NOAA/NESDIS/WCDAS-US Space Force - Data Defender

Notice of Intent to Sole Source

Hardware to support USSF Defender System

This is a Notice of Intent to award a sole source contract Kratos RT Logic, Inc.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) is an organizational component of the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS).  NOAA/NESDIS and the USSF (United States Space Force) are partners in flying the EO/IR Weather System – Geostationary (EWS-G1) satellite mission over the Indian Ocean. This project is commonly known as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – Indian Ocean (GOES IO). This partnership enables the USSF to provide its users with in-theater real-time weather data and the ability to provide and distribute near real-time data back to the continental United State (CONUS) for delivery to the DOD Weather Centrals. CONUS Data delivery to the Department of Defense (DOD) Weather Centrals is currently accomplished using the Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) geostationary satellite constellation, commonly known as Domestic Communications Satellite (DOMSAT). All trans-ponded data links will need to find a terrestrial delivery mechanism. NOAA & USSF will transition their CONUS data delivery to a terrestrial based delivery system utilizing field proven equipment that already exists. This design modification will transition the projects CONUS GOES variable service (GVAR) data distribution from the SES2 satellite (DOMSAT) to a terrestrial distribution. The design shall use the existing KRATOS Data Distribution & Q-Edge systems, bridge the data from the RIONET network onto the NWAVE network and finally deliver the data to the newly procured Data Defender/Q-Edge systems located at the 557 & Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) Weather Centrals. The data received at the weather centrals will be encapsulated in a proprietary Intelligent Rebroadcast Protocol (IRP) which will be decoded by the sites’ Data Defender systems. Once decoded, the data will be passed in an Internet Protocol (IP) format to the Q-Edge devices which will convert it to serial RS-422 and ultimately pass it to the weather centrals data ingest systems. The lossless data transfer protocols and Serial/IP, IP/Serial conversions utilized between these devices enable the project to guarantee data transfer in real-time.

NOAA has a requirement to procure hardware to support USSF Defender system. 

A sole source justification was prepared in accordance with FAR Subpart 13.106-1(b)(1). Only one source is reasonably available due to compatibility to existing systems or equipment and Exclusive Licensing Agreement/Restrictive Rights/Authorized Reseller

The statutory authority permitting this sole source acquisition is 41 U.S.C. 1901, as authorized by FAR 13.500(a) and implemented by FAR 13.501(a). This notice is not a request for competitive quotes or proposals; however, vendors that have questions regarding the sole source nature of the requirement or vendors that believe they can fully meet the Government’s requirements may submit substantiating written documentation to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, listed in this notice, within ten (10) calendar days of this notice post-date. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose only to determine whether to proceed with the intended sole source acquisition. A determination by the Government not to conduct a competitive acquisition based on potential submissions to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any documentation submitted in response to this notice is strictly voluntary, therefore, the Government: 1) will not pay for any documentation submitted in response to this notice; and, 2) will not award a contract solely based on documentation submitted in response to this notice.