Next Generation High Frequency Radio System – Shore (HFRS-S)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is conducting market research to gather industry input regarding the potential future acquisition of a Next Generation HF Radio System – Shore (HFRS-S) project.  This Request for Information (RFI) is issued in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e) to assess market interest, business capability, and industry insight to support the scope outlined below.

This RFI does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this RFI is preliminary and is subject to change if, and when, a solicitation is issued. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract, and unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this RFI, or future solicitations.

2.0 BACKGROUND

In order to maintain Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) high frequency (HF) communications for the Communications System (COMSYS), the United States Coast Guard has a requirement to replace HF radio systems that are at end of life. The age of the systems, cost and lack of spare parts availability, and inability to repair key subcomponents makes continuing support and maintaining operational availability infeasible. This replacement effort requires a commercially available HF radio system comprised of various numbers of HF transceivers, receivers, high power amplifiers, power supplies, where exact quantities depend on the operational requirements. This suite of equipment will be herein referred to as the HFRS-S.

3.0 OBJECTIVE

Purpose is to acquire a Next Generation HF Radio System for Shore based operations to replace legacy high frequency radio systems at USCG Communications Command (COMMCOM), all Remote Communications Facilities (RCF), and shore facility installations necessary for engineering and training support efforts (e.g. Training Center (TRACEN) and C5ISC RF Lab). This effort includes equipment, hardware, software, and training to maintain and operate the system. (See attached DRAFT Specification.)

In order to maintain long haul HF communications for shore-based facilities, the United States Coast Guard has a requirement to replace existing HF radio transceiver systems that are at end of life. The age of the systems, cost and lack of available spare parts and the inability to repair key subcomponents makes continuing support, maintenance, and operational availabilities infeasible. This replacement effort requires a commercially off the shelf (COTS) HF radio system, comprised of transceivers, receivers, optional remote-control units (RCU), amplifiers, mounting equipment, and associated peripheral interface components where exact quantities will depend on the operational requirements of each site.

4.0 INFORMATION REQUESTED

Respondents are requested to provide the following information:

• 4.1 Company Information:

  • Company name, UEI, cage code, address, and point of contact (name, phone number, and email address).
  • Company size standards (i.e. Large Business, SB, set-aside)
  • Facility Clearance Level
  • Brief description of your company's capabilities and experience with HF communication hardware, software, installation, testing, training and overall support.
  • Relevant Past Performance/Experience
  • Relevant Certifications or Qualifications
  • Contract Vehicles: Identify existing Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), IDIQs, or other vehicles through which your company currently does business
  • Anticipated Teaming Strategy or subcontracting opportunities 

• 4.2 Cost Information:

  • Rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for HFRS-S equipment listed in Tables 1 and 2 of the DRAFT specification documents.
  • Use only 10kW in Table 1.

• 4.3 Technical Specifications:

  • A DRAFT Specification is attached to allow prospective offerors the opportunity to review and provide comments within the document regarding the specification’s feasibility. A “commented” version of the DRAFT Specification should be submitted as part of your RFI response, if applicable. If there are areas in the Draft Specification that your company cannot meet, provide comments within the Draft Specification with the details of why it does not meet the requirements and provide comments on what capabilities are available.
    • Pay close attention to “threshold” requirements.  Threshold requirements may be treated as “go/no-go” or “pass/fail” evaluation factor in a future solicitation.  Please identify all concerns with the draft specification.

• 4.4 Implementation Considerations:

  • Describe typical implementation processes for your solution, including required resources and timelines. 
    • Potential lead time and rollout capability
  • Highlight any potential challenges or risks associated with implementation.
  • Does your company provide installation services?
  • Does your company provide post-installation training, maintenance and support services?  

• 4.5 Support Questions:

  • What is the anticipated end-of-manufacturing and end-of-support dates for your proposed product(s)?
    • Will you be able to support a potential 10-year Ordering Period?
    • If newer models of your products are expected to be available during the 10-year ordering period, will the products be backwards compatible and form-fit-function replacements?
  • What are your standard Warranty Terms and Practice?  Do you provide extended Warranties and if so, what are the terms and conditions?

5.0 RESPONSE FORMAT

Responses should be submitted in electronic format and limited to no more than 10 pages, excluding company cover letter, TOCs, list of acronyms, brochures or marketing materials.  A “commented” version of the attached DRAFT Specifications, if included, does not count towards the limit.

6.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Responses to this RFI should be submitted via email to Kenneth.S.Boyer@uscg.mil.  The subject line of the email should include the RFI number and title.  Response Date is January 16, 2026 NLT 1400 EST.