Finalized PWS Weatherman - FA480326Q0096.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

FOR

AFCENT Weather Intelligence Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Platform

4 JUNE 2026

PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) defines the requirements for the acquisition, implementation, and sustainment of a commercial Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) weather platform for United States Air Forces Central (AFCENT). AFCENT is the air component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), responsible for air operations and developing contingency plans across the area of responsibility. Mission success in this dynamic and often austere environment is critically dependent on timely, accurate, and decision-quality environmental intelligence.

Currently, AFCENT relies on a combination of organic and disparate weather information systems that present challenges in data fusion, accessibility, and operational tempo. The operational environment demands a shift towards more agile, resilient, and scalable solutions that can be rapidly deployed and adapted to meet evolving mission needs. This acquisition will provide AFCENT with a secure, commercially managed, and continuously updated weather platform. This service will enhance situational awareness, improve the accuracy of mission planning and execution, and ensure that airpower can be projected decisively and safely in support of AFCENT's mission.

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of this PWS encompasses all activities required to provide, operate, maintain, and sustain a fully managed SaaS weather platform. The Contractor shall deliver a turn-key solution accessible through Government networks that provides real-time and forecasted meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) data, high-fidelity modeling, decision support tools, and user support. The service shall be performance-based, focusing on the availability, accuracy, and usability of the weather data and platform capabilities rather than the underlying methods of implementation.

The scope includes, but is not limited to:

· Platform Provisioning and Management: The Contractor shall provide and operate its SaaS platform on both NIPRNet and SIPRNet within a Government-approved cloud environment. The platform must be able to work on JWICS, SIPR/NIPR, C2 and similar environments. The platform must be fully accessible to all authorized users on these networks for the entire period of performance.

· Data Integration and Management: Ingest, process, and make available a comprehensive set of global, regional, and local weather data from diverse sources.

· Application and Forecasting Services: Provide an intuitive, map-centric user interface with advanced tools for data visualization, analysis, and the creation of mission-specific weather products.

· Cybersecurity and Information Assurance: Ensure the platform complies with all applicable DoD and Air Force cybersecurity directives, including obtaining and maintaining the necessary Authority to Operate (ATO) on Government networks.

· User Support and Training: Provide help desk support and on-site training to ensure effective adoption and utilization by AFCENT personnel.

· Contract Management and Transition: Provide all necessary program management, quality control, and transition activities to ensure seamless service delivery.

1.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall consist of a 3-month base period and options for a one 3-month extension and one 6-month extension.

· Base Period: Will be 5-10 days after Award to allow a post conference award.

· Option Period 1: 3-month extension

· Option Period 2: 6-month extension

1.3 GENERAL INFORMATION

· 1.3.1 Type of Contract: The government will award a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract. This is a non-personal services contract. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers.

· 1.3.2 Place of Performance: The work will be performed at the AFCENT Headquarters Building, Shaw AFB, SC, with potential for on-site support at Government facilities as required.

· 1.3.3 Security Requirements: Contractor personnel requiring access to classified systems or information must possess and maintain the appropriate security clearance for the life of the contract. If deemed necessary, the security requirements will be in accordance with the DD Form 254, Contract Security Classification Specification, which will be accomplished before award.

· 1.3.4 Quality Control Plan (QCP): The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The QCP shall be delivered within 30 days of contract award.

· 1.3.5 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP): The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance in accordance with the QASP associated with this PWS.

PART II: DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

PART III: GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)

The Government will provide the following to support the performance of this PWS:

· API Access Specifications: Detailed API documentation and endpoints for required Government data sources and C2 systems.

· Security Credentials: Necessary credentials (e.g., CACs, SIPRNet tokens) for cleared Contractor personnel to access Government systems.

· C2 System and Testbed Access: Supervised, remote access to a Government-managed C2 system and testbed environment for integration testing and deployment.

· DD Form 254: The Government will provide a DD Form 254 specifying security requirements as needed.

PART IV: CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, equipment, software, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and services required to perform the work defined in this PWS, except for those items specified as Government-furnished.

PART V: SPECIFIC TASKS

The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive, secure, and resilient SaaS-based weather intelligence platform with the following capabilities:

5.1 Task 1: Global AI-Native Atmospheric Prediction Engine

The service shall employ a proprietary AI-native global atmospheric prediction model with independent data assimilation.

· 5.1.1 Probabilistic Forecasts: Generate fully probabilistic forecast outputs providing calibrated likelihood distributions for all supported parameters.

· 5.1.2 Data Assimilation: Assimilate data from a proprietary LEO constellation of passive microwave sounders, fused with geostationary satellite inputs and institutional NWP sources, to produce a Unified Precipitation product.

· 5.1.3 Resolution and Refresh: Operate at a global baseline spatial resolution of 25km or finer, with enhanced regional output at sub-10km. Global predictions shall refresh on a cycle no greater than six hours; regional and location-specific predictions shall refresh hourly or more frequently.

· 5.1.4 Data Layers: Support a minimum of 60 atmospheric and environmental data layers, including core weather parameters, clouds, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), maritime parameters, air quality, Land Information System, Flood index and aviation parameters.

5.2 Task 2: High-Resolution Probabilistic Regional Modeling

The service shall provide a hyper-local probabilistic regional model at 3km grid resolution with a 15-minute update cadence.

· 5.2.1 Forecast Horizon: Generate ensemble-based probabilistic output at 3km resolution with 15-minute temporal resolution through the first six hours, then hourly, with a forecast horizon of at least 36 hours.

· 5.2.2 AOR Coverage: Operate over the CENTCOM AOR including the Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and South Asia.

5.3 Task 3: Configurable Decision Logic and Automated Insight Generation The service shall provide a configurable rules engine to convert atmospheric prediction into mission-relevant decision support.

· 5.3.1 Custom Thresholds: Allow METOC operators and planners to define custom environmental thresholds tied to mission types, platforms, or operational phases (e.g., rotary-wing wind limits, convoy visibility minimums).

· 5.3.2 Automated Alerts: Continuously evaluate forecast output against all active insight rules and generate structured, machine-readable alert objects when forecast conditions are predicted to breach defined thresholds.

· 5.3.3 API Delivery: Deliver all alerts and insight products via an authenticated RESTful API in JSON format.

5.4 Task 4: AOR-Wide Predictive Severe Weather and Environmental Shaping The service shall maintain continuous, automated, operator-independent monitoring for environmental shaping events.

· 5.4.1 Pre-built Detections: Pre-built detection shall include blowing dust and sand events, extreme heat/cold events, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms and convective winds, hail, tornadoes, fog, and significant sea state affecting maritime operations.

5.5 Task 5: Integration and Support

· 5.5.1 Integration Architecture: Integrate into the command's C2 infrastructure via API without installation of hardware or software within the command's network boundary. Expose all data via authenticated RESTful API endpoints over HTTPS (port 443) in JSON and GeoJSON formats.

· 5.5.2 Security: Operate within a FedRAMP-accredited environment at Impact Level 2 or higher for NIPR access, with data products delivered to Impact Level 6 and JWICS for classified environment access.

· 5.5.3 Contractor Support: Provide on-site operator setup and training for approximately one week, and ongoing responsive reachback support.

PART VI: APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS

The Contractor shall comply with the most recent versions of the following documents, as applicable, to achieve and maintain a USAF network Authority to Operate (ATO).

· DoDI 8500.01: Cybersecurity

· DoDI 8510.01: Risk Management Framework (RMF) for DoD Information Technology (IT)

· NIST SP 800-53: Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations

· Relevant DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)

PART VII: DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide deliverables as specified in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), DD Form 1423, attached if needed. Deliverables include:

· Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

· Monthly Progress Report

· System Security Plan (SSP) Updates

· API Documentation

PART VIII: TECHNICAL DATA AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE RIGHTS

· 8.1 Commercial Software: The Government shall receive the rights customarily provided to the public under the vendor’s standard commercial license agreement.

· 8.2 User-Generated Data: All data and information created or generated by Government personnel through the use of the platform shall be the exclusive property of the U.S. Government. The Contractor shall ensure the Government can export or retrieve all such data at any time in a non-proprietary format.

PART IX: SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION AND TRANSITION PLAN

The Contractor shall develop and execute a comprehensive plan to ensure a seamless and transparent implementation of the service at the beginning of the contract and an orderly transition to a successor at the end of the contract period. This plan will mitigate risks to mission capability during both phases.

9.1 Service Implementation Plan (Phase-In)

The Service Implementation phase shall begin upon contract award and be completed within fourteen (14) days. The objective is to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and assume full responsibility for all requirements outlined in this PWS. The Implementation Plan shall detail the processes and timelines for all start-up activities, addressing, at a minimum:

· Implementation Schedule: A detailed, resource-loaded schedule with key milestones for all implementation activities, including platform deployment, security accreditation, and integration testing.

· System Stand-Up: A systematic approach to deploying, configuring, and testing the SaaS platform in the Government's required cloud environments.

· Personnel Onboarding: A plan for ensuring all Contractor personnel are appropriately cleared, onboarded, and trained on their specific roles and AFCENT-specific security protocols.

· Government-Furnished Property: A process for inventorying and receiving all Government Furnished Property (GFP) required for performance.

· Initial Operational Capability (IOC) Verification: A clear definition of the criteria that will demonstrate the Contractor is ready to assume full performance. This will include, but is not limited to, a successful demonstration of the platform's core capabilities and a validated Authority to Operate (ATO). The IOC shall be verified by the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).

9.2 Contract Transition-Out Plan (Phase-Out)

The Contractor shall provide a preliminary Transition-Out Plan within thirty (30) days of contract award and a final, executable plan no later than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the base contract. This plan is the Government's exit strategy and shall ensure the orderly transfer of responsibilities, data, and assets to a successor contractor or the Government with no disruption to service. The plan shall include, at a minimum:

· Cooperation with Successor: A commitment to fully cooperate with the incoming successor (either another contractor or a Government team), including participation in joint meetings and providing access to necessary documentation and personnel to ensure a seamless handover.

· Data Repatriation: A detailed methodology for the secure, complete, and timely transfer of all Government-owned data residing on the SaaS platform. This includes all mission data, user-generated content, configuration data, and metadata. The data shall be delivered in a non-proprietary, Government-accessible format.

· Secure De-provisioning and Sanitization: A comprehensive plan for the secure deletion and sanitization of all Government data from the Contractor's systems upon Government verification of successful data transfer. The process must be compliant with DoD 5220.22-M, NIST SP 800-88, and other applicable standards. The Contractor shall provide a certificate of sanitization upon completion.

· Knowledge and Documentation Turnover: A process for transferring all operational knowledge, system documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and any other relevant information required for the seamless continuation of services.

· Asset Disposition: Procedures for the orderly transfer or disposition of all GFP, including a final joint inventory with the successor and the Government.