure reliability and accessibility as well as to prevent and defend against unauthorized access to networks, systems, and data

Information System Security training

C.3.5.3 Terrestrial and Satellite Radio Communications The work in this area covers the planning, development, and utilization of terrestrial and satellite analog and digital radio equipment and systems for solutions to present and future transportation needs. The Contractor may be required to provide technical support to facilitate development of advanced radio communications systems for fixed point-to-point, fixed point-to-multipoint, fixed to land/marine mobile, and fixed to aeronautical services. Contractor work may include requirements analysis; concept development; feasibility and trade-off studies; spectrum utilization and cost-benefit studies; system engineering and design; interface analysis; hardware and software specification as well as evaluation;

technology assessments; test planning and implementation; and data collection, reduction, and evaluation.

For example, the work may include, but not be limited to:

Concept definition and planning for a pilot-controller communications system utilizing the current Very High Frequency (VHF) aeronautical communications band that has sufficient capacity for a factor-of-three traffic growth while improving on current signal-to-interference levels

Concept definition and planning for a rate (e.g., 1 Mb/sec) air-ground data link that provides for ATC communications, airline (e.g., pilot-dispatcher) communications, and passenger communications with a dynamic prioritization scheme

Data link requirements for GPS/GNSS applications, such as distribution of Differential GPS integrity and correction data for a space-based or ground-based augmentation scheme

Concept definition and planning for an airport-based wide area network that utilizes the 5091- 5150 MHz band currently allocated to the MLS

Assessment of satellite technologies and trends Recommendation of modulation and coding schemes for communication applications; e.g., analog and digital voice, “next generation” ADS-B Prediction of fielded and planned communication system performance (with frequencies ranging from 100 MHz to 5.9 GHz) in terms of availability and reliability, signal-to-noise ratio, and message error rate

Survey and recommend a commercial communications service provider based on Government-provided requirements for tracking and control of off-shore marine vessels and aircraft in oceanic airspace

Impact of international/domestic satellite systems regulation and institutional arrangements on service procurement and operations

Cost-benefit analysis of satellite radio versus terrestrial radio versus landline telecommunication services for specific applications; e.g., networking surface traffic monitoring/control sites in a large metropolitan area

Support for implementation of ground stations in the continental United States and DoD facilities outside the continental United States, aircraft equipage, and integration with other air traffic control automation platforms.

C.3.5.4 Frequency Spectrum Engineering The work in this area covers radio spectrum engineering activities associated with implementation of new traffic management systems and the maintenance of existing capabilities. The Contractor may be required to provide support in resolving the challenges that arise as new technologies such as ADS-B are deployed as the electromagnetic spectrum required for this new system has the potential to degrade the performance of currently deployed systems, particularly during the transition period when both generations of systems must operate simultaneously. For example, the work may include:

Determination of optimal frequency band(s) in which to locate new systems Identification of system spectrum requirements and constraints

Analysis and selection of communication techniques necessary to implement systems within spectrum constraints

Simulation of the system spectrum environment in order to check for spectrum-related concerns such as co-channel and adjacent-channel interference, inter-modulation products produced by various nearby emitters, industrial machinery-generated noise, and similar issues

Simulation of system components such as aircraft receivers or transportation-related emergency response equipment in order to verify their spectrum-related performance and to investigate and validate observed problems

Performance of laboratory and field tests necessary to validate the analyses and simulations

C.3.5.5 System Wide Information Management (SWIM)

The work in this area covers the information exchange between systems based on the principles of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The Contractor may be required to engineer, design, implement, integrate, test, and analyze the open, flexible, and secure IT infrastructures for NAS systems to share information, increase operability, and encourage reusability of information and services. Additionally, the Contractor may be required to develop conceptual and requirements documents. The following work may be required:

Establishment of engineering processes to monitor, control, and oversee engineering activities.

– Examples of work that may be required include, but are not limited to, designing and developing engineering processes to support programmatic and technical activities

– Support the implementation, institutionalization, and adoption of engineering processes

– Assess, implement, deploy, and administer automated tools that facilitate engineering activities

NAS integration engineering and analysis, including but not limited to:

– Integration support to SWIM Implementing Programs (SIPs)

– Defining/registering an individual SWIM service with the FAA’s NAS Service

Registry/Suppository (NSRR), enabling the design-time discovery of NAS services

– Interface definitions and application integration mechanisms

– Transition issue identification and resolution

Engineering and analysis associated with design and implementation of the SWIM infrastructure and SWIM core services

Concept and requirements development, validation, analysis, and documentation, including but not limited to:

– Core capabilities concepts and requirements, segment capability concepts research, and development

– Conduct technical reviews; provide support for development of and provide analysis, comments, updates, and recommendations for documentation involving concepts of use, concepts of operations, system requirements, service specifications, SIP engineering artifacts, interface controls, interface requirements, and core services standards

Functional, physical, data, and enterprise architecture analysis and development for all SWIM segments, including but not limited to:

– Architectural element definition (e.g., conceptual data models, taxonomies, SOA technologies and standards, and architecture views required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

– SWIM NAS Enterprise Architecture Views

– NAS/NextGen Enterprise Architecture impact analyses and studies

– Operational Improvement Roadmap analysis

– Telecommunications Considerations

C.3.5.6 Data Communications (Data Comm)

The FAA has established an operational plan for the ATM system of the twenty-first century under the NextGen program. Data Comm is a key element of the transition from the current analog voice-only air-to-ground communications system to a system in which digital communications becomes an alternate and eventually predominant mode of communication. The NAS Concept of Operations and Vision for the Future of Aviation and the JPDO concepts of use require communication of complex trajectory clearances, weather information, and air traffic advisories. In the future ATM environment, it will no longer be possible to rely exclusively on voice messages for the exchange of information. Transition from voice for pilot-controller communication to a mixture of voice and data communication has been identified as a key goal for ATC.

Data communications will provide an additional means for two-way exchange between controllers and flight crews for ATC clearances, instructions, advisories, flight crew requests, and reports. Information will be uplinked to the cockpit allowing for better route and altitude planning. As experience is gained, routine communication will be increasingly handled by data communications for appropriately equipped users.

The underlying concepts for the data communications services are described in the Communications Operating Concept and Requirements (COCR) for the Future Radio System, COCR Version 1.0. The addition of data communications will support improvements in airspace use and capacity. Data communications will:

Provide for a more efficient air/ground (A/G) information exchange mechanism Provide an additional means of communication between pilots and controllers Reduce…