FA823225RB013 RFI_QA_1_thru_30_20Jun25conformed.pdf

QUESTION ANSWER

1 Where can we access SOO Referenced at 2.3: "Non-Government Publications"? See file posted to SAM: SOO Reference Documents

Everything we currently have is labeled CUI. Do you know if any of the data export controlled? Yes, there are Distro D documents referred to in the SOO.

3 Request for 16PS011E - Environental Criteria for F-16A/B and C/D This was included in the DOD safe Docs--should be uploaded already.

4 Request for 16PP5291 - F-16 Block 40/50 Interface Control Document The ICD will be released after award; offerors need to focus on MIL-STD-1553.

Would the Government please clarify marking instructions? The Solicitation and Section L Databus attachment appear to conflict.Section L Databus_Tradeoff Section 2.7 states, "Offerors that include information in their proposals that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes shall mark each page containing such restricted information with the following legend:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION--SEE FAR 2.101 and FAR 3.104 CUI//SP-SSEL."

In the RFP, Section L, offerors are instructed by FAR 52.215-1, "(e) Restriction on disclosure and use of data. Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall-

(1) Mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of-or in connection with-the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]; and

(2) Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend: Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal."

They do not necessarily conflict, however, to clarify for all markings please follow: If Offerors include information in their proposals that they do not want disclosed for any purpose or used by the Governement for any purpose shall:

a) Mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]

--AND

b) Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend: Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal."

--AND

--AND

--AND

IF, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of-or in connection with-the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction.

Will the Government allow resumes (Subfactor 7 - Management Approach - Relevant Experience & Domain Knowledge) to be excepted from the page count? Yes; however, resumes should be limited to top 5 key personnel and not to exceed 2 pages per person and not to exceed a maximum of 10 pages.

Please provide a corrected version of Attachment 06, Databus_CDRLs_15May25sp. The content of CDRLs in this file is corrupted. File updated as of 11 June 2025.

Please clarify the PoP for this RFP? In Section B of the "Solicitation, Offer, and Award" document, all CLINs state "1 year from date of basic award". In Attachment 07, Section 7.7.1.6, it states: "Government estimates the total period of performance for completing all tasks and deliverables on CLIN 0001 to be 18-24 months." So is the PoP 12 months, or 18- 24 months? The 12 months refers to the ordering window; the 18-24 month refers to the period of performance for the completion of contractual actions.

Referencing Attachment 09, Row 6 of the TEP table requests a Unit Price for the Quantity of 4 of units to be delivered at the end of the PoP. CLIN 0001 requires the "design, develop, integrate, test, qualify, verify and deliver Databus Upgrade functional prototypes". Should the unit price be the total price to perform the work and build the 4 functional prototypes divided by 4? Yes; however, to avoid ambiguity please include the unit price, and then the total price for the design, development, integration, test, qualification/verfication and delivery.

In the Statement of Objectives, CDRLs like Program Kickoff, IMS and Project Plan, are listed in Phase 5, however Program Kickoff should happen as soon as reasonable after contract award. Is it acceptable that Phase 1 and Phase 5 are running at the same time or should those CDRLs move up to Phase 1?

Concur, program kick off meeting should occur as reasonable as possible after contract award. Phase I is NOT concurrent to Phase 5, it is a prerequisite. The CDRLs for the Program Kick Off, IMS and Project Plan should be moved to Phase I as outlined below. However, all other CDRLs shall remain with Phase 5.

3.3.1 Program Kick off Meeting CDRL A003 Briefing Material [DI-MGMT-81605]

3.3.2 Program Schedule CDRL A025 Program Management Plan (IMS)

3.3.3 Project Status Meetings

Additionally, CDRLs moved to Phase I are still a requirement for Phase 5 unless agreed upon mututally that items are no longer relevant or required.

Please clarify the context of "Mission Critical and Safety Critical Functions Resiliency: No Requirements" (reference System Requirements Document 3.8.11) given that this system will be a part of a larger safety critical system. Is it the fact that it can be disabled what makes it non-critical, or is it the fact that it's a prototype? The fact that it is a prototype and will NOT be installed on a/c at this phase of development.

Section L Databus_Tradeoff Section 4.2.3 reads, "Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the proposal evaluation and excess pages will be deleted. Each page shall be counted except for the following: blank pages, title pages, table of contents pages, lists of tables, lists of drawings, tabs, glossaries, and cross reference matrices." However, when addressing Volume 1 in the Table in 5.1, only Attachment L-1 is listed not being included. Please confirm that the master table of contents is also not included in the 15-page limit per Section 4.2.3.

The Master Table of Contents would not be counted in the page limitations as it would fall under the "Table of Contents" (TOC) description. However, the Master TOC should not exceed 5 pages.

Section L Databus_Tradeoff Section 4.2.3 excepts title pages from page limits. Section

5.2.1 requires volume cover pages. Please confirm that title pages and cover pages are the same for this purpose? Specifically, please confirm that the cover pages are not subject to the page limit? Cover pages would be synonymous with Title pages and are not subject to the page limit.

Please confirm whether offerors may user headers and footers without regard to the font limits in Section L Databus_Tradeoff (Final)_27May25 Section 4.2.2. Offerors must follow all formatting rules as described in 4.2.2. Headers/Footers are subject to labeling as called out in Section L Databus_Tradeoff Section 2.7.

Section L Databus_Tradeoff Section 7.7.1.6 requires offerors to "Provide a proposed

Microsoft Excel) and as a PDF summary. Include a brief narrative supporting schedule feasibility and resource loading." Will the Government please except the Project or Excel file from the page count? Further, is the PDF summary also a separate file? If the latter, please confirm whether this can be excepted from the page count? Please also confirm whether the "brief narrative supporting schedule feasiblity and resource loading" is to included in that file or the main technical volume.

1) The Government will except the Project or Excel file from the page count.

2) The PDF Summary is NOT a separate file and will NOT be excepted from the page count

3) The brief narrative supporting schedule feasibility IS a separate file and will be excepted from the page count. However, it shall not exceed 08 pages AND It shall include:

A) Integrated Master Plan (IMP) not to exceed 2 pages: The IMS shall build upon the IMP, be an event-based plan outlining high-level program events, accomplishments, and criteria for success. The IMP provides the structure and strategic goals that the IMS details.

i) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): The IMS is directly traceable to the WBS, which decomposes the total project scope into manageable tasks and deliverables. This linkage ensures that all work is accounted for in the schedule.

ii) Traceability: A solid IMS is traceable to other project artifacts, including the IMP, WBS, and Contractor Statement of Work (cSOW) B) Detailed Scheduling Components, not to exceed 3 pages:

i) Tasks and Activities: Individual work packages and activities with clearly defined start and end dates are included in the IMS.

ii) Dependencies: The IMS visualizes and manages the relationships between tasks, showing the sequence and timing of activities. This helps identify the critical path and potential bottlenecks.

iii) Milestones: Significant project events or checkpoints marking phase completion or achievement of key objectives are vital elements of an IMS.

iv) Durations: Realistic estimates for the time needed to complete each task are included.

v) Resources: Personnel, equipment, and materials required for each task are assigned and managed within the IMS. Resource loading tasks is recommended to ensure cost/schedule integration.

C) Planning and Management Features, not to exceed 3 pages:

i) Baselining: Creating a snapshot of the IMS at a specific point in time to compare against later changes is crucial for monitoring progress and continuous improvement.

ii) Critical Path Analysis: Identifying the sequence of tasks that directly impact the project completion date helps prioritize efforts and manage delays.

iii) Float Calculation: Analyzing the amount of time tasks can be delayed without affecting the project's overall schedule helps identify flexibility and allocate resources effectively.

iv) Risk Management: An IMS facilitates proactive risk management by visualizing dependencies and critical paths to identify and mitigate potential delays or issues.

v) Scenario Planning: The IMS allows for exploring the impact of different scenarios (e.g., delays, scope changes) on the project schedule and costs.

In Section B (CLIN 0001), the Solicitation calls for "Estimated Quantity: 4 | Unit of Issue:

mean that a redundant 'system' consists of redundant A/B LRUs. Does this solicitation expect 4 prototype LRUs, or 4 complete systems, consisting of any number of LRUs? Qty (4) prototype LRUs.

Referencing the solicitation, Section B Item 0001, Are the four units to be delivered expected to be fully operational end items, or are any of them intended to be used as part of the qualification testing effort? Both. A fully operational end item would then be able to be used for further qualification testing should this effort be funded to continue.

The Statement of Objectives lists two different CDRLs numbered A023. One is the System/Subsystem Design Description (SSDD) (p. 9), and one is a Statement of Work (p.

6). CDRL A023 is the System/Subsystem Deisgn, not the Statement of Work. This is an administrative error. The Statement of Work is not a CDRL.

In addition, would the Government please clarify the SOO's requirement to submit a SOW as a contract deliverable (p. 6 reads, "The Contractor shall develop and deliver a Statement of Work (SOW) specifically defining the work that will be completed to accomplish all phases of program performance.)?" How does it relate to the cSOW that will be delivered as part of the proposal? See above, this is an administrative error. It is to be included in the proposal but is not a contractual deliverable

Regarding Permitting Malicious Words on the Line Replaceable Unit (LRU), is it permissible for an LRU to receive even a single malicious word, or must all such attempts be prevented entirely? Prevented entirely.

Regarding MIL-STD-1553 Bus Data Handling, is it required that all data intercepted from the MIL-STD-1553 bus be captured, stored, and subsequently offloaded or are there conditions under which selective capture is acceptable? Demo effort: Selective is acceptable. Offerors must be able to demonstrate offloading of data. Offerors must demostrate a method to enable/disable storing of data.

Regarding Information on Existing Onboard Matrices:

a. Would the government please provide detailed information regarding onboard matrices referenced in SRD Requirement 48, 248, and 249, including their current specifications and operational roles?

b. Is it possible to obtain the wiring diagrams or schematics for these matrices?

c. Have these matrices already been installed on the platform, or are they pending installation?

d. How many connections interface with these multiplexers (muxes), and what is their configuration?

e. Do these matrices function solely as bus couplers, or do they incorporate controlled switching that would need to be replicated if replacements are considered? Additionally, what is the intended function of the Ethernet interface associated with these matrices?

Detailed drawings identifying location and size constraints are provided in CUI docs. The basic information needed to provide a solution is discussed below. Additional details regarding current specs and roles will be provided to awardee and are not required to submit a solution.

A) There are a total of 3 busses with 9, 3, and 7 LRUs connected. Each matrix is symmetrical.

B) See answer 'A' above.

C) Matrices are installed. The only variable could be the connection type, however, this is not an impact to the demonstration/protoypes being requested in this solicitation.

D) See answer 'A' above.

E) Current function is bus coupling; ethernet interface is configuration/software loading only.

Regarding Data Encryption Requirements, which specific categories of data transmitted or stored onboard require encryption to meet operational or security requirements? Software/firmware and configuration files should be encrypted. Stored data in non-volatile memory (if stored locally) should also be encrypted.

Regarding Intelligence Briefings and Threat Analysis, will the government make it possible for industry to obtain classified or restricted-level intelligence briefings (including research, product, field evaluations, etc.) that address threat systems and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) relevant to the F-16? This information would support the proactive development of defensive measures against known threat vectors. Detailed information could be provided to the awardee pending the appropriate clearances and need to know are established.

Regarding Place of Performance/Travel Expectations, will the government provide its expectation for where the majority of work will be performed? For instance, does it anticipate the preponderance of work to be conducted onsite, at Hill Air Force Base or will information will inform travel costs.

It is the Government's expectation /requirement that the Contractor develop and demonstrate the majority of the effort at the Contractor facility. Integration testing will be performed at Hill AFB. The Government reserves the right to visit Contractor facilities to observe development status and demonstration of the product in various stages/milestones.

Regarding data rights, for items initially proposed with rights less than Government Purpose Rights (GPR), what process will the government follow to determine when to order GPR or Unlimited Rights (UR), and how will the cost be evaluated?

how less than GPR rights will impact our ability to achieve this goal through either modularity, consideration of line replaceable units, other proposed mitigation strategies or purchasing a higher-level of data rights. The overall solution approach to meet this objective will be traded off with the proposed price to determine the best value approach for the Government.

Regarding data rights, CLIN 0002 states the Government requires the ability to

UR be required for certain deliverables to meet this need? This requirement may be satisfied through GPR, modularity or other mitigation strategies within the design.

Regarding data rights, if GPR is granted for a period (e.g., five years per DFARS 252.227- 7014), does the government anticipate negotiating longer periods, or transitioning to UR after the GPR period expires? The Government anticipates transitioning to UR unless a longer period is proposed, negotiated and agreed upon.

Regarding data rights, how will the Government handle data developed with mixed funding or pre-existing proprietary data incorporated into deliverables?

The Government's intent is to manage this through modularity or other mitigation strategies incorporated into the engineering/design.

It is the Government's desire to ascertain the ability to manage and adapt the hardware/software to the maximum extent possible but understand there may be modular elements within the overall architecture and design that will remain under vendor control or limitations in data rights. The significance and impacts of the vendor controlled items and/or limitations in decision.

Are there any restrictions on foreign acquisition or subcontracting that apply to the Solicitation in addition to any of the FAR or DFARS clauses already incorporated into the Solicitation? Amendment 0001 to the solicitation incorporates additional clauses/provisions related to foreign acquisition/subcontracting and provides clarification on offeror eligibility.