FA564120SC001 - Atch 1 - Areas of Interest - Rev1 - 16 Jul 20.pdf

USAFE 2020 Commercial Solutions Offering - FA564120SC001 Attachment 1 – Areas of Interest

Rev1 Date: 16 July 2020

AREA OF INTEREST #1

Unit: USAFE-AFAFRICA/SE - Aviation Safety Division

Mission statement: Preserve resources and provide nuclear surety to enable combat readiness.

Mission Background: The vision of U-A/SE is to provide combatant commanders world-class mishap prevention measures through active risk management strategies. Some key lines of effort are increasing capabilities to properly identify, assess & mitigate risks across all spectrums of operations, and provide combatant commanders trained, ready, and sustainable US combat power. In the Aviation Safety Division of U-A, our team develops and implements USAF aviation safety programs for EUCOM and AFRICOM, and advises COMUSAFE and 3 AF/CC on aviation safety matters for eight main operating Wings which includes 88 units and 206 aircraft across 104 countries.

Operational Gap: Aircraft collisions with wildlife cause millions of dollars in damage annually resulting in the loss of combat capability, aircrews, and aircraft. In accordance with AFI 91-212, USAFE-AFAFRICA/SE operates a Bird/Wildlife Strike Hazards (BASH) management program to identify and track this impact. To do so, USAFA-AFAFRICA/SE utilizes the Air Force Safety

Automated System (AFSAS) for this reporting/tracking. However, USAFE=AFAFRICA/SE and the USAF at large, does not have tenable capability to fully understand BASH impact to aviation assets, specifically the true costs of non-damaging strikes. Bird/Wildlife strikes are not generally reported as damaging unless there are associated costs above the Class D threshold of $20,000.

Historically, non-damaging strikes are reported with no correlating costs. However, safety experts presume that non-damaging strikes incur actual costs which are not captured, and these include various components such as mission delays, the time required to process strike events, and unreported monetary damage. This lack of cost data prevents true risk analysis for proper identification and mitigation of hazards, subsequently impacting the effectiveness of BASH programs in our MAJCOM. While AFSAS incorporates a reporting capability for Class E events and hazards, the system lacks a way to quantify true costs of these types of strikes. Because of this, almost all strikes are reported as non-damaging (i.e. $0 of incurred costs).

End State: USAFE-AFAFRICA/SE obtains the ability to capture, report, and incubate bird/wildlife strikes IAW AFI 91-212 with all associated costs for damaging and non-damaging strikes.

Need Date: As soon as possible

Anticipated Funds Availability: NTE $150,000

AREA OF INTEREST #2

Unit: USAFE-AFAFRICA WPC DET 3

Mission Statement: To provide pilots/aircrews from all branches of the United States (US) military, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations, and Partner for Peace (PfP) nations realistic Electronic Warfare Threat To Air Operations (EW TTAO) training.

Mission Background: WPC DET 3’s mission is composed of three separate functions: Local

EW TTAO training, Mobile EW TTAO training, and Live-Synthetic-Blended (LSB) operations.

The Local EW TTAO training mission is centralized ~12 nautical miles southwest of Ramstein

Air Base (AB), Germany, and consists of a central threat Command and Control (C2) facility, support/maintenance facilities, and multiple geographically dispersed threat emitter sites that are in the support of local US units, visiting US units, and visiting NATO/PfP nations. The Mobile

TTAO training mission includes a mobile threat C2 vehicle, multiple mobile radar threat systems, multiple mobile infrared (IR) threat systems (IR stimulators and Smokey SAMs), and representative real-world threat system decoys/surrogates. WPC DET 3 Mobile EW TTAO mission supports up to 45 exercises per fiscal year to multiple nations (US, NATO, and PfP) across Europe and Northern Africa. LSB operations merge live aircraft and threat systems with virtual/constructed aircraft and threat systems into a single battlespace. WPC DET 3 LSB is a developing capability with inclusion of new threat systems, increased threat emitter integration, and expansion into different simulator networks.

Operational Gap: WPC DET 3’s ability to effectively support exercises is limited by having only one Multinational Aviation Live Synthetic Blended Training System (MALTS) Vehicle

(MALTS-V) to perform tactical command and control (TAC C2) of multiple mobile threat systems and enable mobile LSB operations. Additionally, the MALTS-V is expensive to transport, requires a special driver’s license, and cannot reach austere locations. To meet the demands of the United States European Command (USEUCOM) Theater Campaign Plan, the

USAFE Air Campaign Support Plan, and the USAFE Range Strategy, WPC DET 3 must be able to simultaneously support multiple USAFE training environments with adequate EW TTAO

TAC C2. As a result, the unit requires a deployable alternative to the existing MALTS-V markedly smaller, easier to transport, and less expensive to transport.

End State: A deployable MALTS kit (MALTS-D) that is scalable, easily transportable, and ground vehicle agnostic. Specific MALTS-D technology and capability key performance parameter (KPP) requirements are included in Attachment A – AOI2 MALTS-D KPP

Requirements.

Need Date: 01 February 2021

Anticipated Funds Availability: NTE $3,000,000

AREA OF INTEREST #3

Unit: USAFE-AFAFRICA/A5, A55“The ACE Team”

Mission statement: Ensure that U.S. Air Forces in Europe and our partners are ready for potential contingencies with little notice by allowing forces to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support, ensuring Airmen and aircrews are postured to respond across the spectrum of military operations.

Mission Background: To forward project lethal, agile, highly respected, and always ready power across air, space and cyber domains, defend US interests, demonstrate warfighting readiness, and forge strong partnerships in support of United States European Command

(USEUCOM) and United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) campaign objectives.

Operational Gap: A55 lacks the ability to effectively execute Agile Combat Employment due to a lack of highly mobile, ICS 705-1 compliant SCIF/SAPF/MPCs and WOCs. Current SCIFs— even small form-factor container-type SCIFs—are not truly mobile nor agile enough to support

ACE in the AOR. A55 requires the capability to move operations within minutes, rather the hours and ancillary equipment (external generators, forklift for truck-loading, etc.) typically associated with conventional container SCIFs.

USAFE-AFAFRICA personnel are able to pack a vehicle with equipment that the mission demands and sustain operations out of a vehicle for days to weeks at a time to provide intelligence/C2 solutions leveraging systems that range from NIPR, SIPR, JWICS and SAP-F in a communications contested environment. A highly mobile SCIF that is all season, simple to maintain, intuitive to operate and able to move within minutes is required. The solution needs to address the need for 2 sections, SCIF/SAPF/MPC and a WOC. Additionally, to accurate addressed the operational gap, A55 requires a system with low-profile sensors on board to include spectrum monitoring equipment and ability to provide awareness of Force Protection related concerns within several miles of the mobile solution, and an ability to wipe classified systems in the event of breach by adversaries. A55 anticipates 10 of these solutions are needed.

End State: A highly mobile, combo SCIF/SAPF/MPC and WOC, designed with agility in mind, and capable of moving within minutes and without the need for ancillary equipment (external generators, forklifts, etc.). Whether a self-contained vehicle or a trailer, the unit must be street legal in Europe and drivable/towable without need for a commercial or other specialized permit or license.

Anticipated Funds Availability: NTE $1,000,000

AREA OF INTEREST #4

Unit: 603 ACOMS

Mission Statement: Plan, Direct and assess operational level command and control of integrated air, space, and cyber power to support EUCOM and AFRICOM across the operations spectrum.

Mission Background: The 603 Air Operations Center is a command center consisting of five divisions and a communications squadron consisting of over 1,000 personnel dedicated to the production of Air Tasking Order (ATO) to provide command and control in both AFRICOM and

EUCOM. The ATO is comprised of the plans, procedures and directives for the employment of air combat and support forces across EUCOM and AFRICOM, dictated by the Joint Force Air

Component Commander (JFACC). Through strategy, planning and reconnaissance performed by

600 permanent party and the assistance of close to 400 guard and reserve personnel, the 603

AOC is able to support the mission in real time by adjusting ATO as needed. This capability creates the requirement for both a resilient and secure network utilized by multiple nations.

The 603 AOC faces a unique mission to provide geographic support to combatant commanders the AOC must cooperate with several allied and coalition forces. This cooperation fosters the development of strategy and sharing of intelligence. Multiple exercise often take place between multiple branches and several nations within the AOC, creating the need for reliable communication to potentially over 1,000 people at a time to me the often changing and expanding needs of the Air Force.

Operational Gap: In order to continue to complete the mission of ATO creation needed to fulfil the various needs of the Air Force, the AOC requires a long range wireless communications system that can handle the strain of over a thousand users from several national partners, while provide security from an expanding cyber threat from potentially hostile nations. The changing needs and requirements of the AOC also call for a communications system that allows for movement within the building while remaining connected and able to respond in real time. The current RF transmission system is vulnerable to both jamming from hostile nations as well as data leaks all while consisting of a larger digital footprint and diminishing resources.

End State: A non-RF transmission system consisting of both mobile and stationary elements, with a small digital footprint, capable of supporting 450 simultaneous users with hardware located inside the AOC and short perimeter projection due to security concerns. We would need this to support at least 450 users. Realistically, we can only project a short perimeter of 25 to 50

ft. to be the maximum outside of our physical structure and inside our compound.

Anticipated Funds Availability: NTE $9,000,000

AREA OF INTEREST #5

Unit: 100 MSX

Mission Background: 100 MSX performs aircraft, component and ground maintenance support of USAFE, AFSOC, ACC, AMC and transient aircraft. The squadron provides regional fuels systems repair capability for all C-135 variant aircraft, manages $51 million in facilities, equipment and corrosion control programs, and maintains combat readiness and deploys more than 260 personnel and 650 equipment items in support of NATO, EUCOM, CENTCOM and

AFRICOM operations.

Operational Gap: Morse code, tapping through barriers, hand signals, tugging on ropes, and other rudimentary methods are the current means to communicate while in hazardous areas and confined spaces. These methods put people's lives at risk, decrease aircraft/personnel availability, quality control of maintenance, and increase maintenance hours, costs, hazard exposure, and training time. The problem is occurring due to the physical characteristics of the work environment as well as processes established decades ago with technology that lacks modern-day capabilities. Confined space entrants and their attendants or emergency responders and their incident commanders are the most affected while repairing equipment or responding to incidents

(e.g., aircraft, storage tanks, ventilation shafts, underground structures, or emergency response).

The Air Force has an urgent need for a respirator that provides a safe means of communicating with those outside the fuel bladder.

End State: The respirator system must be intrinsically safe, provide oxygen to the inspector, and be able to communicate with those outside the fuel bladder.

Anticipated Funds Availability: NTE $50,000

AREA OF INTEREST #6

Unit: 52 OSS

Mission Background: The 52nd Operations Support Squadron performs several key functions including airfield operations, weapons/intelligence, weather, current operations, and aircrew flight equipment. In doing so, they support the 480th FS, receive and support rotational forces as well as enabling a major AMC airlift hub capability. Additionally, the Weapons and Intelligence team supports the Wing’s nuclear mission and its GSU’s with AT/FP information.

Operational Gap: Current ATCT simulators are expensive and antiquated. The systems require multiple users to operate, do not effectively recognize vocal commands from different users and are not usable outside of the ATCT. Air traffic controllers heavily rely on simulated control scenarios to train and maintain proficiency. A more effective ATCT simulator would shorten the time it takes for controllers to get rated and keep controllers’ skills sharper when real ATC is unavailable due to weather or lack of traffic. The capability to field a mobile and immersive VR

ATCT simulator focused on training in accordance with regulations without direct human oversight is sought. This system is required to be portable, configurable, voice recognition based, and responsive to user input. This system is required to have the ability to identify and catalog errors, record scenarios, interface with the two piece ATC headset, and output video in real time.

This system is required to have the ability to simulate site specific ATCT cab and aerodrome environments, wildlife hazards, and a wide range of weather types and intensities.

End State: A system capable of training ATC without constant human oversight that can be used from any location. This system would provide dynamic voice recognition, and overcome the current lack of program/software capability of correcting ATC instructions in accordance with pertinent regulations.

Anticipated Funds Availability: TBD