RFI_Secondary Launch Capability__FINAL.pdf

Request for Information (RFI)

For

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Secondary Launch

Capability

7 May 2025

UNCLASSIFIED

Request For Information, 7 May 2025

Section 1: Purpose

The purpose of this Sources Sought RFI is to gather market research information informed by capabilities statements from potential sources that are capable of performing development, design, testing, installation, Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), and Interim Contractor Support

(ICS) of Launch Command and Control Equipment (LCCE) and communication equipment on the United States Navy’s (USN’s) E-6B “Mercury” aircraft, as well as the associated Navy

System Integration Lab (SIL) and training devices. This effort will support the Intercontinental

Ballistic Missile (ICBM) deterrence mission of the United States Air Force (USAF).

The Secondary Launch Capability is intended to replace the existing Airborne Launch Control

System (ALCS) onboard the E-6B and deliver USSTRATCOM, Wing, Vandenberg Space Force

Base (VSFB) and Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) Key Distribution Centers (KDCs), providing a survivable alternate launch capability for both the Minuteman III (MMIII) ICBM and its replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel.

Section 2: Capability Description

Respondents should consider the following task statements before developing their responses:

- The contractor shall have the ability to design, develop, test, produce, install, and sustain the equipment for a Secondary Launch Capability. The contractor shall incorporate the

Government Furnished Property (GFP) NC2 Type 1 cryptographic units into its potential

Secondary Launch equipment design. The contractor shall establish and maintain an interface with the E-6B (or its replacement) that provides effective processes for integration, interoperability, and compatibility of all mechanical, electronic, electrical, and optical devices. The contractor shall produce and/or update all required USAF/USN

Technical Orders and Technical Directives. The contractor shall support all activities and provide all data to support required certifications, including but not limited to, nuclear, airworthiness, Navy Battery Selection Program, system safety, and cyber.

- The contractor shall ensure their design incorporates modularity and is rehostable on other to-be-determined platforms. This will include a rehostability study and—pending government identification of a specific future platform—demonstration of kit installation, functionality, and performance. The contractor shall ensure that all designs adhere to principles of Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) and Open Mission Systems

Universal Command and Control Interface (OMS UCI).

- The Secondary Launch design shall permit the launch of MMIII and Sentinel missiles from a single dual-capable platform. Incremental deliveries are acceptable, as is a schedule-driven MMIII Minimum Viable Product to support expedited replacement of the ALCS system on the E-6B, Navy SIL, associated trainers, and three KDCs. The contractor shall perform all necessary requirements reviews, design reviews, configuration audits, and acceptance activities, as well as deliver and install the first

Secondary Launch equipment and installation kit containing the LCCE, communications equipment, and associated installation hardware with a minimum launch capability for

MMIII commensurate with the current launch capabilities of the legacy ALCS. The contractor shall be able to provide on-site engineering support to USAF/USN as needed

Request For Information, 7 May 2025 during test and checkout of the Secondary Launch equipment on the E-6B. The contractor shall perform the validation and verification kit installations on the E-6B according to

Navy policies and procedures.

- The contractor shall design, develop, install, test, produce, and sustain equipment for the

USSTRATCOM, three ICBM Wings, VSFB, and HAFB KDCs to ingest all required information for MMIII and Sentinel Weapon Systems. The contractor shall develop and provide all documentation necessary to assemble, install, test, checkout, and certify the

KDC equipment at each location. The contractor shall provide on-site engineering support to USAF/USN during test of all KDCs. The contractor shall provide all data to support required certifications, including but not limited to, nuclear, system safety, and cyber.

- The contractor shall design, develop, install, test, and sustain equipment to replace the

USAF Airborne Procedures Trainers (APTs) at USSTRATCOM and update the USN

Mission Avionics Systems Trainer (MAST). The contractor shall provide all necessary documentation and engineering support for USN-led updates of the Weapon Systems

Trainer (WST) at Tinker AFB which are driven by Secondary Launch.

- The contractor shall conduct a Training System Requirements Analysis (TSRA) on the

Secondary Launch design. The contractor shall design and develop courseware required to qualify and certify government personnel on the Secondary Launch system, to include

E-6B and KDC operators, and deliver associated Shareable Content Object Reference

Model (SCORM)/Experience Application Programming Interface (xAPI) packages to the government. The contractor shall design and develop courseware for the APTs and

MAST and conduct training for operators and maintainers as identified in the TSRA.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

This RFI is issued solely for information/planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for

Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the

Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, the Government is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised the

Government will not pay for any information or costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.

Section 3: RFI Questions

1. Describe your ability to derive requirements, design, develop, install, test, produce, and sustain an ICBM Secondary Launch capability on the E-6B Mercury aircraft, to include delivery of technical documentation. Responses should speak to the technical approach and time expected to establish a mature capability, accounting for the required resources

(e.g., cleared personnel at various levels up to TS//SAR, equipment, supply chain and facilities).

Request For Information, 7 May 2025

2. Describe your ability to design, develop, install, test, produce, and sustain the ground equipment that supports an ICBM Secondary Launch capability, to include all necessary

KDCs, trainers, and the Navy SIL. Responses should speak to the technical approach and time expected to establish a mature capability, accounting for the required resources

(e.g., cleared personnel at various levels up to TS//SAR, equipment, supply chain and facilities).

3. Describe your ability to design and develop training courseware and conduct operator and maintainer training on the APTs and MAST, respectively. Responses should speak to the technical approach and time expected to establish a mature capability, accounting for the required resources (e.g., cleared personnel at various levels up to TS//SAR, equipment, supply chain and facilities).

4. Describe your ability to develop and provide data and documentation to support system-level certifications, including but not limited to, nuclear, airworthiness, Navy Battery

Selection Program, and cyber. Responses should speak to the technical approach and time expected to establish a mature capability, accounting for the required resources

(e.g. cleared personnel at various levels up to TS//SAR, equipment, supply chain and facilities).

5. Provide a high-level schedule for your approach that covers full Secondary Launch capability development, installation, test, and training. If applicable, include a notional timeline to critical design review, and delivery of a Minimum Viable Product to support replacement of the legacy MMIII ALCS system – including supporting KDCs and training equipment/materials – as well as a notional timeline for delivery of a full dual-capable

(MMIII and Sentinel) Secondary Launch Capability.

Section 4: Responses

RFI responses are due no later than 4 June 2025, 1700 MDT. Responses to Section 3 questions above are limited to no more than 10 pages, single spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font.

Please provide answers to all questions. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and

MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information where possible. Please submit all responses by email to Christine Fukuda, christine.fukuda@us.af.mil.

Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted via e-mail to the following contracting officer: Christine Fukuda, christine.fukuda@us.af.mil.

Your Response shall be unclassified.

Not counted against the page limitation above is contractor response to the following information requests:

mailto:christine.fukuda@us.af.mil mailto:christine.fukuda@us.af.mil

Request For Information, 7 May 2025

Point of Contact

Responses should include the following information: name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number and e-mail of designated point(s) of contact.

Sharing of Contractor Information

The Government may release proprietary information to Government support contractor personnel in their role supporting the program office. If the contractor responding to this RFI objects to the Government releasing proprietary information to Government support contractor personnel from the companies listed below, this objection should be made in writing and submitted to the email address below or clearly stated within the white paper. Once a written notice is received of the objection, the Government will not release provided information to

Government support contractors. Alternatively, the Contractor (or the party asserting restrictions as identified in the limited rights legend) may require each such covered Government support contractor to enter into a non-disclosure agreement directly with the Contractor (or the party asserting restrictions) regarding the covered Government support contractor’s use of such data, or alternatively, that the Contractor (or party asserting restrictions) may waive in writing the requirement for a non-disclosure agreement.

Government Support Contractors Include:

BAE Systems, Inc.(POC: Cole Gabaldon, cole.gabaldon@baesystems.us)

FFRDCs include:

The MITRE Corporation (POC: Cody Mortensen, cmortensen@mitre.org)

John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL) (POC:

Nancy Kronman, Nancy.Kronman@jhuapl.edu

Business Size and Teaming

The Government will use this information to determine the acquisition strategy for this procurement. The Government is interested in all small businesses to include 8(a), Service-

Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone, and Women-Owned small business concerns. The government requests that interested parties respond to this notice and identify your small business status to the identified NAICS code. Additionally, please provide any anticipated teaming arrangements, along with a description of similar services offered to the Government and to commercial customers for the past three years. Any responses involving teaming agreements should delineate between the work that will be accomplished by the prime and the work accomplished by the teaming partners.

Section 5: Summary

This announcement constitutes an RFI issued pursuant to FAR 52.215-3 – Request for

Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes. No solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. This RFI is only to support market research for determining contractors’ ability to design, develop, test, produce, install, and sustain the equipment for an

ICBM Secondary Launch capability. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The USAF has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed herein, and the release of this RFI should not be construed as such a mailto:cmortensen@mitre.org mailto:Nancy.Kronman@jhuapl.edu

Request For Information, 7 May 2025 commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.