This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) as defined in FAR 15.201(e). This request is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products for services. Your response to this RFI will be treated as informational only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges to the Government will arise as a result of the contractor submission of responses to this announcement, or the Government use of such information. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Forces Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) and Army Contracting Command-Redstone, located in Huntsville, Alabama, is conducting market research to locate research organizations within a university affiliated research center to provide research, development, and engineering support to advance DoD or NASA's knowledge of Space, High Altitude, and Missile Defense systems for an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity type contract. This effort requires expertise in Space Science and Engineering; Strategic Systems Test and Evaluation; Simulation, Modeling, and Operations Analysis; Mission-Related Research and Development; Information Technology (C4ISR/IO); Combat System and Guided Missiles; Submarine Security and Survivability; and Theater Air Defense and Power Projection. 1) Systems Engineering and Integration a) Identify requirements and opportunities for integrating new and emerging national, DoD, civil, and commercial surface, air, and space technologies and capabilities into military applications. b) Perform and/or review all elements of the SMDC/ARSTRAT system engineering process including concept and mission analysis, requirements gathering, requirements analysis, functional requirements analysis and allocation, system synthesis and design, trade studies, system partitioning, requirements allocation and balancing, prototyping, and performance verifications for potential new or existing programs and projects. c) Develop and evaluate needs and requirements associated with the SMDC/ARSTRAT missions and assess current capabilities relative to its ability to meet those needs. Contractor will develop and maintain system requirements' traceability from the user command's Initial Capabilities Documents (ICDs) into the system Technical Requirements Documents (TRDs). d) Identify critical capability gaps and assist in the development of innovative system concepts to narrow or close those gaps. e) Perform or assist the Government in monitoring and evaluating the technical progress of system development efforts, as well as performing or participating in system integration, testing, validation, and acceptance test. 2) Technology Assessment a) Assist the Government in identifying promising new technology with application to national security systems and transferring that technology into SMDC/ARSTRAT programs or out to industry where appropriate. b) Provide technical expertise in space science and technology for the development of new or transformational system concepts and/or to provide new predictive or diagnostic capabilities that respond to operational needs. 3) Systems Design, Prototyping, and Concept Development a) Provide rapid prototyping of material solutions to military requirements including, but not limited to, design, development, fabrication, installation, integration, test and demonstration of prototype systems in order to assess the viability of new surface, air, and space system concepts for utility. b) Develop, evaluate, analyze, and recommend new or modernization changes to surface, air, and space system concepts, mission concepts, system of systems concepts, mission area plans, mission need statements, system requirements, system and technical roadmaps, architecture studies, and operational requirements and analyses. c) Perform assessments of, and recommend changes to, candidate surface, air, near space (High Altitude), and space missions. d) Assist SMDC/ARSTRAT in defining specific guidance for selected technologies, equipment, and systems. Assist in identifying mission interoperability needs and requirements and perform technology assessments and/or concept development that lead to enhanced mission interoperability. Where necessary, assist in the evaluation of exercises and/or drills and provide recommendations for improvements in capabilities across the command. e) Sensor Design / Development Provide technical expertise in sensor technology to the analysis, design, prototyping, and operational prototype deployment and assessment of new sensors. f) Ground Segment conceptual development, systems design, integration, and prototype deployment of a space system ground segment. Plan for exercises, wargames, developmental and operational tests, evaluations, demonstrations, and worldwide contingency operations for both material and non-material solutions, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) across a broad spectrum of test and operational environments to include laboratories, test ranges, surface, air, and space assets in the field and/or in-theater. * Integration and Test * Assist in the execution of system integration and test. * Performing independent system validation and verification. * Provide system validation, verification, and test results documentation, as specified by Task Order. 4) Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) a) Perform analysis for the development of concepts, associated technologies, military/mission utility, architecture and integration analysis, and cost assessments. b) Establish MS&A Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) procedures for identified MS&A tools. 5) Special Studies a) Conduct, enable, and/or participate in new or ongoing special studies. 6) Exercise, Wargaming, Test & Evaluation, Demonstration a) Deploy, operate, and sustain prototype systems and architectures, apply new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and provide communications capabilities necessary to perform exercises, wargames, tests, evaluations and demonstrations, and worldwide contingency operations. 7) Doctrine, Enabling Concepts, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures a) Perform trade studies of candidate doctrine, enabling concepts, and TTPs against potential scenarios to determine efficacy of non-material solutions for tactical military requirements. JHU/APL shall provide non-material solutions to enable advanced planning processes. The trade studies shall consider factors that include, but are not limited to: * Ongoing and planned government, and commercial initiatives * Existing and planned national, DoD, civil, and commercial systems * System of systems * System vulnerability and survivability * System commonality * Extended performance and/or utility trades * Cost effectiveness, performance worth, and utility worth 8) Identify and provide expertise maintained to address the following core competencies: a) Space Science and Engineering; b) Strategic Systems Test and Evaluation; c) Simulation, Modeling, and Operations Analysis; d) Mission-Related Research and Development; e) Information Technology (C4ISR/IO); f) Combat System and Guided Missiles; g) Submarine Security and Survivability; h) Theater Air Defense and Power Projection. Submission Requirements: This is a market research announcement for informational and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to pay for any information, or otherwise reimburse responders for any costs associated with their respective submissions in response to this RFI. All submissions will be treated as informational only. Respondents will not be notified of the results of any review of this RFI; however, clarification of submissions may be requested by the Contracting Officer. Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary. If responding to this RFI, please limit submission to seven (7) pages or less in length. A corporate capability brief may be included as an attachment, but should not exceed five (5) typed pages. This attachment will not be counted against the response page limitation. Please do not send information on specific products. Submittals will not be returned. Telephonic responses will not be honored. Responses to this RFI are requested by close of business 23 March 2015. Unclassified responses should be submitted electronically via the SMDC/ARSTRAT in Microsoft Office format or as a portable document format file (pdf) and should be sent to the following email address:
[email protected]. If proprietary or copyrighted information is submitted, please include a statement authorizing the Government to copy and use it within for evaluation purposes. Appropriately marked proprietary information will be properly protected by the U.S. Government. Classified information should not be submitted. Contracting Office Address: US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Deputy Commander, ATTN SMDC-CM-AP, P.O. Box 1500, Huntsville, AL 35807-3801 Place of Performance: US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Deputy Commander ATTN SMDC-CM-AP, P.O. Box 1500 Huntsville, AL, 35807-3801, US Point of Contact(s): Robert C. Porter, 256-955-5985