USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Q-A (2).xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 28 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- USSOCOMJ6COMSATCOM
- Issued by
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United States Special Operations Command
About this file
This file is a Question and Answer document addressing clarifications on a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USSOCOM J6 for Global End-to-End Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Services. The Q&A addresses 17 substantive inquiries from potential respondents regarding RFI requirements and evaluation criteria. Key clarifications include: (1) incumbent participation in the RFI is welcome but not mandatory, with the Government gathering future capability information through both RFI responses and existing Program Management Reviews; (2) respondents should describe all available frequency bands (Ku, Ka, X-band, plus optional L-band, Mil-Ka, and HEO services) and existing contractual partnerships alongside organic capabilities; (3) UHF capacity requirements consist of 6x 25k Legacy UHF channels as contractor-provided services; and (4) the Government will not sponsor or facilitate SIPRNET access for RFI responses, requiring respondents to demonstrate existing independent SIPRNET capability as a measure of organizational maturity and day-one operational readiness.
The Q&A further clarifies facility and staffing requirements that generated competition concerns. The Government requires a DCSA-cleared facility within a 25-mile radius of MacDill AFB with minimum 1,350 square feet and five direct employees permanently based there to assess current maturity and demonstrated experience rather than theoretical capability. These requirements reflect operational necessity for frequent, short-notice Continuity of Operations exercises and high-tempo collaboration with Government teams, with the specified square footage constituting the minimum viable footprint for concurrent secure workstations, communications rooms, secure storage, and classified meeting areas. Regarding transition planning, the Government provided notional metrics (90-day transition for 700 remotes, 7 media ports, 14 hubs, 1GHz capacity) with only Government-Furnished Equipment consisting of 700 remotes and iDirect Hub equipment; respondents should describe their mature processes for managing complex transitions rather than develop detailed technical plans. The deadline for submitting questions was March 12, 2026, with no additional Q&A rounds planned.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
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| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Q-A.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Q-A SATCOM Direct.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Q-A ViaSat.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Final 260302.pdf | ||
| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Final 260302.pdf | ||
| USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM RFI Final 260302.pdf |
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Sheet1 (2)
| Global End-to-End Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Services |
| Reference ID: USSOCOM J6 COMSATCOM |
| QUESTION and ANSWERS |
| Question # | RFI Section | Questions / Comments | Answers / Comments |
| 1 | 1.0 | Section 1.0 states in part, "This is an RFI/Sources Sought, which in addition to the current performer, the Government is seeking information to identify any potential, capable sources for the required services described herein." Question (1) Will the current incumbent be required to respond to this RFI as part of the Government's assessment of capable sources? | This RFI is part of a research effort to identify all potential, capable sources. Responses from all interested parties, including the incumbent, are welcome but not mandatory. The Government will use all available information to inform its acquisition strategy. |
| 2 | 1.0 | Section 1.0 states in part, "This is an RFI/Sources Sought, which in addition to the current performer, the Government is seeking information to identify any potential, capable sources for the required services described herein." Question (2) If the incumbent is not required to respond, how is the Government intending to gather and consider the incumbent's future capabilities requested in RFI paragraph 5.7.2? | The Government employs a multi-faceted approach to our research to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the capabilities available in the marketplace. This includes leveraging existing channels of communication with the incumbent provider while also seeking new and innovative solutions from all potential sources. |
To directly address the question regarding the incumbent's future capabilities as addressed in this RFI, the incumbent can respond to the RFI along with all others. However, the Government is currently provided this information through established, ongoing processes such as routine Program Management Reviews (PMRs). During these reviews, the incumbent is expected to provide detailed roadmap information and present their planned technological and service-level advancements. This provides the Government with a baseline understanding of the incumbent's trajectory. Ultimately, the information gathered through this RFI, combined with the ongoing insights from the incumbent, will allow the Government to make a well-informed decision that best serves the mission's objectives
| 3 | 5.2.1 | Section 5.2.1 states describe your existing access to global satellite capacity across various frequency bands (Ku, Ka, X, etc..) and various owner operator fleets. Question (1) Does the Government intend for the term 'etc.' to encompass L-band and Mil-Ka architectures? | The term 'etc.' is intended to be inclusive of all frequency bands a respondent can provide. Respondents are encouraged to include all available offerings, including L-band and Mil-Ka, and describe how they can augment the Government's requirements. |
| 4 | 5.2.1 | Section 5.2.1 states describe your existing access to global satellite capacity across various frequency bands (Ku, Ka, X, etc..) and various owner operator fleets. Question (2) If these bands are not explicitly required, would the Government appreciate the inclusion of these offerings as a strategic augmentation to the Ku, Ka, and X-band requirements? | The term 'etc.' is intended to be inclusive of all frequency bands. Ku,Ka, X are listed only as examples of various bands. Respondents should include all of their available offerings and describe how they could serve in support of the stated service. |
| 5 | 5.2.2 | Section 5.2.2 states the RFI requires existing operational capability for 6x 25k Legacy UHF channels. Question (1) Can the Government clarify if the UHF capacity is GFE, Contractor provided, or a combination of both? | The UHF capacity is a contractor-provided service. |
| 6 | 5.2.2 | Section 5.2.2 states The RFI requires existing operational capability for 6x 25k Legacy UHF channels. Question (2) Are there additional UHF services (DAMA, IW, backhaul etc..) that the contractor will be asked to provide? | The RFI currently only requires the (6x) 25k Legacy UHF channels as specified in Section 5.2.2. Respondents may optionally include information on other available UHF services in their response. |
| 7 | 5.3.1 | Section 5.3.1 asks if the respondent company "currently" has direct ownership/established contractual access to a global network without establishing new partnership: Is it the Government's intent to preclude standard practices under FAR 9.6 and limit potential offerors from forming strategic teaming agreements or subcontracts specifically for this effort? | The Government recognizes the value and common practice of contractor teaming arrangements as encouraged by FAR Subpart 9.6. The intent of the question in Section 5.3.1 is not to preclude or limit such arrangements for any potential future solicitation. |
The emphasis on "currently" is a critical component of our research designed to assess the maturity and immediate readiness of potential offerors. Given the global scale and complexity of the services required, understanding an offeror's existing, in-place network infrastructure and established contractual access is essential for the Government to:
-Gauge the current market landscape of immediately viable, large-scale solutions.
-Assess the risk profile of potential offerors. A solution that relies on forming new, untested partnerships presents a different risk level than one with a proven, existing network.
-Understand the foundation from which an offeror would perform the work.
For the purposes of this RFI, respondents should provide a transparent overview of their capabilities as they exist today. Please structure your response to clearly delineate between:
-Organic Capabilities: Those provided directly by your company's own infrastructure and personnel.
-Existing Contractual Partnerships: Those provided through established, in-place agreements with other entities.
While you may certainly mention plans for future teaming as part of your strategic vision, your direct answer to Section 5.3.1 should focus strictly on the capabilities you have at the time of your RFI submission."
8 5.5.5 Section 5.5.5 is unclear why potential offerors would be required to “currently employ, as direct employees, a minimum of five (5) personnel…permanently based at the facility identified in 5.5.5” to demonstrate the capability to meet requirements at the time of RFI submission vice proposal submission. These specific personnel requirements give the appearance that they are intended to limit competition in favor of the incumbent. It is reasonable to assume that any large business has the capability to hire or relocate personnel that meet requirements prior to a proposal submission. Furthermore, it is unclear why these personnel must be “direct employees” vs. subcontractor employees for example: Question (1) Please confirm the Government will allow: a) potential offerors to demonstrate the ability to relocate such personnel prior to when proposals would be submitted (such as a staffing plan) or b) remove the requirement at the RFI stage? Question (3) Is it the Governments intent for potential offerors to carry additional staff and cleared space prior to RFI in order to be considered as a qualified competitor These requirements are not intended to limit competition or favor any single source. Rather, they are structured to assess the current maturity and demonstrated experience of potential offerors in performing work of a similar nature and complexity.
The intent is to distinguish between a theoretical ability to stand up an operation and a proven, existing presence. Given the critical nature of the mission, understanding an organization's current investment and footprint in this specific operational area is a key aspect of our research and risk assessment.
9 5.5.5 Section 5.5.5 is unclear why potential offerors would be required to “currently employ, as direct employees, a minimum of five (5) personnel…permanently based at the facility identified in 5.5.5” to demonstrate the capability to meet requirements at the time of RFI submission vice proposal submission. These specific personnel requirements give the appearance that they are intended to limit competition in favor of the incumbent. It is reasonable to assume that any large business has the capability to hire or relocate personnel that meet requirements prior to a proposal submission. Furthermore, it is unclear why these personnel must be “direct employees” vs. subcontractor employees for example: Question (2) Is the Government willing to provide explanatory rationale related to the requirement that these must be “direct employees” vs Subcontractor employees? The distinction is a key element in our research for assessing a potential prime contractor's corporate commitment, stability, and organic capabilities, which are critical indicators of long-term performance and risk management for a program of this nature. Specifically, this requirement allows the Government to assess a company's long-term investment in this area, signaling that the function is a core competency rather than an opportunity pursued for a single contract. Furthermore, direct employees are typically more integrated into a company's culture and retention programs, which fosters greater workforce stability and reduces turnover risk, a critical factor for ensuring continuity on complex government programs. This structure also ensures a prime contractor has direct lines of authority for security oversight and performance management, streamlining accountability.
Ultimately, while subcontractors are a valuable part of a total solution, assessing a potential prime's organic capability to staff and manage a core team is a fundamental aspect of the Government's risk assessment. This requirement is not intended to preclude the use of subcontractors in a future proposal, but to help the Government identify potential prime contractors who have a demonstrated, foundational capability and corporate commitment to this mission space.
| 10 | 5.5.5 | Section 5.5.5 is unclear why potential offerors would be required to “currently employ, as direct employees, a minimum of five (5) personnel…permanently based at the facility identified in 5.5.5” to demonstrate the capability to meet requirements at the time of RFI submission vice proposal submission. These specific personnel requirements give the appearance that they are intended to limit competition in favor of the incumbent. It is reasonable to assume that any large business has the capability to hire or relocate personnel that meet requirements prior to a proposal submission. Furthermore, it is unclear why these personnel must be “direct employees” vs. subcontractor employees for example: Question (3) Is it the Governments intent for potential offerors to carry additional staff and cleared space prior to RFI in order to be considered as a qualified competitor? | The Government's intent is not for potential offerors to procure and carry additional staff or cleared facilities merely to be considered a qualified competitor at the RFI stage, as we understand this would represent a significant and unreasonable business expense. The purpose of this requirement is to perform critical research and risk assessment. By asking for current capabilities, the Government can effectively differentiate between organizations with demonstrated experience, who maintain such infrastructure as part of their existing business operations and those with a theoretical capability to build a team after a potential award. This distinction is fundamental to our strategy, allowing us to gauge market maturity and understand the varying risk profiles of potential offerors. A vendor with an existing, proven footprint represents a different level of readiness and lower start-up risk. Therefore, your response should reflect the capabilities your company possesses as part of its ongoing operations, as our goal is to identify sources that already have this foundation, not to compel companies to build one prematurely. |
| 11 | 5.5.5 - 5.5.7 | The specific facility requirements outlined in RFI paragraphs 5.5.5, 5.5.6, and 5.5.7 appear to be unduly restrictive and give the appearance that they are intended to limit competition in favor of the incumbent. Specifically, the 25-mile radius requirement, and exact square footage requirements: Question(1) Would the Government consider allowing potential offerors to demonstrate the ability to obtain such facilities prior to when proposals would be submitted, or at time of award, vs. at time of RFI (i.e. potential offerors may have a cleared facility that could be expanded to meet the square footage requirements or lease space in a cleared facility, etc. prior to proposal submission)? | The Government acknowledges the concern regarding the facility requirements. These criteria, however, were not established to be unduly restrictive but are based on critical, non-negotiable operational needs essential to mission success and are the minimual requirements not what is currently being provided by the incumbent. The requirement for a facility within a 25-mile radius, for instance, is directly linked to the need for frequent and often unscheduled Continutiy of Operations (COOP) exercises and missions, in-person collaboration between contractor and Government teams, making proximity vital for seamless integration and rapid response. Regarding the question of demonstrating this ability at a later date, a plan to acquire or expand a facility is not considered an equivalent substitute for a currently operational one within the context of this RFI. The process of identifying, leasing, building out, and achieving security accreditation for a suitable facility is a complex, time-consuming, and high-risk endeavor. The primary goal of this research is to differentiate between a demonstrated capability, which represents a known and significantly lower risk, and a projected capability, which introduces significant schedule and execution risk. Therefore, while a future RFP may allow for such plans to be proposed, our current focus is on identifying sources with an existing, proven footprint that meets the specified requirements. |
| 12 | 5.5.5 - 5.5.7 | The specific facility requirements outlined in RFI paragraphs 5.5.5, 5.5.6, and 5.5.7 appear to be unduly restrictive and give the appearance that they are intended to limit competition in favor of the incumbent. Specifically, the 25-mile radius requirement, and exact square footage requirements: Question (2) Will the Government clarify the operational necessity for the Prime Contractor to own or lease a DCSA-cleared facility within exactly 25 miles of MacDill AFB which possesses the exact square footage requirements at the time of the RFI response (e.g. 1350 sq ft wouldn't meet operational requirements)? | The facility requirements are not arbitrary but are directly derived from minimum operational needs. The 25-mile radius is the maximum distance calculated to support the high operational tempo and frequent, short-notice COOP, and collaboration required with Government teams at MacDill AFB, where greater distances would introduce unacceptable mission delays. The specified square footage represents the minimum viable footprint necessary to host several concurrent functions, including secure workstations, a dedicated communications room, secure storage, and a classified meeting area within a single, DCSA-accredited environment. A facility of a slightly smaller size would be deemed insufficient as it would compromise one of these essential functions, rendering the facility operationally deficient or non-compliant with security standards. These calculated minimums are therefore a key RFI metric to assess a potential partner's readiness and understanding of the program's demands. |
| 13 | 5.6.4 | The previous competitions for these requirements were executed at an unclassified level, for instance, the 2019 RFQ was executed as an unclassified GSA task order: Question (1) Would the Government be willing to provide rationale for the shift in requirements which now require use of SIPRNET during the proposal process? | The Government acknowledges that previous competitions for this work were conducted at an unclassified level. The shift to requiring SIPRNET capability, even during the pre-award phase, is a deliberate and necessary evolution based on the current and projected operational security (OPSEC) environment for this program. The rationale is twofold. First, the sensitivity of mission-related information, even at the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) level, now demands a higher baseline of security, as information that seems unclassified in isolation can become sensitive when aggregated. Handling all program-related technical solutions and risk correspondence via SIPRNET is a critical measure to protect against adversary collection and analysis. Second, this requirement serves as a practical test of an offeror's day-one readiness. By vetting this capability before a potential award, the Government mitigates significant post-award schedule and performance risk, confirming that an offeror has the necessary cleared personnel, accredited facilities, and established processes to operate effectively from the moment the contract begins. In summary, this is not merely a change in submission procedure but a direct reflection of the program's heightened security posture and a crucial due diligence step. |
14 5.6.4 The previous competitions for these requirements were executed at an unclassified level, for instance, the 2019 RFQ was executed as an unclassified GSA task order: Question (2) Would the Government be willing to sponsor SIPRNet access for the purposes of this proposal, or facilitate a Joint Use Authorization (JUA) between existing SOCOM programs currently managed over SIPRNet? The SIPRNet requirement, as outlined in Section 5.6.4, is specifically designed to assess a respondent's existing, independently maintained capability to operate within the required secure communications environment. This is a critical discriminator in our market research. The ability to possess and operate SIPRNet access signifies a level of organizational maturity, commitment, and prior investment in the security posture essential for this program.
Agreeing to sponsorship or facilitating a JUA would contradict the fundamental purpose of this requirement, which is to identify potential partners who already meet these stringent operational readiness criteria. This ensures that any selected contractor can seamlessly transition to the secure execution of the program from day one, without incurring additional lead times or risks associated with establishing foundational secure communications."
15 5.7.1 Section 5.7.1: requires in part, "Describe and list your current capability to provide and integrate services from GEO/MEO/LEO SaaS providers. Question (1) Would the Government consider Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) as a valuable augmentation to GEO/MEO/LEO services providing additional layered-resilience and high-look-angle connectivity for high-latitude and polar regions? Yes, the Government concurs that Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) services can be a valuable augmentation. While HEO is not a formal requirement in this RFI, we recognize the potential advantages it offers for layered resilience and high-latitude connectivity.
If respondents possess capabilities in this area, they may optionally choose to provide details on their ability to integrate HEO services alongside the stated GEO, MEO, and LEO requirements. A description of how leveraging HEO could serve as a key differentiator to enhance network performance would be welcome, but is not required 16 5.8 Section 5.8 states while architecture size provides some information in order for companies to provide a notional transition approach, without the Government providing additional information, it is notational at best. The RFI is unclear with regards to what GFE is involved vs. what is incumbent owned/operated as well as what potential offerors must possess with regards to current capability vs. what they will be assuming (and from whom) as part of transition. For instance, it is unclear if the incumbent leases space for the media ports and it simply houses GFE, or does the Government own this space. It is unclear what should be considered as part of the response to paragraph 5.3.5 since the RFI does not provide a GFE listing. Furthermore, RFI requests such as provide "existing access to global satellite capacity across various frequency bands (Ku, Ka, X, etc..) and various owner operator fleets", or "Provide a list of the commercial media ports you currently own or have existing contractual partnerships with that you would consider for use for this requirement" appear to be focused on capabilities necessary to replace the current network architecture rather than the ability to integrate and transition to the current architecture. RFI paragraphs 5.3.1-5.3.3 allude to use of potential offeror’s media ports while paragraph 5.3.5 and the transition requirements in section 5.8 allude to transitioning existing media ports from the incumbent: Question(1) Will the Government consider providing the necessary information such as details surrounding the current architecture and a GFE listing to all potential offerors to ensure a clear and leveled field for planning this transition, or is the potential successor expected to unilaterally build a parallel network based off the notional metrics provided? The Government acknowledges the architecture is intentionally high-level. Currently the GFE only encompasses the 700 Remotes and iDirect Hub equipment. The specific parameters provided, a 90-day transition for 700 remotes, 7 media ports, 14 hubs, and 1GHz of capacity, are not intended for you to design a detailed final technical plan. Rather, these metrics serve as a common baseline against which you should describe your company's methodology and approach to managing a complex transition. The purpose is to assess your established processes for due diligence, risk identification, and solution engineering, including how you would differentiate between GFE and incumbent assets. The ambiguity between transitioning an existing network and replacing it is deliberate, as we are exploring all acquisition strategies. Therefore, your response should use the provided metrics to illustrate the mature, repeatable processes your organization would employ to execute such a transition.
17 N/A Will there be opportunity to ask follow on questions based on the Government’s responses to initial questions prior to RFI response due date? The deadline for submitting questions was March 12th, 2026. The Government is now providing answers to questions received. No further question and answer rounds are planned for this RFI.
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