Special Notice - HMIF Network - Final Updated.docx

Agency/Office:

Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA)

Title:

Special Notice – DAI OTA, W15QKN-23-9-D001 RPP 24-D18, Human-Machine Integrated Formation (HMIF) Network

Draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) Release / Industry Day / Request for White Paper (RWP)

Draft SOO Release Attachment 01 to this Special Notice is the revised HMIF Network SOO in draft form for industry to review and provide any questions regarding the SOO in a numbered Excel spreadsheet NLT 2:00 pm Eastern time August 22, 2024. The Government will provide responses to the questions submitted at an Industry Day hosted by the United States Government (USG) discussed below. Any non-NAMC members please submit questions to the Government point of contact at the end of this Special Notice.

Industry Day

The Army’s Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) would like to invite interested vendors and industry representatives to an in-person Industry Day event at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD. The purpose of the Industry Day is to provide an overview of the HMIF program and solicit feedback regarding industry capabilities for HMIF Networks program requirements ahead of any future solicitation, as well as provide an opportunity to network with industry, Government, and military representatives. The event will consist of briefs from Army leadership (RCCTO; Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Center (C5ISR); Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC); etc.) on the overall HMIF effort with specifics on the HMIF Network requirements, followed by a question and answer (Q&A) session. Questions received from the draft SOO will be answered. Industry representatives will then have an opportunity to ask additional questions.

The event will be held in the Myer Auditorium (Bldg. 6000, 6555 Surveillance Loop, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD) on Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) on September 13, 2024, starting at 0800. The event will be limited to U.S. citizens, and a valid U.S. identification card is required for entry to APG, MD. Those with active or retired DOD ID cards can gain access at the 715 Gate; those without military or DOD IDs will need to check in at the APG Visitor’s Center, Building 5701, 6244 Visitors Lane, APG, MD. The Visitor’s Center opens at 0600. To avoid a rush at the Visitor’s Center on the day of the event, visitors may stop in at an earlier date to obtain their visitor’s pass for September 13 or go on the Visitor Center’s website at: Visitor Information :: U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground. The website has a QR code you can scan to complete an online registration form prior to the event. The Industry Day event will begin at 0800 (registration) and will conclude after the Q&A session ends in the early afternoon. Limited coffee and water may be available for consumption in the lobby of the Myer Auditorium, but food and drink will not be allowed inside the auditorium. Both the Industry Day event and briefs will be unclassified, or CUI, and any proprietary information discussed or disclosed must be identified as such.

RCCTO requests an RSVP from in-person attendees by contacting Mr. Sean Dempsey via email at sean.e.dempsey.ctr@army.mil with the following info: Company name and name(s) of attendee(s).

The event will be business casual; no neck ties required.

The Government will not reimburse contractors for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this notice or their participation in Industry Day. Participation in the HMIF Network Industry Day is voluntary. This Industry Day and/or the information presented herein will not obligate the Government in any manner. The posted information is provided for planning purposes only. It does not constitute a Request for White Paper (RWP), nor does it restrict the Government as to its acquisition approach for the HMIF Network procurement.

Although this Industry Day is open to all interested industry members, only United States citizens are invited to participate at the in-person event.

Request for White Paper (RWP) Overview

The Government intends to issue a RWP for the updated HMIF Network requirement under the Detroit Arsenal Innovation (DAI) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), W15QKN-23-9-D001. The DAI OTA was entered into between the Army Contracting Command (ACC) and the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) on September 01, 2023, in support of coordinated research and development projects designed to accelerate streamlining and upgrading of military platforms to enhance our warfighters’ capabilities in 15 different technology areas. The Government will utilize the DAI OTA to award this effort.

The intent of this project is to provide a converged, tactically resilient HMIF network capability for the transport of time sensitive, safety critical robotic control data intermixed with sensor and mission data going between robotic platforms, control vehicles, associated payloads and passing through Nett Warrior (NW) and Mounted Mission Command (MMC) to provide battlefield mission services to wider Formation. Network integration services are also required in executing this effort. The physical layer of the network shall include a wired network bus on the robotic platforms providing time sensitive data transport, as well as a resilient wireless network sufficient for operational use in contested environments that provides connectivity between multiple payloads, platforms, controllers, and observers within HMIF, and interconnect bi-directional gateways with NW and MMC.

The capability shall include theoretical deduction and dynamic management of the wired and wireless components of the network in response to changing operational and mission needs, as well as a changing, contested, operational Radio Frequency (RF) environment. HMIF is founded on a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) philosophy and proposed solutions shall address MOSA efforts in the network design. Proposed solutions shall share system resources to promote rapid evolution and ease of integration of existing and new capabilities. Standardization of interfaces using existing standards with a comprehensive strategy for modularity, delivering strong isolation for safety is the directed approach. This industry day focus is the HMIF Mission Network component of the HMIF Control and Mission Network and associated integration services.

The Government intends to down select to the two (2) or (3) highest rated proposals after being evaluated against the evaluation criteria specified in the RWP. The Government then intends to enter into discussions with the offerors of down-selected proposals. The Government reserves the right not to down select any proposals or enter into discussions.

The Government anticipates awarding one (1) Prototype Project Order (PPO) as a result of the proposal evaluations from the RWP, but the Government reserves the right to award more than one award or no awards. It is anticipated that each PPO will consist of a scope of work that will include the delivery of a comprehensive network solution, including network integration services, that will be assessed on meeting the PPA while integrating with Government’s required payloads and Government Furnished Software (GFS) autonomy package, mission module payload (Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) lethality system and unmanned aerial system), and Government Furnished Information (GFI) defining the architectural constraints.

Focus Areas for Industry Participation

The Government will be seeking a best value comprehensive solution for its HMIF Network requirements. White papers will be evaluated on several factors, including technical, schedule, and affordability. Some of the technical factors or sub factors will also include consideration for the following focus areas:

· Open Business Model - An open business model requires doing business in a transparent manner and leveraging the collaborative innovation of numerous participants across the HMIF enterprise.

· MOSA -An approach to networks that is an integrated business and technical strategy to achieve competitive and affordable acquisition and sustainment over the system life cycle in order to avoid “vendor lock.”

· Subcontracts & Strategic Partnerships - Offerors will be encouraged to provide a team response and identify key suppliers and strategic partnerships that, when combined with their own component systems and solutions, provide a complete HMIF network capability.

Follow-On Production The Government anticipates pursuing a Follow-on Production effort under the authority of 10.U.S.C. 4022(f)), which states that, upon a determination that the competitively awarded prototype project has been successfully completed, the prototype project may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures. The follow-on production effort will be administered outside of the DAI OTA. The anticipated Follow-on Production quantity and value will be included in the RWP release.

NOTE: A prototype project will not be awarded in response to this announcement. The purpose of this announcement is to provide industry with the updated draft network SOO, notification of the Government's intent to host an Industry Day Event at APG, and the Government’s intent to release an RWP to the NAMC membership. For information on the NAMC and/or how to become a member, visit the following website: www.NAMConsortium.org.

The Government point of contact for this effort is Drew DePalma, drew.e.depalma.civ@army.mil.