Spectrum Monitoring RFI Final.pdf

ACC ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT AND INTEGRATION CENTER (AMIC)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) FORM

HQ ACC, LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE (AFB)

SPECTRUM MONITORING SYSTEM

1. INSTRUCTIONS

This Request for Information (RFI) is being issued by Air Combat Command (ACC) Acquisition Management and Integration Center (AMIC) as part of its Market Research to identify available sources, capabilities, and receive industry input with regard to requirement considerations to support a Spectrum Monitoring System at ACC Joint Base Langley Eustis with potential growth to support ACC wide locations.

Responses to this RFI are not offers on which ACC AMIC can issue any contract/order. This RFI has been issued for information and planning purposes only and does not, itself, constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Task Order Proposal Request (TOPR). The Government does not intend to award a contract/order based only on responses to this RFI. Further, the Air Force is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense.

If interested, please provide input using the Attachment 1 RFI Response Sheet and any additional capabilities documentation. Please submit your response to 1st Lt Cortney Young at cortney.young@us.af.mil no later than 03 August 2020 at 3:00PM EST.

2. DESCRIPTION

The Directorate of Cyberspace and Information Dominance (ACC/A6) is seeking information on how an interested contractor could deliver a fixed-site and portable RF spectrum monitoring system to include information that will detail which of the scope items they can meet, how they can meet them, and which scope items cannot be met.

The planned outcome is for Langley AFB to have spectrum monitoring sensors and associated antennas in place on towers or poles at fixed locations that allow for all areas of the base to be monitored. The established framework for Langley AFB may be used to establish spectrum monitoring systems at additional ACC Installations.

3. BACKGROUND

ACC/A6 is conducting market research and analysis on a potential solution to deliver a radio frequency (RF) spectrum monitoring system for Langley AFB. Current operations do not capture the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) operating environment (OE) and future threats to achieve EMS superiority. There currently is not a way to de-conflict authorized spectrum assignments with what is being transmitted. Also, it is unknown when or where new transmissions occur unless they interfere with active links. The future of Electromagnetic Battle Management (EMBM) is still being defined, but it is known that protecting the base by defending and monitoring the Electromagnetic Environment (EME) will be a priority for future conflicts. Beyond conflict, the EMS is increasingly becoming more constrained/congested; ACC needs to have the ability to mailto:cortney.young@us.af.mil monitor and defend the spectrum at each ACC installation. The future goal is to deploy monitoring nodes at each ACC base and have the ability to monitor the EME from HQ ACC, Langley.

Planned Production Description:

ACC/A6 directorate is planning to acquire a Spectrum Monitoring system to implement a fixed-site commercial system to actively manage and monitor the radio frequency spectrum at Langley AFB VA and possibly, eventually at all ACC Installations. The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials and travel to design, develop, install, test a turn-key spectrum monitoring and recording capability that will make it possible to monitor and record the RF environment at Langley AFB VA, with possible eventual expansion to other bases. The hardware and software should be vendor agnostic and be able to work with similar products provided by other companies. The Contractor shall complete the installation. The Government will complete infrastructure connectivity with engineering support from the Contractor. The Contractor shall provide training and support ongoing hardware, software, technical support, warranty, software updates and provide design and test documentation.

The contractor shall also implement an industry leading spectrum monitoring, detection and identifying solution to actively monitor the EMOE at Langley AFB VA with potential to scale out to all ACC bases. Ability to monitor the EMOE at each base from one central location, Langley AFB. Additionally, the system must accept and compare loadable SXXI data/text data with a complete EMOE picture. The system should be self-learning and operate autonomously recording noted information and notify users when unauthorized usage of the EMS occurs. Additionally, the system must support the ability to record or capture user defined portions of the EMS in both I&Q and FFT (Amplitude, Frequency, and Time) modes in a Graphical User Interface that shows frequency, signal duration, and approximate origin location. Each sensor will be able to store captured spectrum locally, or transfer to a central database via a network connection. The spectrum sweep of each sensor is programmable, but the system range must cover the whole spectrum.

Spectrum resolution must be refinable to 10 kHz with software programmable gain/attenuation, as well as antenna switch controls that cover the entire spectrum range. The system must be weatherproof in an enclosure suitable for desert locations. The system must support the addition of additional sensors, if desired. Data must be accessible back to a central command and control system within 1 second of signal activation. The database must be capable of storing up to 30 days of 24/7 recording data. The system must be able to host demodulating applications for AM, and FM signals for audio processing.

Delivery Period:

o ACC/A6 anticipates this being a Fiscal Year 2020 or 2021 requirement

Technical Requirements:

o Frequency Ranger: 300 kHz to 18 GHz o Area: Roughly 5 square miles, able to be replicated in other locations o Duration: Constant 24/365 usage o Accessibility: Ability to remotely monitor other locations when Nodes are established o Archiving: Record spectrum usage with time and locations (but no need to record intelligence of signal) o Integrations: Ability to include our known frequencies from Spectrum XXI files/text files o Direction finding: Ability to RF unknown signals o Drone/UAS detection - The system must be able detect, identify, and locate

COTS UASs. Jamming of these signals is desired, but may be accomplished through other methods of geofence barriers and/or early warning indication notifications to the command and control system within 5 seconds of detections, identification, and location.

Security Requirements:

o This requirement is unclassified. Contractors having Government security clearance shall not be required.

ATTACHMENT 1 – RFI RESPONSE

1. COMPANY INFORMATION

Company Name and Address:

DUNS Number:

Socio-Economic Status (Small, SDVOSB):

Company Point of Contact:

2. SPECTRUM MONITORING SYSTEM

A. Would you be interested in responding to this requirement (Y/N)?

B. Do you have experience providing similar services (Y/N)?

C. Please provide a brief description of contracts performing work of similar complexity, scope, qualifications and magnitude. Include your company’s role (i.e. prime, subcontractor, or teaming arrangement), and any other relevant information deemed applicable. – Response limited to 4,000 characters (can be submitted as a separate document)

D. In addition to the information provided in this RFI, is there any additional information the government should consider incorporating into the description?

E. Due to funding limitations, is there a practical way the Government could request bare minimums to provide a functional solution, with optional items that could be delivered and installed at a later time? Do you have suggestions on how this could be structured contractually in a way that would be universal to all interested parties?

F. Do you anticipate that this requirement can be defined in a way that would support the use of a Firm Fixed Price Contract? If not what limiting factors are there?

G. Are you able to provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) regarding the general price-range for this type of requirement?

H. What is the minimum number of nodes to perform spectrum monitoring on Langley AFB proper?

I. What is the frequency range of your spectrum monitoring equipment? (I.E 30 MHz – 8 GHz)

J. Is your system software approved to be installed on the Air Force Network (AFNET)? (I.E ATO/ATC approved)

K. If your software is not approved to be installed on the Air Force Network, is your company working toward that approval?

L. Does your system have capability of identifying signal type?

M. Do you have a signal library available?

(I.E Drone ID)

N. Does your spectrum monitoring system have the ability to direction find unknown signals?

O. Does your system have the ability to include Spectrum XXI files or text files and compare known records to anomalies?

P. Does your system have the ability to be scaled out to specific Air Force Installation and remote spectrum monitoring data back to a central hub?

Q. From your experience, does the requirement described above meet the definition of a Commercial service that is offered and sold competitively in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace?

R. What type of end user and administrator training requirements do you anticipate for system use and maintenance?