Navy Senior Leadership Communication – Aircraft (NSLC-A) SATCOM System

The Naval Information Warfare Command (NIWC), supporting the Program Executive Office (PEO) Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Intelligence (C4I), is conducting market research for airborne Commercial Satellite Communication (COMSATCOM) systems and engineering/integration services for four C-37 aircraft (one G500 and three G550s). The agency seeks a Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS)/Non-Developmental Item (NDI) solution that provides high data rate two-way communications with global coverage, targeting 100 Mbps data rates and maintaining a minimum 98.5% service level agreement. Key requirements include FAA approval, Military Supplemental Type Certification (MIL-STC) for Gulfstream C-37 aircraft, FIP 140-3 Level 2 encryption with AES-256, polar coverage above 65 degrees North/South, and 24/7/365 operations center support. Vendors must demonstrate capabilities for tail-mounted antennas, routing aircraft traffic to government sites, and providing in-flight troubleshooting support. The response deadline has been extended to June 27, 2025, with submissions limited to 25 pages and 5MB, and all equipment must be available within six months of contract award.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is open to all qualified contractors. The current incumbent contractor is Viasat, Inc., holding contract HC101320C0005 / SBS0024 for these services. The aircraft are geographically dispersed with three located in the Continental United States (CONUS) and one in the Pacific region Outside Continental United States (OCONUS). The government anticipates funding availability post-FY25, though no specific budget ranges or award values have been disclosed in the RFI documentation. While the agency expects to release a formal solicitation following this market research phase, no guarantee has been provided that a solicitation will actually be issued. The timeline indicates that all required equipment and services must be operational within six months of any potential contract award.