USMCC-PWS.pdf

Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) United States Mission Control Center (USMCC) Operations, Maintenance, and Technical Support

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

October 13, 2026

C.1 Performance Work Statement/Specifications

The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the following Performance Work Statement.

C.2 Performance Work Statement

C.2.1 Introduction

This Performance Work Statement is for Operations, Maintenance, and Technical Support of the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) United States Mission Control Center (USMCC), which is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO).

The SARSAT system relays distress signals from distress beacons carried by aviators, mariners and land-based users to search and rescue (SAR) services. The mission of the interagency SARSAT program is to:

Protect life and property by providing timely, accurate and reliable distress alerts to search and rescue services worldwide in an effective and efficient manner.

The mission of the SARSAT program is fulfilled by:

▪ collecting and distributing reliable and accurate distress alert data in a timely fashion using satellite receiving stations and a mission control center;

▪ coordinating with national and international organizations on frequency management, satellites, emergency beacons and search and rescue issues;

▪ maintaining a national register for 406 MHz distress beacons; and,

▪ NOAA is currently serving as the lead for SARSAT within the United States, and representing the United States in the international Cospas-Sarsat Program, with the expectation of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) taking over responsibilities in the future, possibly before the end of this contract.

The desired outcome of the SARSAT program is to reduce human risk and economic consequences as a result of natural or human-induced emergencies. These activities align with NOAA’s goal to support the Nation’s Commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation.

Operations support includes the 24/7 operation of the USMCC; NOAA has developed and maintained the USMCC applications/utilities deployed on Windows Servers since the early 1990’s, maintenance and security of the USMCC hardware and accompanying internally developed software, manual entry of beacon registration into the 406 MHz Beacon Registration

Database (RGDB) and manual entry of feedback information in the Incident History Database (IHDB) – two key databases within the USMCC; help desk services for the 406 MHz RGDB; the performance of routine system and database backups and logging; and routine reporting; public outreach and configuration management.

Maintenance support includes USMCC software and hardware maintenance, including, but not limited to installation and troubleshooting of equipment including PCs, routers, switches, firewalls, and printers used in the USMCC and analysis related to the USMCC and SARSAT.

Technical support includes: the establishment and maintenance of communications links used by the USMCC; IT Security activities necessary to secure the USMCC and the SARSAT ground segment in the United States; writing and presenting papers for national and international meetings; the monitoring and reporting of interference to frequencies assigned to emergency beacons and satellite instruments; reporting system status; coordinating and conducting national and international tests; and planning for and exercising continuity of operations plans.

SARSAT/USMCC

The SARSAT program is part of the international Cospas-Sarsat System. Cospas is a Russian acronym that stands for “Cosmicheskaya Systyema Poiska Aariynyich Sudov” which translates loosely into “Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress.” The basic concept of the system involves the use of emergency beacons, satellites, and ground equipment to relay distress location and identification information (referred to as distress alerts) to SAR authorities.

SAR instruments are flown on Low-Earth polar orbiting (LEO), Mid-earth orbiting (MEO), and Geostationary-orbiting (GEO) satellites provided by the United States, Russia, India and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). For MEO satellites, the United States provides SAR/GPS MEO satellites, Russia provides Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass) MEO satellites, and the EU provides Galileo MEO satellites. Canada and France provide the SAR instruments which fly onboard the satellites.

The search and rescue instruments on all of these satellites (LEOSAR, GEOSAR or MEOSAR) are capable of detecting signals on and near the Earth’s surface transmitted from distress beacons. Distress beacons include Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), and Ship Security Alerting System (SSAS) beacons. ELTs are primarily used by aircraft, EPIRBs by maritime vessels, PLBs by individuals on land and sea, and SSAS beacons are used by ships to alert authorities of piracy/terrorism activity.

Distress beacons operate on the 406 MHz frequency, which transmit a digital code that contains information about the type of beacon and possibly the location of the beacon. Location can be transmitted in the beacon message if the beacon has GNSS capabilities. Each 406 MHz beacon in the world has a unique identifier. The unique identifier allows for additional information called registration data to be linked to each beacon. After receipt of ELT, EPIRB or PLB signals by the satellite, the satellite relays the signals to earth stations referred to as Local User Terminals

(LUTs).

The LUT transmits location information to its respective Mission Control Center (MCC) via a data communication network. The MCC performs matching and merging of alert messages with other received messages, geographically sorts the data, and transmits a distress message to an appropriate search and rescue authority such as a national Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) or a foreign SAR Point of Contact (SPOC). The distress message may also be sent to another MCC. Figure 1 depicts the operational concept of the Cospas-Sarsat System.

Figure 1: Operational Concept of Cospas-Sarsat System

The United States operates three types of LUTs to relay distress signals: LEOLUTS, MEOLUTS, and GEOLUTS. The SAR instruments are carried on board the NOAA Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES)(also known as LEO), Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series of satellites, and the various MEO satellites. The POES satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of approximately 850 kilometers and orbit the Earth once every 102 minutes. The relative motion between the POES satellites and a beacon on the surface of the Earth allows ground processing to use the Doppler Effect to determine the beacon’s location.

The GOES satellites orbit the Earth in a geosynchronous orbit, which means they orbit the equatorial plane of the Earth at a speed matching the Earth's rotation. This allows them to “hover” continuously over one position on the surface. The geosynchronous plane is about

36,000 kilometers above the Earth, high enough to allow the satellites to view approximately 1/3 of the Earth. Because the GEO satellites stay above a fixed spot on the surface, they provide a constant vigil for emergency beacons activated within their footprint.

The MEO satellites orbit the Earth at approximately 20,000 kilometers above the surface. MEO satellites can see 38% of the Earth’s surface at one time. Some of the benefits of MEOSAR are:

▪ near instantaneous global coverage with accurate independent location capability;

▪ robust beacon to satellite communication links, high levels of satellite redundancy and availability;

▪ resilience against beacon to satellite obstructions; and,

▪ the possible provision for additional (enhanced) SAR services, such as a ground to beacon return link.

NOAA manages and operates LEOLUTs to track, receive and process alerts from the NOAA, Russian and European Meteorological Operational (METOP) LEOSAR satellites. Two LEOLUTs are located at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) on Guam; 2 at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) communication station on Hawaii; 2 at the NOAA Command and Data Acquisition station in Alaska; and 2 at the USCG communication station in Florida. NOAA manages and operates two GEOLUTs in Suitland, Maryland to track, receive and process alerts through the GOES East and GOES West satellites. Additionally, one LEO/MEOLUT (a hybrid LEOLUT that works as a MEO tracking antenna when a LEOSAR satellite is not in view), a GEOLUT and a Thales Phased Array MEOLUT (TPAM) are also in Maryland and serve as backup equipment and test beds. NOAA manages and operates two 6-channel MEOLUTs located in Miami, FL and Wahiawa, HI. NOAA manages approximately 25 antennas in total for 3 different satellite constellations.

Also depicted is a service offered by SAR/Galileo capability, “Return Link Service” (RLS), which provides for communication back to the beacon (RLS is currently limited to type1 which sends an ‘acknowledge’ of activation to the distress beacon). At this time, the Galileo constellation is the only system that has deployed this technology.

The USMCC receives alert data from national LUTs and foreign MCCs. It matches beacon signals to identify those coming from the other sources and merges them, as able, to improve position accuracy. The USMCC appends known U.S. registration information to distress alerts for 406 MHz beacons registered in the United States then geographically sorts data to determine the appropriate recipient. A recipient may be a national RCC (operated either by the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Coast Guard), a foreign SPOC, or another MCC. Based on special coding, the USMCC also transmits distress alerts to a number of special Government and military users. The USMCC filters redundant data and performs system support and monitoring functions. System support functions include relaying SAR instrument telemetry from the Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) to the Canadian MCC (CMCC) and to the French MCC (FMCC). System support also relays SAR instrument commands from the CMCC and FMCC to the Satellite Operations Control Center (SOCC). The U.S. LUTs have the capability to detect and locate interference in the 406 MHz band. This information is automatically forwarded to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for further investigation. Also supporting the operations of the LUTs is the receipt of timing information from GPS satellites or from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Cospas-Sarsat Operations

Cospas-Sarsat’s ultimate mission is to assist in the saving of human lives. More than 50,000 persons have been rescued world-wide due to the Cospas-Sarsat Program since its inception in 1982. The current Cospas-Sarsat Program was established by an inter-governmental agreement signed in 1988 between the Governments of Canada, the Republic of France, the Russian Federation (formerly the Soviet Union) and the United States. The agreement created the Cospas-Sarsat Council, which is responsible for overall management of the Program, and the Cospas-Sarsat Secretariat, which serves as the permanent administrative organ of the Program.

The Joint Committee (JC), Operational Working Group (OWG), Technical Working Group (TWG),Task Groups (TG), and Experts Working Group (EWG) have been established to support the Council. The JC, OWG, and TWG typically meet once a year to address operational and technical issues, and to make recommendations to the Council. Experts Working Groups (EWG) and Task Groups (TG) meet as directed by the Council to address more immediate issues, and will make recommendations to either the Council or JC. Including the four Parties to the Agreement, 40 States and 2 organizations (the Participants) are formally associated with the Programme and actively participate in the management and the operation of the Cospas-Sarsat System (the System).

The Cospas-Sarsat Program is guided by System documentation that provides technical specifications for equipment, operational procedures and program structure. The documentation is separated into seven series:

▪ The “P” series contains documents that pertain to the management and policy of the Cospas-Sarsat Program.

▪ The “G” series contains general information.

▪ The “T” series contains technical documentation and specifications.

▪ The “A” series contains operational documentation and procedures.

▪ The “R” series contains reports and system test plans.

▪ The “S” series contains Secretariat directives

▪ The “D” series contains general information on the International Beacon Registration Database.

The documentation listed above can be found at http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/pro under the Documents/System Documents link.

The USMCC functions in accordance with specifications and procedures outlined in the above documents. In addition, the USMCC has to meet unique national requirements to fulfill its mission. These requirements are contained in documentation referenced in section C.2.3.2.

Programmatic Transition Support

Since January, 2021, the Transition Working Group (WG) has conducted Phase-2 of the SARSAT Leadership Transition Study. During Phase-2, Transition WG performed a detailed assessment of the NOAA SARSAT Program with a focus on the leadership and technical functions and responsibilities that will transition from NOAA to the USCG. Moreover, the Transition WG assessed the processes, procedures, documentation, systems, tools, and controls currently in use by NOAA and the PSG to operate the USMCC and ground system.

Finally, the Transition WG assessed the existing systems engineering and systems evolution processes and procedures with respect to DHS/USCG policy and requirements, which are applicable to the post-transition environment.

With the space segment of the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) Program transitioning to USAF Mid-Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) GPS satellites, the SARSAT Program Steering Group (PSG) had discussed how to best support the Program in the future. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Satellite Data Information Service (NESDIS) SARSAT Program suggested the transfer of leadership responsibility for the national SARSAT and international Cosmicheskaya Sistema Poiska Avariynyh Sudov (COSPAS-SARSAT) programs to support the continued success of the Program.

The United States (U.S.) SARSAT Program is currently implementing steps to transition program leadership and authority from NOAA to the U.S. Coast Guard. This process has been executed through a phased Transition Study, which the U.S. SARSAT PSG began in 2019. The first two phases of the Transition Study assessed the current state of the program, and identified the leadership and technical areas to be transitioned.

The third and final phase of transition began in 2022, and will encompass the development and implementation of the transition plan, culminating in the transition of program management responsibility from NOAA to the U.S. Coast Guard

Strategic Program Objectives

The following long-term goals were defined by the U.S. SARSAT Program during the SARSAT Transition Retreat. The Transition WG has considered these goals in the definition and assessment of transition of SARSAT Leadership from NOAA to the USCG. The U.S. SARSAT Program long-term goals have been defined as follows:

Performance

● Maintain or improve program performance.

● Establish and maintain a framework for continuous innovation and improvements.

● Maintain the most effective and efficient lifesaving system (detection and notification of persons in distress).

Technology

● Maintain relevancy, identify, and deliver new proven technologies to address future emerging needs.

● Maintain flexibility regarding technology and services.

● Enhancing IT scalability, flexibility, maintainability, expandability, modularity, and agility while maintaining security.

Leadership

● Maintain world leadership in the COSPAS-SARSAT Program.

● Maintain and build upon the foundation and foundational services that U.S. SARSAT PSG provides.

● Maintain global influence and leadership as the gold standard for distress alerting.

Demonstrate Value

● Long-term sustainable funding

● Driven by protecting lives while minimizing risk to the agencies involved.

● Sustainability – user segment (continue long term to be a viable program)

C.2.2 Place of Performance

The Contractor shall operate, maintain and monitor the primary USMCC and system, including software, technical, functional and administrative support activities, onsite at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, Maryland on a 24-hour, 7-days-per-week, 365 days per year schedule. Situational telework may be authorized by those positions expected to be on call 24/7/365.

The Contractor shall also operate and maintain the NOAA USMCC remote site located in the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) in College Park, Maryland, and/or the backup alternate processing site for the NOAA USMCC at the Consolidated Backup (CBU) facility in Fairmont, WV when required for contingency operations. In the event of a contingency that renders the NSOF to be uninhabitable, the contractor shall operate the USMCC from the remote site or backup facility, depending upon the nature of the contingency, as specified in the NOAA SARSAT Contingency Plan.

C.2.3 Scope of Work

All personnel involved in the SARSAT USMCC contract shall be in compliance with the Office of Satellite Ground Services (OSGS) produced Application Reference Model (ARM) and

Infrastructure Reference Model (IRM).

C.2.3.1 USMCC System Support

The Contractor shall provide computer operations of the USMCC system on a 24/7 around-the-clock basis, comprehensive data entry, help desk services, and database administration functions. Software support shall consist of corrective, adaptive, and perfective maintenance across all operational subsystems and applications to support the USMCC mission. Technical support shall include maintaining IT hardware, Local Area Networks (LANs), and system software; executing IT security activities; performing detailed analytical studies and real-time monitoring; and supporting national and international interagency meetings. All of these activities directly sustain and advance the overarching SARSAT mission to protect life and property. The document “USMCC Requirements Analysis,” provided as Appendix B, provides additional reference material to assist the Contractor in understanding the USMCC mission. It is provided for reference only.

C.2.3.2 Applicable Documents

The following documents define terms, requirements, guidelines, specifications, procedures, data formats and content, and plans. Unless otherwise specified, all USMCC relevant work shall be performed in accordance with these documents. Succeeding revisions shall be substituted or incorporated as appropriate. As noted previously, Cospas-Sarsat documents can be viewed under the documentation link of http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/pro.

Many of the relevant USMCC documents can be viewed under the System Documentation link at http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/.

▪ C/S G.003, Introduction to the Cospas-Sarsat System

▪ C/S G.004, Cospas-Sarsat Glossary

▪ C/S G.005, Cospas-Sarsat Guidelines on 406 MHZ Beacon Coding, Registration, and Type Approval

▪ C/S T.001, Specification for Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHZ Distress Beacons

▪ C/S T.002, Specification for Cospas-Sarsat Local User Terminal Performance Specification and Design Guidelines

▪ C/S T.003, ,Description of the 406-MHz Payloads Used in the Cospas-Sarsat LEOSAR System

▪ C/S T.004, Cospas-Sarsat LEOSAR Space Segment Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.005, Cospas-Sarsat LEOLUT Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.006, Cospas-Sarsat Orbitography Network Specification

▪ C/S T.007, Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz Distress Beacon Type Approval Standard

▪ C/S T.008, Cospas-Sarsat Acceptance of 406 MHz Beacon Type Approval Test Facilities http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/pro http://www.cospas-sarsat.int/en/pro http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/ http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/

▪ C/S T.009, Cospas-Sarsat GEOLUT Performance Specification and Design Guidelines

▪ C/S T.010, Cospas-Sarsat GEOLUT Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.011, Description of the 406 MHz Payloads Used in the Cospas-Sarsat GEOSAR System

▪ C/S T.012, Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz Frequency Management Plan

▪ C/S T.013, Cospas-Sarsat GEOSAR Space Segment Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.014, Cospas-Sarsat Frequency Requirements and Coordination Procedures

▪ C/S T.015, Cospas-Sarsat Specification and Type Approval Standard for 406 MHz Ship Security Alert (SSAS) Beacons

▪ C/S T.016, Description of the 406 MHz Payloads Used in the Cospas-Sarsat MEOSAR System

▪ C/S T.017, Cospas-Sarsat MEOSAR Space Segment Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.018, Specification for Second-Generation Cospas-Sarsat 406-MHz Distress Beacons

▪ C/S T.019, Cospas-Sarsat MEOLUT Performance Specification and Design Guidelines

▪ C/S T.020, Cospas-Sarsat MEOLUT Commissioning Standard

▪ C/S T.021, Cospas-Sarsat Second-Generation 406-MHz Distress Beacon Type Approval Standard

▪ C/S T.022, Cospas-Sarsat MEOSAR Reference Beacon Network Design Guidelines

▪ C/S A.001, Cospas-Sarsat Data Distribution Plan

▪ C/S A.002, Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Centers Standard Interface Description

▪ C/S A.003, Cospas-Sarsat System Monitoring and Reporting

▪ C/S A.005, Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Center Performance Specification and Design Guidelines

▪ C/S A.006, Cospas-Sarsat Mission Control Centre Commissioning Standard

▪ USMCC Functional Requirements Document

▪ USMCC Data Structures Document

▪ USMCC Functional Description Document

▪ 406 MHz Registration Data Base (RGDB) Functional Requirements Document

▪ Incident History Data Base (IHDB) Functional Requirements Document

▪ USMCC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

▪ USMCC National Rescue Coordination Center and Search and Rescue Point of Contact Alert and Support Messages

▪ SARSAT Configuration Management Plan

C.2.4 System Description

C.2.4.1 USMCC

SARSAT represents a geographically distributed infrastructure comprising the USMCC, four remote LEOLUT facilities, three remote MEOLUT locations equipped with an additional phased array antenna, one GEOLUT facility, a web server network, and related equipment housed at the NSOF . The primary USMCC is physically located at the NSOF in Suitland, Maryland, along with the web server network, and is one of the LUT locations. The equipment located at the NCWCP is used to remotely control either of the USMCCs in the event that physical access to the buildings are not available. The additional 5 (4 LEO/MEO and I MEO only) LUT locations are geographically dispersed to collect satellite data throughout the United States and its territories. These processing groups include:

▪ MCC processing – provides the main processing capability for Cospas-Sarsat related data (MCC Operational Segment)

▪ Web application processing – provides internet access and processing for the RGDB and IHDB functions (Web Based Registration and Related Systems)

▪ FTP processing – provides FTP & fax communications services for international points-of-contact (MCCs & SPOCs) and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) (FTP Internet Segment)

▪ LUT FTP processing – provides FTP communication services for US LUTs and Coast Guard RCCs (LUT FTP Segment)

The current NOAA USMCC is composed of 28 applications/utilities and approximately 720k lines of source code, developed internally by NOAA and evolving since the early 1990s. Not every subsystem below maps to a single application, as some applications run across several subsystems. These applications are hosted on Windows Servers, operated 24/7/365 with reliable backup capabilities to 99.5% availability, and have hardware (HW) upgraded/refresh on 5 year cycles. It is a DOC/NOAA and SARSAT program goal to have the USMCC study and analyze the ability to host the USMCC securely and fiscally responsibly in accordance with the ceilings in the contract, in a cloud environment during the next support contract.

The USMCC sends approximately 1,270 messages a day, including messages sent to RCCs, MCCs, LUTs, and SPOCs. The USMCC receives about 6,040 messages a day. The USMCC receives about 358 satellite passes daily for the US LUTs. Beacon data is received from the GEO and MEO satellites on a continuous basis. There are more than 20 Structured Query Language (SQL) database transactions per second.

The USMCC comprises various types of hardware devices. Table 1 lists the hardware elements of the USMCC.

Table 1: USMCC Hardware List Device Type Make Model Quantity

Server Dell PowerEdge 2850 6

Server Dell PowerEdge 2950 1

Server Dell PowerEdge R610 12

Server Dell PowerEdge R620 1

Server Dell PowerEdge R710 1

Server Dell PowerEdge R720 11

Workstation Dell Dimension 9150 1

Workstation Dell Optiplex 7010 1

Workstation Dell Optiplex 760 4

Workstation Dell Optiplex 9010 10

Workstation Dell Optiplex 9020 3

Workstation Dell Precision T3500 2

Workstation HP Z400 2 Laptop Apple MacBook Pro 3

Laptop Dell Latitude E6440 3

Laptop Dell Latitude E6530 9

Laptop Dell Latitude E6540 8

Firewall Cisco ASA 5510 10 Firewall Cisco ASA 5512 2 Firewall Cisco ASA 5515 2 Firewall Cisco ASA 5525 2

IDS IBM

Proventia

GX4004 3

Load Balancer Barracuda

Load Balancer 340 2

Printer HP CB514A 1 Printer HP CP2025dn 1 Printer HP E6B69A 1 Printer HP C8185A 1 Printer Zebra ZM410 2 Router Cisco 1941 9 Router Cisco 2811 1 Router Cisco 2901 4

Storage Dell EqualLogic

PS4110 5

Switch Cisco Catalyst 2960 4

Switch Dell N4032 5

Switch HP ProCurve 2810 10

Switch HP ProCurve 2824 11

Switch HP ProCurve 2920 4

Thin Client HP t510 4

The USMCC currently operates under several operating systems. Updates to the operating systems are performed as needed to meet current Department of Commerce benchmarks.

Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) software such as VMWare, MapInfo, MS SQL, FaxMan, Veritas, Visual Basic, C++, Visual C++, Java, and dBase are also an integral part of the software sub-systems. The languages used in the USMCC system include Visual BASIC, SQL, MapInfo, Visual C++, and JAVA. Table 2 lists the USMCC lines of code.

Table 2: USMCC Software Lines of Code

Subsystem Lines of Code

Alert Processing (ALRT) 36,444 Communications Processing

(COMM) 143,568

System Data Processing (SDAT) 27,416 System Monitoring (SMON) 20,051 Operator Interface (OPER) 189,339 Database/Data Maintenance

(DBMN) 11,873

Incident History Database (IHDB) 54,507 Registration Database (RGDB) 53,345 Self test and Monitoring (SAMS) 12,071 LUT Monitoring Database

(LMDB) 29,180

Interference Monitoring (INTF) 97,139 SAR Mapping/Geosort (SMAP) 41,848 Miscellaneous 1,631

C.2.4.1.1 Alert Processing

The Alert Processing sub-system is the major component of the USMCC. The sub-system processes all distress alert data and produces the distress alert messages destined for other MCCs, SPOCs and RCCs. Specifically, Alert Processing:

▪ transfers 406 MHZ alert data from the SQL server;

▪ validates all incoming alert data;

▪ filters alert data based on configuration;

▪ creates sites (sites combine and store satellite data originating from a unique beacon or signal source);

▪ matches alerts from different sources (LUTs/MCCs and/or satellites);

▪ merges beacon alerts from different sources to form a more probable position;

▪ determines if satellite passes should have detected a beacon on a given pass;

▪ determines the type of message to send;

▪ determines the appropriate recipient of the alert message;

▪ determines the content of alert messages;

▪ appends registration information for 406 MHZ beacons as appropriate; and

▪ performs housekeeping on the site.

The Alert Processing sub-system notifies the operator of alarm conditions and general status of the sub-system, as well as logs all routine operations and functions for later analysis.

C.2.4.1.2 Communications Processing

The Communications sub-system communicates with US LUTs, foreign MCCs, SPOCs, and national RCCs for alert and system data. It also communicates with the Naval Bulletin Board (NBB) by way of telephone line for ephemeris data, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by way of the Internet for time data, the ESPC by way of the Internet for satellite payload telemetry data, the GPS via satellite receiver for time data, and a communication vendor. The Communications Processing sub-system also formats alert messages based on the destination.

The primary path of data communications between the USMCC and USCG RCCs is through a private IP network provided by a commercial telecommunications vendor. Backup data communications between the USMCC and USCG RCCs is through a facsimile server.

The primary data path between the USMCC and USAF RCC at Joint Base Langley-Eustis AFB is the Internet (through a VPN Concentrator), with a backup path utilizing the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN).

The primary data path between the USMCC and national LUTs is a private IP network.

The USMCC communicates with other nations’ MCCs through AFTN and the Internet. The USMCC communicates with foreign SPOCs through the AFTN, FTP over VPN, facsimile, IMSAR and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for facsimile.

C.2.4.1.3 System Data Processing

The System Data sub-system is responsible for processing satellite payload telemetry data, identifying out-of-limit conditions and reporting to the appropriate payload provider (i.e., France or Canada), and notifying payload providers of changes in the status of their instruments. The sub-system processes commands from the French and Canadian MCCs, and routes them to the NOAA Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Maryland.

The System Data sub-system also creates ephemeris data to send to foreign MCCs and U.S.

LUTs. In addition, the sub-system creates pass schedules daily for the U.S. LUTs. Pass schedules are used by the LUTs to determine which satellites are tracked. Lastly, the sub-system creates and processes system status and narrative messages for and from foreign MCCs.

C.2.4.1.4 Operational Real-Time System Monitoring

The System Monitoring sub-system performs real-time monitoring of the USMCC, national LUTs, and communications links. The sub-system ensures that all the critical USMCC sub-systems are functioning, the LUTs are providing data, and operators are being notified if there are any large location errors.

C.2.4.1.5 Operator Interface

The Operator Interface allows the operator to monitor the USMCC system, retrieve data, perform queries, initiate processes, access other sub-systems as appropriate, and change configuration of the USMCC system. The operator has the capability to search for alert data based on type of data, geographic location, and time. The results of the query can then be transmitted to any destination. The operator can also search for input or output messages based on specific criteria, and can access system logs. The Operator Interface sub-system contains the NOAA encode/decode software for 406 MHZ beacons. This software allows users an interface to the digital information contained in a 406 MHZ message. The software can also perform error checking on the digital message as described in Cospas-Sarsat documentation.

C.2.4.1.6 Interference Monitoring

The Interference Monitoring sub-system processes 406 MHz interference position data from U.S.

LUTs and foreign MCCs. Interference data is matched and merged, and reports on sources of interference are generated.

C.2.4.1.7 Database Maintenance

The Database Maintenance sub-system performs the archive, purge and backup of all data as well as the monitoring of database performance. All data is archived at the USMCC. Database backups are performed daily and all database executive software and configuration data is archived monthly.

C.2.4.1.8 Incident History Database

The Incident History Database (IHDB) sub-system consists of software which transfers key site information from the active site database to the Incident History Database. Software also exists to input/edit feedback from RCCs either manually or online, validate feedback, and send reminders to RCCs for incidents on which they have not reported.

Software also exists to extract the “Distress Incident Report for Documentation of Saves” and “Report on Beacon Signals” for the Cospas-Sarsat System. Additional software exists to prepare reports on performance of beacon models, compliance of feedback by RCCs, and reports of rescues.

C.2.4.1.9 Registration Database

The Registration Database (RGDB) sub-system consists of software which is used to enter and edit beacon registrations and to prepare reports. The software validates information before it is accepted into the database; creates mailing labels; generates bi-annual confirmations; and creates decals to be affixed to the beacon.

C.2.4.1.10 Self-test and Monitoring

The Self-test and Monitoring Sub-system (SAMS) provides near real-time, long term, and trend monitoring from data collected at the USMCC. Information on availability and performance is generated for the USMCC, U.S. LUTs and Cospas-Sarsat satellites. The sub-system also generates graphics files for display and reports.

C.2.4.1.11 LUT Monitoring Database

The LUT Monitoring Database maintains the daily schedule of satellite passes that the U.S.

LUTs have been scheduled to track, and reports on the outcome of each satellite pass per LUT.

The information is used to monitor LUT performance, report on missed passes for LEO satellites, and create Cospas-Sarsat reports on LUT availability.

C.2.4.1.12 SAR Mapping/GEOSORT

The SAR Mapping sub-system performs the geographical sorting of alert data for the Alert Processing sub-system. The software determines in whose search and rescue area an alert position is located. The software also provides the real-time geographical display of alert sites.

Additional information on the USMCC may be found in the documents listed in section C.2.3.2.

C.2.5 Specific Work Requirements

All work described below shall be performed in accordance with the appropriate documents listed in section C.2.3.2 and any additional guidance provided by the USMCC Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or the USMCC Program Manager.

C.2.5.1 Transition to a New Contractor (if applicable)

A phase-in period of 30 calendar days is anticipated during which the follow-on Contractor shall become familiar with the USMCC, associated sub-systems and operation. The follow-on Contractor shall have fully qualified and trained staff available on day one. The follow-on Contractor shall bear responsibility for the operations, software, maintenance and technical support of the USMCC concurrently during the transition period. The incumbent contractor shall provide controller training and transfer documentation to the follow-on Contractor.

The final 30 calendar days of the contract shall be a phase-out period during which the incumbent Contractor continues to bear full responsibility concurrently with the follow-on of the operations, software, maintenance and technical support, but is also responsible for training and guiding the follow-on Contractor in learning its duties.

C.2.5.2 Operations Support

Specifically, the Contractor shall:

▪ operate the USMCC software and hardware and notify MCCs, SPOCs and RCCs of outages in accordance with the USMCC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)s;

▪ monitor the U.S. ground segment (LUTs, USMCC, communications and the USMCC environment), identify anomalies, and initiate corrective action according to configuration management procedures and USMCC SOPs;

▪ be the operational point of contact for RCCs and SPOCs by responding to queries, re-transmitting alert messages, providing registration information, changing the destination/routing of alert messages, providing satellite pass schedules, confirming communications, interpreting system performance, requesting incident feedback, and providing other operational assistance as required;

▪ be the operational point of contact for MCCs by responding to queries, re-transmitting alert messages, providing registration information, changing the destination/routing of alert messages, requesting alert messages from other MCCs, confirming communications, requesting incident feedback, ensuring system and ephemeris data are properly transmitted, providing coordination support to the Cospas-Sarsat System, and providing other assistance as required;

▪ provide and update Cospas-Sarsat quality management system (QMS) reports and other performance indicators and metrics as required by Cospas-Sarsat;

▪ be the operational point of contact for NOAA SAR payload operations by notifying MCCs, RCCs and SPOCs of payload failures, and coordinating with the SOCC on NOAA polar and geostationary satellite issues;

▪ be the operational point of contact for U.S. LUT operations by requesting alert and graphic data from LUTs; configuring and commanding the LUTs; assisting with pass schedules; monitoring satellite data; sending commands to LUTs; coordinating LUT outages with Government, LUT maintenance Contractor, and site personnel; and performing additional duties within the general scope of the SARSAT USMCC Operations, Maintenance and Technical Support contract as required;

▪ be the operational point of contact for telemetry and ephemeris data received from the

ESPC;

▪ be the operational point of contact for ephemeris data received from the NOAA Bulletin Board;

▪ perform periodic (daily and weekly and monthly depending on the SOP) backups, retrieve data from backups and maintain archives; and

▪ maintain and prepare appropriate logs and reports as described in section C.2.7 and in the most recent revision of NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-53 document which lists logging and reporting requirements for IT security .

The Contractor shall also review and edit incident feedback data from RCCs, create incident summaries for public release, generate periodic and special reports at the Government’s request, and resolve incident feedback issues with external organizations.

Registration Database Operations - The Contractor shall register new beacons within 2 business days of receiving paper/faxed/emailed registration forms from beacon owners. The Contractor shall also:

▪ update registration information;

▪ notify beacon owners 60 days in advance of bi-annual registration renewal;

▪ notify beacon owners 1 day after bi-annual registration has expired;

▪ notify beacon owners 30 days after bi-annual registration has expired;

▪ electronically scan and file copies of beacon registration information within 2 business days;

▪ prepare and mail proof of registration letters and decals to beacon owners;

▪ resolve beacon registration issues with owners;

▪ generate periodic and special reports at the request of the Government;

▪ ensure adequate supplies are available; and

▪ liaise with external organizations on registration issues.

Registration Database Quality Control - Registration entries, renewals, and updates performed by the Contractor shall follow established quality control processes. Registration database records, both electronic and hardcopy, must be easily identified and properly filed. These records typically contain Personally Identifiable Information and must be protected in accordance with Department of Commerce, NOAA, and other United States Government guidelines, including SORN NOAA-20, Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) 406 MHz Emergency Beacon Registration Database.

Documentation – The Contractor shall develop, revise, and/or review software, standard operating procedures, and operations documentation in accordance with applicable federal and/or agency standards during the appropriate phase of the life cycle including technical reports to document algorithm analysis, feasibility studies, trade-off, and impact analysis. The Contractor shall update all documentation to remain current with the USMCC system.

The Contractor shall also perform engineering analysis of implemented software products and develop new, or modify existing, documentation to correctly reflect the implemented code. The documentation shall provide the necessary information to support life cycle maintenance of the software product(s) by the Government.

The Contractor shall update as required and maintain all documentation related to the USMCC including, but not limited to, the following:

▪ USMCC Functional Description Document

▪ USMCC Operations Guide

▪ SARSAT System Administrators Guide

▪ USMCC Detail Design Document

▪ USMCC Functional Requirements Document

▪ 406 Registration Data Base Functional Requirements Document

▪ Incident History Data Base Functional Requirements Document

▪ USMCC Data Structures Document

▪ USMCC Baseline Source

▪ USMCC National Rescue Coordination Center and Search and Rescue Point of Contact Alert and Support Messages

▪ USMCC Standard Operating Procedures

▪ SARSAT IT Architecture

▪ SARSAT Security Plan

▪ SARSAT Contingency Plan

▪ SARSAT Configuration Management Plan

▪ 406 MHz Beacon Coding Guidelines for USA National Use Fields

▪ Interconnection Security Agreements

▪ Interface Control Documents

Configuration Management – The Contractor shall support the existing SARSAT configuration management plan and shall support the Government as required to provide storage of, and https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/privacyact/SORNs/noaa-20.html https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/privacyact/SORNs/noaa-20.html https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/privacyact/SORNs/noaa-20.html controlled access to, software, documentation and associated tools and procedures. The Contractor shall utilize a Government approved tool to manage all aspects of configuration management for the USMCC. The contractor shall generate reports from this tool as needed and assist SARSAT stakeholders in gaining access to the tool while adhering to Government policy

Communication and Outreach – The Contractor shall support the SARSAT and Cospas-Sarsat program by interfacing with the public as required by the Government. The interface may include public meetings, conferences, and trade or professional events, among others.

Activities will also include developing literature, providing briefings and tours of the USMCC, and other educational activities as required by the Government. The Contractor shall also maintain an accurate count of the number of people rescued as a result of the SARSAT system and provide periodic reports on rescues, with reporting periods to be established by the Government.

Meeting Support – The Contractor shall support the SARSAT and Cospas-Sarsat programs at national and international meetings. Such meetings include: SARSAT PMO meetings Cospas- Sarsat Council, Joint Committee, Task Group, Expert Working Group Meetings, Data Distribution Region Meetings, Interface Meetings with US RCCs, Beacon Manufacturers Meeting, Bi-lateral Meetings, National Search and Rescue Committee (NSARC) General Meetings, Civil Air Patrol Meetings, RTCA, Inc Meetings, Radio Technical Commission for Maritime services (RTCM) Meetings, and United Nations (UN) Conferences. The Contractor shall review and analyze domestic and international meeting documents, write position papers for US Government review/discussion and give presentations as directed, and attend meetings as members of the U.S. delegation as required by the Government.

Certification of Operations and Data Entry Personnel - The Contractor shall develop and employ training programs to certify the operations personnel and data entry personnel are fully capable to operate the USMCC and enter/update beacon registration information in the 406 RGDB. Part of the certification process should include customer service training of the RGDB and USMCC duty controllers that interface with primary customers, the Rescue Coordination Centers, and beacon owners.

C.2.5.3 Maintenance Support

C.2.5.3.1 USMCC

The Contractor shall maintain all USMCC application software as referenced in the USMCC, the RGDB, and IHDB Functional Description Documents, USMCC Detail Design Document, and USMCC Baseline Source. The Contractor shall provide a complete range of software maintenance activities including corrective maintenance, adaptive maintenance and perfective maintenance.

Corrective maintenance is required to correct unexpected software problems, meet published requirements, and/or fix corrupted files or databases. The Contractor shall perform corrective maintenance on a 24-hour, 7 days-per-week, 365 days per year schedule. The Contractor shall provide appropriate personnel to analyze problems detected in applications software and take appropriate action to minimize or eliminate the problems including the development of software to correct or work around the problems.

Adaptive maintenance is required to support changes in the processing environment, which include the addition of, or conversion to, new hardware, operating environments, data structures or new algorithms.

Corrective or adaptive maintenance for critical software sub-systems or elements shall be initiated within one (1) hour of notification by the Government or appropriate personnel and performed on a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week basis, 365 days per year.

Perfective maintenance is required to better meet operational objectives and to support planned changes to improve efficiency, performance or maintainability of operational software. As part of perfective maintenance, the Contractor shall develop and analyze requirements and provide design, integration, and testing support to upgrade/replace existing USMCC software. This includes the support for the periodic (as stipulated by the programmatic document, which could be monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, annually) technical refresh of software, hardware and network equipment included in the USMCC. Perfective maintenance and non-critical changes shall be implemented during regular business hours as requested by the Government.

In accordance with all system and software maintenance requirements, the Contractor shall strictly adhere to established configuration management plans and procedures. This ensures that any and all modifications are appropriate, officially approved by the program, comprehensively documented, and compliant with established SARSAT Change Control Board (CCB) protocols.

The Government/Program shall have unlimited data rights to all software developed or modified for the USMCC. The Government reserves the right to witness all Contractor efforts to accomplish the PWS requirements and maintains the right to approve or reject resulting processes. The Contractor shall maintain an interface with Government project personnel, users, software quality and configuration management personnel throughout the process.

USMCC System PC and Local Area Network (LAN) –The Contractor is required to maintain all hardware and systems software associated with the USMCC system. The Contractor shall perform requirements analysis, design, hardware implementation, configuration, and maintenance of the software on the USMCC System PC workstations and USMCC System Local Area Networks and associated hardware. The current notional hardware configuration is described in section C.2.4.1. The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining all hardware (including, but not limited to: routers, firewalls, servers, and other network appliances) in support of the SARSAT mission.

The Contractor shall provide software design to develop and apply PC technology in networked applications for the USMCC system. This work shall include procurement of software applications procurement, software upgrades and patches, networking, rapid prototyping, and integration with PC hardware, software, and peripherals. Additionally, on behalf of the Government, the Contractor shall procure and maintain all software licenses required to operate and maintain the USMCC system. These licenses may include software development licenses required to perform the maintenance activities described below.

The Contractor shall maintain USMCC System PC workstations and LANs according to configuration management procedures. Change and configuration management tasks include the technical preparation, impact evaluation/analysis, required CCB documentation, security assessment, and other planning necessary to implement the changes. Hardware and COTS changes may result from any of the following types of maintenance:

▪ Corrective maintenance – maintenance in response to a system problem.

▪ Adaptive maintenance – maintenance to accommodate a change in requirements to the data or the environment.

▪ Perfective maintenance – maintenance to better meet operational requirements or to improve processes.

As noted above, corrective or adaptive maintenance for critical sub-systems or elements shall be initiated within one (1) hour of notification by the Government or appropriate personnel and performed on a 24-hour, 7 days-a-week, 365 days a year basis. Perfective maintenance and non-critical changes shall be implemented during regular business hours.

The Contractor shall support transition of current capabilities to web-based services, and use of the Internet to support the SARSAT and USMCC missions. The Contractor shall support the Government by maintaining and updating web pages, suggesting web enhancements, and performing routine web updates as needed (such as posting notifications of impending outages or maintenance activities).

C.2.5.4 Technical Support

C.2.5.4.1 SARSAT/USMCC

The Contractor shall be responsible for a wide range of technical support to sustain and enhance the national SARSAT and international Cospas-Sarsat program. All technical work in support of SARSAT and Cospas-Sarsat missions shall be coordinated with the NOAA USMCC Management Team.