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Contract Opportunity

Request for Information: Data Standards, Interfaces and Command and Control Capabilities for the Next-Generation Counter Uncrewed Aircraft System (cUAS) Enterprise for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Purpose / Abstract

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), on behalf of the Center for Security, Technology, Analysis, Response and Testing (CSTART) within the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Defense Nuclear Security Office (NA-70), seeks information regarding the current capabilities, technologies, approaches, and business models for Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (CUAS). NA-70 desires to explore Command and Control (C2) systems that are highly agile and adaptable to evolving threats. There is also interest in C2 systems that enable the use of advanced algorithms by exposing sensor data in raw formats that follow established and open data standards. Of particular interest are CUAS architectures and C2 capabilities that enable seamless integration of sensors, effectors and C2 algorithms from multiple suppliers, such that systems may be upgraded with the latest technology, without lengthy and costly development cycles.

NA-70 requests responses to this Request for Information (RFI) by the response date and in the format indicated below. This RFI represents the first step in an anticipated large-scale multi-stage acquisition to establish the next-generation, long-term CUAS enterprise at multiple high security sites operated by NA-70. Responses to this RFI are expected to help inform NA-70’s acquisition strategy and planning for near-term development and testing of next-generation systems and their ultimate installation at high security sites.

Disclaimer

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an obligation on the part of the Government or SNL to acquire any services. Responses to this RFI are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract of any nature. The Government will not award a GSA Task Order because of this notice. The Government reserves the right to determine how it should proceed because of this notice. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy for a possible Request for Quotation (RFQ), to be issued at a later date, and in determining whether any type of small business set-aside is possible for this procurement or whether full and open competitive procedures should be utilized. If full and open competition is ultimately pursued, responses to this synopsis will be used to aid in establishing small business subcontracting goals. Responding parties should not anticipate Government feedback on their respective submissions. Neither the Government nor SNL will pay any cost incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party’s expense. It is the responsibility of the potential contractors to monitor the websites for any information that may pertain to this RFI or a future solicitation. All information requested and received in response to this RFI will be treated as information only. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. NNSA plans to review and meaningfully consider all responses to this RFI. Also, be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, should be minimized and must be clearly marked on all materials. Responses to this RFI may be reviewed by Government technical experts drawn from staff within NNSA and/or by selected support contractor personnel. All Government and support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source selection information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

Background

NA-70 is responsible for the physical security of several high-security Continental United States (CONUS) sites. In support of NA-70’s physical security goals, the Center for Security, Technology, Analysis, response, and Testing (CSTART) provides expertise on security technologies, systems, analysis, testing, inspection support, training, and response force.

The characteristics of high security sites differ significantly, ranging from open and flat terrain in minimally populated areas to mountainous terrain near population centers. The widespread availability and rapid evolution of small uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), often referred to as “drones,” pose significant national security challenges. NA-70 has begun to plan for its long-term, next-generation approach to counter the UAS threat, pursuing an approach that:

• Provides an open, non-proprietary architecture that is fully adaptable to different sites


• Provides the ability to seamlessly incorporate sensors and effectors from multiple manufacturers, and the ability to quickly upgrade capabilities as threats and defensive capabilities evolve, without requiring full system replacement


• Fully capitalizes on the advantages provided by multi-sensor fusion and autonomous data analytics and decision-making, enabled by technologies such as machine learning and optimization


• Provides the ability to be operated, enhanced, and maintained by site personnel and contractors without permanent commitment to any one supplier

To enable these critical aspects, NA-70 is emphasizing data transparency as a core requirement that permeates all aspects of the next-generation system. This concept extends to the full life cycle including system development (e.g. exposure of source code, training data, etc. to the government) as well as operations (e.g. sensors capable of providing both raw and processed data products), and is viewed as essential to three critical goals: maximizing performance and extensibility of the system, fully documenting system decision processes, and providing full government ownership of the core technical elements of the system.

Desired CUAS Enterprise Mission Requirements

This section provides a summary of the top-level enterprise mission requirements that define the desired capability for the next-generation CUAS. This information is provided to inform respondents’ ideas on how to adapt existing capabilities to meet NA-70’s future needs.

The next-generation CUAS must address UAS threats defined as follows:

• Capable of operating against Group 1, Group 2, and Group 2+, which is defined as aircraft with an unloaded weight of 55 lbs or less but which may exceed 55 lb when loaded with a payload


• Capable of addressing extended altitudes beyond typical Group 2 limits in certain cases


• Capable of operating against multiple simultaneous threat aircraft


• Capable of operating against UAS controlled via a full spectrum of C2 methods including remote RF control, control over cellular networks, GPS waypoint-guided and fully autonomous e.g. terrain-aided dead reckoning


• Capable of mitigating a spectrum of threat activities ranging from accidental incursions to surveillance to physical threats

The following site characteristics apply to the next-generation CUAS enterprise:

• CUAS must ultimately be configurable to operate and achieve the system requirements at a wide variety of sites with a range of terrain including wooded and mountainous, open desert, populated areas, in proximity to military installations, etc.


• Must operate effectively in a wide range of climate and weather conditions including high wind environments


• Each site will have multiple defined boundaries / regions within which UAS may not be allowed to intrude (“defended volume”), within which it is allowable to mitigate UAS (“engagement volume”), and within which it is allowable / possible to monitor UAS (“monitoring volume”)

The top-level mission requirements for the next-generation CUAS enterprise are as follows:

• MIS-001: The CUAS must sense, track, and assess defined UAS threats, allowing sufficient time for neutralization before reaching the defended area.
  
  
  
  • It is anticipated that multiple types of sensors and effectors, likely from multiple suppliers, will be required to maximize CUAS performance across the full threat spectrum and the diversity of site characteristics.
  
  
  • The CUAS must be able to discern and de-conflict between authorized and unauthorized UAS.
  
  
  
  


• MIS-002: The CUAS must neutralize the defined UAS threat before reaching the defended area.
  
  
  
  • It is anticipated that multiple types of effectors, likely from multiple suppliers, will be required to maximize CUAS performance across the full threat spectrum and the diversity of site characteristics
  
  
  
  


• MIS-003: The CUAS must utilize an open and modular architecture that enables equipment and algorithms from multiple providers to be interoperated with maximum effectiveness, combined performance, and extensibility.
  
  
  
  • This architecture and enterprise must facilitate the seamless incorporation of data from disparate sources at multiple time scales, including for real-time operations, intelligence sharing, algorithm training, and other uses.
  
  
  
  


• MIS-004: The CUAS must employ automated and autonomous algorithms to leverage performance of multiple subsystems and developments in data fusion, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
  
  
  
  • The CUAS must be capable of algorithmically fusing data from multiple sensors to improve detection performance and reduce false and nuisance alarm rates.
  
  
  • The CUAS must be capable of providing autonomous and operator-aiding command and control functions.
  
  
  
  


• MIS-005: The CUAS must include a modular user interface to efficiently meet the needs of key stakeholders, including operators, command, and headquarters.
  
  
  
  • The CUAS must allow an operator to be in the loop to provide human inputs, corrections, and critical decisions.
  
  
  • When operator in the loop decisions are utilized, the CUAS design must allow the operator sufficient time to make decisions.
  
  
  • The operations should be user friendly.
  
  
  • The CUAS should include features to enable the joint human-machine system to improve over time.
  
  
  
  


• MIS-006: The CUAS must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with minimal downtime, in a full spectrum of weather and climate conditions.


• MIS-007: The CUAS must be compatible with common power, communications and other infrastructure elements typical of the sites.


• MIS-008: The CUAS must support quantitative analysis, testing and health status self-checks to ensure initial and continuing function and performance.


• MIS-009: The CUAS must be provisioned with an approved sustainment plan for the system’s lifecycle.
  
  
  
  • The CUAS supplier may be required to perform sustainment and maintenance OR may be required to be able to facilitate sustainment and maintenance by a third party provider
  
  
  
  


• MIS-010: Operational procedures and comprehensive training must be provided to enable operators, maintainers, command and headquarters to effectively perform the CUAS mission, integrate CUAS with site security and mission operations, and manage the system’s lifecycle.

Additional cross-cutting mission requirements are as follows:

• MIS-CC-001: The CUAS and its components should maximize data transparency to the broader system and to the government.
  
  
  
  • Source code and all algorithm documentation for sensor fusion, autonomy, command and control, and user interface elements must be provided to the government.
  
  
  • All sensor / detector elements should be able to provide raw sensor data and all levels of processed data to the system.
  
  
  
  


• MIS-CC-002: The CUAS must conform to all applicable laws and regulations and incorporate best practices for safety and health, physical and cyber security, reliability, maintainability, and scalability.

Information Sought

This RFI seeks information on core architectures, interface standards, and command and control systems capable of providing a backbone to achieve these overall enterprise requirements. Specifically, this RFI seeks information on potential system-level architectures, data standards and command and control capabilities described above as MIS-003, and supporting the implementation of MIS-004 and MIS-005 in performing the sensing, tracking and neutralization missions described by MIS-001 and MIS-002. A specific point of emphasis is that proposed architectures, data standards, and C2 capabilities must comply with the data transparency requirements established in MIS-CC-001 and its sub-mission requirements.

Technical information of interest includes:

• A description of the current status of the respondent’s existing capabilities, including:
  
  
  
  • Architecture / C2 technical descriptions
  
  
  • Description / assessment of ability to comply with key mission requirements identified above
  
  
  • Examples of components (sensors, effectors, algorithms, user interfaces) already integrated into architecture
  
  
  • Assessment of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of system and its core elements
  
  
  • Data or evidence of participation from past government test events or deployments
  
  
  • Examples of any operational deployments
  
  
  
  


• A brief proposed plan to mature the respondent’s existing capabilities to meet the full vision and requirements described above and provide a solution to NA-70


• A brief description of where the respondent envisions their capability fitting in NNSA’s future system vision, for example as an integrator, C2 system provider, sensor or effector provider, etc.


• Description of any intellectual property protections and restrictions, and a description of business model constraints
  
  
  
  • An assertion of the respondent’s ability and intent to comply with the data transparency requirements in MIS-CC-001 and its sub-mission requirements
  
  
  
  


• Other relevant information deemed necessary by the respondent as advancing the goals of the next-generation NNSA CUAS enterprise as described in the requirements above

Specifically not sought at this time includes:

• Information on individual sensors or effectors, outside of the context of system-level implementations that address MIS-003


• Fully proprietary, closed architecture solutions

Responses are encouraged from Large and Small industry members, Government laboratories and R&D centers.

Instructions to Responders

• Please limit responses to 10 pages


• Please use attached template


• Any proprietary information included must be marked as such and will not be shared beyond the government’s designated review team


• Please submit responses using the submission website at https://nnsarfi.ornl.gov/


• Any questions may be addressed to the email provided on the submission website


• The response deadline is January 31, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time. Responses received after this deadline may not be reviewed.

Anticipated Process and Next Steps

This section provides an overview of the anticipated process following receipt of responses to this RFI. NA-70 and their designated review team reserves the right to change the process based on the responses received to this RFI, availability of funding, and other constraints and factors.

Depending on the quantity, nature, and content of RFI responses, follow up steps may include some, none or all of the following:

• A virtual industry day to enable bidirectional information sharing


• One-on-one follow up discussions between the NA-70 team and all, some or none of the respondents
  
  
  
  • This may include requests for additional detailed technical information
  
  
  • This may also include request / negotiation to obtain evaluation version of architecture (including source code and working example) to enable the government team to perform a technical analysis
  
  
  • This may include a request / negotiation for NA-70 to perform independent testing of all, some, or none of the respondents’ capabilities
  
  
  
  

The anticipated longer-term acquisition process, subject to change at the sole discretion of NA-70, may include:

• Procurement(s) for core architecture development / adaptation, including development, tailoring of solutions to NA-70 needs, and qualification testing


• Separate procurement(s) for site-specific designs. Site systems will use the architecture/C2 developed in the prior step


• Separate procurement(s) for site installations


• Separate procurement(s) for sustainment

Keywords: Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, CUAS, UAS

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