White Paper Call 0009 FC05 Updated 28 March 2024.pdf

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

BAA: W56KGU-23-R-RTID White Paper Call 009 Topic #: FC-05

BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID

WHITE PAPER CALL 009

Soldier Integrated Positioning, Navigation, & Timing (SIPNT) - Modular Architecture &

Integrated Demonstrator (MAID)

Call Date 21 March 2024

This call for White Papers (WP) is under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W56KGU-23-R-RTID. The BAA was originally published on SAM.gov on 01 November 2022 and amended on 28 February 2024. Respondents must refer to BAA number W56KGU-23-R-RTID, entitled “Research and Technology Integration (RTI) Directorate Broad Agency Announcement”, and it must be read in conjunction with this call for WP’s. All instructions set forth in the BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID document apply to this call.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center, Research and Technology Integration (RTI) Directorate is issuing this call for WPs in association with Topic # FC-05 from base BAA, entitled “Topic FC-05 PNT Enablers and Modular Open System Architectures (MOSA) for Complementary & Assured Navigation Modules.” To be eligible for consideration and possible contract award, the technology or methodology shall be an advanced technology development not for a specific system/hardware, or demonstration and validation.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Problem Statement:

Dismounted Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) applications require a low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) design, in order to reduce the burden on the dismounted Soldiers. Current United States Army systems rely on a level of PNT provided by GPS.

However, due to electromagnetic interference hazards, access to GPS could be disrupted, degraded, and/or denied.

Information Sought:

Complementary sensor modules and/or software plugins that can be demonstrated with either (or both) dismounted or mounted reference systems. Sensors for the dismounted system should be low size, weight, and power (SWaP) and integrate via internal/external connectors to provide PNT data to the centralized reference solution.

Sensors for the mounted system should focus on providing higher levels of PNT performance while also minimizing SWaP. Sensors for either system should comply with defined interface control documents (ICDs), APIs and data standards. Software plugins should be designed to comply with the pntOS API and work with already developed pntOS based software baselines. Combinations of complementary sensor modules and software plugins are also desirable. Complementary sensor modules and/or software plugins should provide improvements to the Soldier’s Assured Positioning Access and Resiliency necessary to perform their warfighting function.

Complementary sensor modules and/or software plugin capabilities should be guided by the following description areas:

1. Initial capability should already be Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or 5. At the end of the effort, the completed capability should be integrated with either (or both) the dismounted or mounted reference systems and should be TRL 6. TRL descriptions provided below for reference:

a. TRL 4: Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment

b. TRL 5: Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment

c. TRL 6: System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment (ground or space)

2. If integrating with the dismounted reference systems, the capability should be suitable for low SWaP dismounted applications.

a. If known, describe energizing method(s) and power consumption of proposed capability.

b. Describe required data and/or measurements needed external of proposed module.

3. If integrating with the mounted reference systems, the capability should be suitable for mounted vehicle SWaP applications.

a. If known, describe energizing method(s) and power consumption of proposed capability.

b. Describe required data and/or measurements needed external of proposed module.

4. Be suitable to be employed to meet a specific warfighting need or in operational scenario/context.

5. Utilize the ASPN 2023 data standard for navigation messages. ASPN 2023 is available at https://aspn.us/.

6. Integrate with the dismounted and/or mounted reference system by leveraging the pntOS API and be compliant to the API. pntOS is available at https://pntos.com/.

7. Provide measurements and error models compliant with the pntOS API so the PNT data can be fused from other PNT sources.

8. Integrate with the dismounted and/or mounted reference system by leveraging the defined system ICDs.

Whitepaper responses should highlight technology areas of interest to include complementary sensor modules and/or software plugins that can be integrated with already developed dismounted and/or mounted reference systems to potentially meet stated objectives. Specifically, the whitepaper response should include the following information to enable C5ISR Center to assess the proposed capability:

A) Detailed description of the capability outlining the eight (8) description areas.

a. Include System Views, Diagrams, Images, Renderings, etc. applicable to explaining the intended result.

b. Previous applications of proposed capability, if applicable.

B) Detailed Data Rights Table of proposed capability.

a. Identify appropriate data rights for all previously developed components and any new components (e.g., Unlimited Rights, Government Purpose Rights, Restricted Rights, Limited Rights, etc.).

b. Explain the Open Architecture Extensibility vs. Propriety boundaries for any components of the final proposed capability and how the components will work within the pntOS API.

c. Clearly indicate any data rights assertions to proprietary algorithms, either developed or in development, which may impact proposed module implementation across a PNT system configuration.

C) Technical approaches should leverage the following structure:

a. Phase 1: Reference documentation review and strategy development. A delivered report will outline how the proposed capability will integrate with the selected reference systems and work within the pntOS API.

b. Phase 2: Capability development, maturation, and integration with the selected reference system

c. Phase 3: Test, demonstration, and final documentation

Access to additional technical details:

This call provides general public release requirements ONLY. Additional technical detail is available in Attachments to this White Paper Call; entitled Reference Systems for Module Dev, Attachment 01, and pntOS Levels of Integration, Attachment 02.

Attachment 01 is a controlled document, containing Control Unclassified Information (CUI), therefore, is not available for general release. To gain access to the controlled document, your company/entity must be certified by the Joint Certification Program (JCP). To request download of the controlled attachment, you must click on the document title to request access. Please enter the reason for requesting access and with your JCP certification number and CAGE code. Once approved, you will be granted permission to access the controlled document. You may request access to the controlled document until 16 April 2024.

If your entity/company is not pre-certified by the JCP, you will need to apply for certification by completing a DD Form 2345 and emailing it to jcp-admin@dla.mil.

Detailed information regarding the JCP application procedures are available at the JCP mailto:jcp-admin@dla.mil website at https://www.dla.mil/Logistics-Operations/Services/JCP/. The RTI Directorate will not review the JCP application or issue the JCP certification. Please direct any questions regarding the JCP certification process to jcp-admin@dla.mil.

To request access to download the controlled attachment, click on the tab for “Attachment/Links” , then click on the title of the controlled document. When you receive the pop-up window to request access, enter the reason for the request in the window, making sure to include your entity’s CAGE Code and JCP Certification Number then hit submit. Once the notice is submitted, the access status on the controlled document will change to “Pending”. The Access POC will review your request, granting access if requirements are met or reject for correction. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please send emails to usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.rti-baa@army.mil References (Some delivered on request due to controlled access):

1. Reference Systems for Module Development

2. pntOS Levels of Integration

AWARD INFORMATION:

1. ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE: July 2024

2. ANTCIPATED FUNDING:

A. Level of Effort and Cost: Whitepaper responses should look at the different levels described below to categorize where their proposed solution will fit.

This effort may fund multiple vendors. We may be able to fund many vendors at level 1, a few at level 2, and only one or two at level 3. We will look to make a combination of these level selections, so proposals should be specific to what will need to be performed at these levels. Specifically, the whitepaper response should provide specific details to their proposed technology that fits within this level of effort’s to make it easy for C5ISR assess the proposed capability.

B. Level 1: Proposals in this tier should be under $250k. The level of effort should take a minimal amount of resources and take less than 3 months to accomplish. Minimal if any hardware changes are needed and reducing the size of technology is not required. Solutions may require minor cabling changes or added smart cable with a single board computer for data conversion. Examples of this technology is a sensor in its current hardware form, with a driver written to convert the sensors data into ASPN to be easily integrated.

C. Level 2: Proposals in this tier should be under $500k. The level of effort may need some changes to current technology and take less than 10 months to accomplish. Solutions in this category require some hardware modifications or platform changes. Examples of this technology would be reconfiguration of https://www.dla.mil/Logistics-Operations/Services/JCP/ mailto:jcp-admin@dla.mil current technology to be in a form can be transported to APG and/or reduce size to fit a specific dismounted application. Software changes may require more changes to fit into a pntOS Level 1.

D. Level 3: Proposals in this tier will be greater than $500k. The level of effort is higher to modify the current technology to fit within C5ISR space and will take longer than 12 months to accomplish. Examples of this technology is rewriting current sensor fusion software to work with pntOS Level 2. Major hardware changes may be required, or technology needs more development to be able to show feasibility.

All levels will require travel to C5ISR facility for final integration and tuning to ensure the technology will work correctly with C5ISR’s dismounted and mounted reference systems.

Under this call, the Government intends to award multiple contracts with a Period of Performance (PoP) of 18 months. The option years are not guaranteed and are based on funding availability. The anticipated funding for this call is up to $2,500,000 for the total contract ceiling, however, the Government reserves the right to award smaller or larger contracts or assistance instruments.

3. NOTE: This funding profile is an estimate only and not a contractual obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability.

Potential respondents should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice. Awards under this call are expected to range from $250K to $750K. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the WP’s received, subject to the availability of funds.

4. BAA TYPE: This is a call for WP’s only and will be governed by the “two-step” process described in the General Information of BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID.

Respondents that submit a proposal without first submitting a WP may not be eligible for award.

5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: This Call should not exceed 5 pages in length

(single sided, single spaced, with 12-size font). The 5-page limitation does not include the Rough-Order-of-Magnitude (ROM) or the Cover Page. Refer to baseline BAA W56KGU-23-R-RTID for all other instructions on WP preparation, submission, and evaluation.

6. QUESTIONS DUE DATE AND TIME: Technical questions are due no later than

2 April 2024, 3:00 pm EDT via email RTI Directorate BAA Mailbox listed below.

Questions and answers will be posted to sam.gov.

Government will publish questions and answers received by industry to sam.gov, via a revision to this Data Call, per ADDENDUM 001, Technical Questions and Clarifications, herein.

7. WHITE PAPER DUE DATE AND TIME: WPs are due no later than 16 April 2024, , 3:00 pm EST or EDT via email to the RTI BAA Mailbox.

RTI BAA Mailbox: usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.rti-baa@army.mil

If the submission is classified, Offerors should contact the RTI BAA Management Team at the group mailbox for instructions on how to submit the WP, via appropriate methods/channels. The Government shall be informed, in writing, that a classified WP has been submitted, its title and to whom it was submitted to.