SBMC White Paper Contents_17Apr2025.pdf

White Paper Contents

Vendors shall submit a white paper describing their SBMC solution in accordance with the Request for Solutions (RFS) instructions and the contents contained within this attachment, as outlined below.

Executive Summary (EXSUM). Vendors shall provide a one (1) page summary of their SBMC technical approach, key features and expected performance, projected benefits, and technology readiness level.

1.0. Technical Approach. Vendors shall provide a narrative response which describes the following:

1.1. System Design & Features. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing the system design and features for their SBMC solution. The narrative shall cover the modular components as shown in Appendix A: SBMC Subsystem Reference Diagram. The narrative shall include, but is not limited to, the following in no order of precedence:

• Ballistics and laser eye protection and light security.

• Compatibility with Army weapons, helmets, and night vision devices

• Digital Night Vision Sensor Suite.

• Display and optical design.

• Environmental (MIL STD 810) and Electromagnetic Interference/Electromagnetic Compatibility

(EMI/EMC) compliance.

• Identification of all consumables (e.g., desiccant, batteries, etc.) required by the design.

• Maps, Mission Planning, and Provisioning (M2P2) Device and Edge Compute Device (ECD)

Integration.

• Network and Compute design.

• Size, weight, and power.

1.1.1. System Design Architecture Drawing. Vendor shall prepare a system design architecture drawing, prepared in Magic Draw, or equivalent format, exported as a pdf, and submitted as Annex A.

1.1.2. Human Factors. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing how their design incorporates human factors.

1.1.3. Visual Comfort. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing how their design mitigates known visual comfort limitations, to include avoidance of visual discomfort and nausea from virtual, mixed, and augmented reality headsets.

1.1.4. SBMC Subsystem Reference Diagram. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing how their design approach complies with the SBMC subsystem reference diagram. (See Appendix A)

1.1.5. Software. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their proposed software for SBMC, to include, but not limited to, the proposed operating system and application software. In addition, vendors shall describe how their software design approach incorporates with Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) and Open Extended Reality (OpenXR).

1.1.6. Emerging Architecture Compatibility. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to achieving compatibility with emerging architectures, such as Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) architecture and SBMC-Architecture (SBMC-A), over the course of the project. Vendor should provide feedback on what their solution will need to ingest and be compatible with NGC2 and SBMC-A, to include what Government Furnished Information will be required.

1.1.7. Night Vision Device Backwards Compatibility. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing the impact on their design and timeline if backwards compatibility with currently fielded night vision devices were to become a threshold (rather than an objective) requirement. If vendor’s design solution is currently compatible, vendor shall describe how compatibility is achieved.

1.1.8. Use of Commercial Components. Vendor shall describe their approach to incorporating commercially available hardware or software components into their solution, to include identifying the major commercial components included in their design if appliable.

1.1.9. Additional Technology Solutions. Vendor may use this section to address plans for any alternate or additional SBMC solution technologies the vendor may provide during the course of the prototype project. Vendor should briefly summarize the additional technology, the potential timeline, and the expected benefits.

1.2. Systems Engineering. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their systems engineering approach, to include, but not limited to, the following:

1.2.1. Iterative Development. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to iterative development, to include, but not limited to, how Soldier feedback will be incorporated into the development process and the use of virtual prototyping or similar techniques.

1.2.2. Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). Vendor shall provide a narrative describing how their MOSA will implement an integrated business and technical strategy that employs: (1) a modular design

(2) defines key interfaces using (3) widely supported, consensus-based standards that are published and maintained by a recognized industry standards organization. In addition, vendor shall:

• Describe how their design concept supports MOSA principles.

• Identify the major modular components and their proposed interfaces, to include the use of standardized (Government or commercial) interfaces.

• Describe how they plan to use MOSA as an enabler for Engineering Change Proposals and

Technology Insertions.

• Describe how their design concept supports follow-on production unit cost affordability, lifecycle sustainment, and reduced system lifecycle costs.

• Specify how they plan to use MOSA to mitigate the risks associated with technology obsolescence, being locked into proprietary technology, and reliance on a single source of supply.

1.2.3. Design to Cost (DTC) Approach. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to implementing DTC engineering to ensure affordability of the SBMC, to include the approach to minimizing both production unit costs and system lifecycle sustainment costs. NOTE: This section should describe the vendor’s approach only; cost data shall not be included in the white paper.

1.2.4. Software Development. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their software development process and how their process supports Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) in a Development, Security and Operations (DevSecOps) environment. Vendor shall also describe how their software will be compatible with Android and Open XR. Vendor shall specify if they have a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) or equivalent certification, and if so, to what level.

1.2.5. Extensibility. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing how their design approach is extensible, enabling capabilities to include, but not limited to, Human-Machine Interface (HMI), vehicle integration, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), and sensor data integration.

1.2.5.1. Software Development Kit (SDK). Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to developing SBMC SDK functionality.

1.2.5.2. Application Developer Support. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to providing technical support to Government and 3rd Party developers using the SBMC SDK to develop applications for the SBMC platform. Narrative shall include vendor’s approach to providing a developer mode for application development and capability to provide SBMC telemetry and raw data capture for testing and application development purposes.

1.2.5.3. Application Validation & Verification (V&V). Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to providing V&V for Government and 3rd Party software applications developed using the

SBMC SDK.

2.0. Program Management Approach. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their Program Management approach for their SBMC solution, to include, but not limited to, the following:

• Defining the program management structure.

• Identifying key personnel and summary of their professional backgrounds and experience.

• Identifying teaming arrangements and key subcontractors and suppliers.

• Vendor’s approach to reporting project status to the Government via an online dashboard.

2.1. Program Plan. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their approach to completing the tasks and meeting the SBMC prototype schedule outlined in Attachment #1 Draft SBMC Statement of Work

(SOW).

2.2. Program Schedule. Vendor shall provide an SBMC prototype milestone schedule, in vendor format, as Annex B. The milestone schedule shall include all major activities identified in the draft SBMC SOW plus the vendor’s concurrent internal major activities. Vendors shall use 29 August 2025 as the tentative award date.

2.3. Data Rights. Vendor shall describe their Data Rights approach for their SBMC solution. Narrative shall describe how their data rights approach:

• Supports MOSA objectives.

• Supports lifecycle sustainment objectives.

• Supports extensibility objectives, to include discussion of the vendor’s proposed approach to providing SDK (software and documentation) to 3rd party application developers.

In addition, vendor shall identify any software license and/or software subscriptions that the Government would be expected to pay, either during the prototype project or in follow-on production and fielding.

In addition, vendor shall extract and fill out the Data Rights Assertion Table and submit as Annex C.

Table 1. Data Rights Assertion Table Data Rights Assertion Table

Data Type Government Desired (Objective) Data Rights

Vendor Asserted Data Rights

Rationale for Vendor Assertion

Software Government Purpose Rights

Technical Data Package Government Purpose

Interface Control Documents (to include all modular interfaces)

Government Purpose

Software Development Kit (SDK)

Unlimited Rights

Software Documentation Unlimited Rights

Form, Fit, and Function (FFF) Data

Unlimited Rights

Operation, Maintenance, Installation and Training Data (OMIT)

Unlimited Rights

Studies, analyses, and test data

Unlimited Rights

For definitions of Data Types and Data Rights refer to DFARS 252.227-7013, -7014, -7018, available at https://www.acquisition.gov

3.0. Program Risk. Vendor shall provide a narrative response which describes the following:

3.1. Risk Management and Initial Risk Assessment. Vendor shall provide a narrative response describing their approach to documenting, tracking, and managing areas of program risk. In addition, narrative shall include a table with the vendor’s initial assessment of program risks.

3.2. Relevant Experience. Vendor shall provide a narrative, not to exceed two (2) pages, summarizing their relevant experience within the last three (3) years and submit as Annex D. Relevant experience may include any of the following:

• Experience with developing or producing head borne augmented reality/mixed reality devices.

• Experience with developing or producing head borne night vision devices.

• Experience developing or producing other Soldier borne devices, to include weapon mounted sensors/sights or targeting devices; familiarization with weapon effects (e.g., ballistic shock).

• Experience developing or producing thermal or low light sensors.

• Experience developing or producing situational awareness software and/or systems.

• Experience developing mixed reality applications and experiences.

• Experience developing or producing virtual or augmented training devices and/or systems.

3.3. Performance. Vendor shall provide a narrative response which describes the following:

3.3.1. Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Vendor shall provide the current TRL of their proposed solution and a narrative providing the basis for the TRL assessment. Vendor shall use the standard TRL definitions from the DoD Technology Assessment Readiness Guide, available at https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/TRA-Guide-Jun2023.pdf https://www.acquisition.gov/ https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/TRA-Guide-Jun2023.pdf https://www.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/TRA-Guide-Jun2023.pdf

3.3.2. Sample Hardware Narrative. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing their current sample hardware, to include, not limited to, identifying differences between their sample hardware and their SBMC solution.

3.3.3. Sample Hardware Performance. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing the current performance of their sample hardware and complete the applicable column (sample hardware performance) of Attachment #2 Draft SBMC Product Description and submit as Annex E.

3.3.4. Projected Performance. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing the projected performance of their SBMC solution at project completion and complete the applicable column (projected performance) of Attachment #2 Draft SBMC Product Description and submit as Annex E.

3.3.4.1. Low Light Modeling Data. Vendor shall submit their Low Light modeling data as Annex F. (For instructions on preparing the modeling data, see Appendix B: NV-IPM LLL Modeling Criteria).

3.3.4.2. Thermal Modeling Data. Offeror shall submit their Thermal Modeling data as Annex G. (For instructions on preparing the modeling data, see Appendix C: NV-IPM Thermal Modeling Criteria).

4.0. Innovative Solutions for Challenge Areas. Vendor shall provide a narrative describing any innovative, unique or creative solutions for the most complex and critical challenge areas relevant to an SBMC system that the vendor intends to incorporate into their proposed technical solution. Narrative shall include the impacts to schedule and the associated technical risk of the solution. Narrative may cover any of the specified challenge areas below, as well as any unspecified challenge areas not listed:

• Minimizing head borne weight and optimizing Center of Gravity.

• Maximizing weapon & optic compatibility and lethality.

• Minimizing system power consumption and performing thermal management to support the best user experience. Examples include maintaining safe touch temperatures during hot daytime operation (under full solar load and low wind conditions), or innovative thermal management methods to keep sensors cool.

• Optimizing the system architecture to minimize system latency. Novel approaches to mitigate the effects of latency/lag, address imagery being available at different frame rates/times (rolling shutter), and motion smearing.

• Implementing novel solutions to improve image alignment, such as parallax correction, for different sources of video content (see-through/pass-through, low light, thermal, passive targeting bubble, Augmented Reality (AR) icons, etc.).

• Maximizing low light dynamic range and performance at starlight and below.

• Advanced Algorithms and/or AI/ML Software that improve situational awareness.

• Innovative methods to improve visual Situational Awareness. Examples may include, but not limited to, increasing field of view (FOV), decreasing visual obscurations, increasing dynamic range sensors and displays, stereo sensors, and image fusion.

• Innovative Light Security solutions while maximizing see-through transmission.

• Passive or Covert Eye Tracking systems.

• Novel methods to improving Position Navigation and Timing (PNT).

• Passive/Covert Depth Sensing.

• Novel technical methods to lower system cost or bring in MOSA.

• Product Support.

• Interoperability with existing Night Vision Goggles and Nett Warrior.

• Compatibility with robotic autonomous systems.

• Blast overpressure compatibility/capability.

APPENDICES. The following appendices will be provided in the CUI package:

Appendix A: SBMC Subsystem Reference Diagram.

Appendix B: NV-IPM LLL Modeling Criteria

Appendix C: NV-IPM Thermal Modeling Criteria