THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. It is not a Request for Proposal, a Request for Quotation, an Invitation for Bids, a solicitation, or an indication that the PMA-251 Program Office or NAVAIR will contract for the items contained in this RFI.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCADLKE) is seeking to continue the production of Moriah Wind Systems for US Navy, Military Sealift Command, US Coast Guard and other ships.

A description of the Moriah Wind System (MWS) follows: 

MWS provides digital wind speed and direction information, including crosswind and headwind, to support decision making for air operations, combat, navigation, tactical planning and firefighting.  The MWS replaces legacy Type F Wind Measuring and Indicating System, providing a single wind measuring system consistent across all ship classes and shore stations.  MWS consists of 4 main parts: 

1. Wind sensor unit (WSU) with non-moving parts
2. Wind Processing Unit (WPU) consisting of dual redundant sub-processors, capable of interfacing with legacy wind and ship systems and Local Area Networks (LANs)
3. High-End Display (HED) with full range of available wind information and ship speed/course data, including the display of Aircraft Recovery Bulletins (ARBs), Launch and Recovery Envelopes (LREs) and Final Course data.  The HED is hardwired to one of the WSUs in a safety critical configuration to enable the display of wind data when the WPU or other connecting network is not functioning.  The HED fits inside an envelope no larger than 11.50" high by 18.00" wide by 9.53" deep.  This does not include maintenance access, connector access or environmental excursions.
4. Low-End Display (LED) with basic wind information and ship speed/course data.  LED fits inside an envelope no larger than 7.36" high by 11.10" wide by 6.06" deep.  This does not include maintenance access, connector access or environmental excursions.
5. The WSUs, HEDs and LEDs are uniform across ship classes and shore stations, with the quantity of each item dependent upon ship class/shore location.  Every MWS has one WPU with dual redundant sub-processors, which will differ depending upon ship class and shore station either of which can individually perform all the functions necessary to keep MWS running.  The sub-processors communicate with each other directly and periodically to determine functional status and to allow changes in control when a failure is detected.  MWS accesses unclassified data only.
6. There is a degree of system-to-system information exchange in MWS.  Neither MWS nor its components are connected to the Global Information Grid (GIG).   MWS data is output from the WPU's sub-processor in several ways: 1) synchro interfaces to provide wind information to legacy systems (SLQ-32, SPN-46, Integrated Launch and Recovery Television System (ILARTS), and Arresting Gear Crosscheck System); 2) serial and network interfaces for output of wind, navigational and system information to displays; and 3) network interfaces to communicate wind information to other ship and shore station systems and displays.  Currently, MWS will communicate over Aviation Data Management and Control System (ADMACS) on CVNs, through Digital Multiplex System (DMS) on DDGs and on a Moriah controlled network on all other ship classes.
7. Wind data is transmitted in the OD19 data format and the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) data format.
8. MWS receives the ARBs it displays through ADMACS via Network File System (NFS). 
9. MWS displays LREs that are programmed into the HEDs.
10. In order to display ship's speed and direction, calculate true wind speed and direction as well as pitch and roll, MWS receives a data packet from onboard ship's navigation systems such as Navigation Sensor System Interface (NAVSSI).  This data packet is governed by an interface requirements specification (IRS) and  contains a host of navigational data, including ship's positional information.  MWS is not using all of this information, although it must read the entire NAVSSI data packet prior to extracting the data required.  The information in this packet is not sensitive unless the information is to be transmitted off the ship.  However, MWS has no mechanism for transmitting data off the ship, nor any requirement to do so.

MWS uses strictly defined data types for transmission into and out of the system.  This information is limited to either NMEA ASCII strings using checksums to determine data integrity, structured binary data format using checksums to determine data integrity, proprietary DMS Light Internet Protocol (DLIP), and analog synchro resolver output to other ship's systems.  The data items themselves are confined to information from known systems (as defined in the relevant IRS) or is confined to IP addresses and ports specified in the Interface Design Documents (IDD) and the network architecture (ADMACS, DMS or other network). The components contain no TELNET or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) capability. Configuration is done via a manual procedure where a laptop is attached to the system components using a serial cable (RS-422) and programming is done via contractor supplied software applications.  A government specified and supplied laptop, configured by contractor graphical user interface software and centrally managed by the US Navy is utilized for this function."

The processor software was written to run under a tailored Linux Operating System with minimal functionality on an Intel platform. This operating system consists of a Linux kernel that has been built specifically for use in this environment that will aid security.  It contains only those device drivers and services that are relevant to this embedded environment.  Software design protects system integrity by the fact that unauthorized personnel do not have the ability to modify the software configuration, data or application.

MWS is not designed for use or visibility on the internet and there is no access to the internet. MWS uses UDP/IP & TCP/IP for unicast and multicast communication protocols. 

NAWCADLKE is requesting information from industry for the purpose of identifying qualified contractors interested in bidding on the possible competition of the expiring production contract of the Moriah Wind System (MWS).  The objective of the new contract is to continue production of the following MWS parts, which establish the current MWS configuration baseline:    

The MWS configuration baseline has been qualified to the Moriah Wind System Performance Specification, NAWCADLKE-MISC-481600-0033 Rev F.  Any follow-on contract would also provide for the insertion of technology refreshed components to address obsolesence issues, and to possibly provide backfit kits to apply the same technology refreshed components to deployed systems.  Technolgically refreshed components must continue to meet the requirements of NAWCADLKE-MISC-481600-0033 Rev F.

In addition to production, the contract would include requirements for warranty service, repair service, alteration installation team services, and shipboard technical support as required. 

No significant new capabilities are expected to be developed for the MWS.  It is expected that production will vary from 5 to 15 systems per year, for five years.  However any successful offeror would be required to show the capability to produce up to 36 systems in any twelve month period.  NAWCADLKE cannot provide production drawings or source code for the current production system either to potential respondents to the RFI or to the eventual successful offeror. 

Companies interested in participating in the MWS program are asked to respond to this RFI with a brief summary of their knowledge, capabilities and experience in the areas of: (1) ship wind systems design, development, and testing; (2) DoD systems engineering and technical review process; (3) display systems and network technology; (4) modeling and simulation in development and testing; (5) embedded sensors and instrumentation in harsh environments; (6) experience with software development and software maintenance; (7) company CMMI certification; (8) system integration with ship information systems; (9) technology upgrades, component refresh and obsolescence integration; (10) system supportability and logistical support; 11) Operations Security, Networks Security and Information Assurance measures implemented for DoD business.   Respondents to this RFI should provide programmatic, technical, supportability and experience information on their ability to potentially design, develop, integrate, test, install and support a wind system for US Navy, Military Sealift Command, US Coast Guard and other similar surface ships. 

The wind system offered by respondents can either be a system currently available as a military, commercial or non-developmental item, or a system and/or products in development.  In any case the wind system must meet the requirements of the Moriah specification or be made to do so at the respondent's expense.   

NAWCADLKE would also like to gain insight from industry (primes and vendors) on several key areas to assist in MWS planning. Companies interested in providing all or part of the system components are encouraged to:
            A) Provide a notional architecture, estimated Source Lines of Code (including new, reused, and modified) of software based on similar efforts.
            B) Provide feedback on interoperability challenges, including but not limited to: ship system integration. 
            C) Provide a notional development and integration schedule assuming a contract award in January 2020.              
            D)  Provide the plan for dealing with technical and component obsolesence.  The plan should address determination of the obsolesence early enough to provide time to identify and design a solution.  It is expected that the contractor will prove the solution will meet or exceed requirements through either analysis or qualification tests. 

E) Provide development and production rough order of magnitude cost estimates with supporting ground rules and assumptions.  Alternatively, for the technical/architecture solution you used to generate your response to this RFI, provide sufficient detail to support development of a notional cost assessment. 

NAWCADLKE will not pay respondents for any information generated for or provided in response to this RFI.  Submit your response in a Microsoft® Word or compatible format document in no more than twenty single-sided, single-spaced pages, 12-point, Times New Roman font, using a minimum of one-inch margins. Responses to this RFI are requested by 4:00 PM on 10 January 2018.  Responses should cite RFI number N6833518R0295-RFI and be addressed to the attention of Mr. Matt Kasperavicius, Code 2.5.2.5.2MK at [email protected]. 

Respondents are notified that a formal solicitation MAY NOT necessarily result from this RFI.  The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this request, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any costs incurred in developing the information provided to the Government.  The Government will not release any information marked with a Proprietary legend, received in response to this RFI, to any firms, agencies, or individuals outside of the Government without written permission in accordance with the legend.