Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manuals Recompete

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR PRODUCTION OF JOINT MUNITIONS EFFECTIVENESS MANUALS (JMEMs)   SYNOPSIS   The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center - Operational Weaponeering and Analysis Division (AFLCMC/EZW) at Eglin Air Force Base is currently conducting market research by this Sources Sought Synopsis and is  seeking capabilities statements from potential sources, including small businesses (SB), 8(a), HUBZone, Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned (EDWOSB), Woman-Owned (WOSB), and Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB) small business, for the production of the Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manuals (JMEMs) custom developed software systems and conventional weapons effectiveness and target vulnerability data products. These products are produced for and accredited by the Joint Technical Coordinating Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME), which is a tri-service organization consisting of Army, Navy and Air Force membership. The primary responsibility of the JTCG/ME is to provide

Operational Commanders, Department of Defense (DoD) Weaponeers and Targeteers, Mission Planners, Weapon System Designers, and Logisticians with realistic modeling and simulation tools, as well as accurate weapon effectiveness and target vulnerability data. The JMEM software systems and data products are used to support Joint and individual (Army, Air Force, and Navy) operational command centers and weapon development programs, as well as multiple DoD advanced research projects and munitions purchasing requirements.  Respondents to this Request for Information (RFI) are asked to provide a statement of information describing the software development and technical capabilities they can provide to address the technical, key competency and program execution requirements described in later sections of this notice. Please do not provide standard marketing brochures or catalogs. The response should clearly explain the respondent's demonstrated software and systems engineering knowledge, scientific and technical capabilities, and program management expertise in executing DoD contracts. The Government will use the responses to identify potential sources, facilitate decision making, and further develop the acquisition strategy for the JMEMs production contract.   All interested vendors shall submit a response demonstrating their capability to perform this effort to the primary points of contact listed below. Proposals are not being requested or accepted at this time. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No solicitation (Request for Proposal) exists at this time; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The decision to solicit for a contract shall be solely within the Government's discretion. All responses to this notice must be sent via email to both Tanya A. Warden, Contracting Officer, at tanya.warden@us.af.mil and Allison McCowan, Contract Specialist at allison.mccowan@us.af.mil.   The anticipated NAICS Code assigned to this acquisition is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1000 persons. Respondents should indicate their size in relation to this size standard and indicate socio-economic status (i.e. SB, 8(a), HUBZone, EDWOSB, WOSB, or SDVOSB). Respondents are further requested to indicate their status as a Foreign-owned/Foreign-controlled firm and any contemplated use of foreign national employees on this effort. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business set-aside based upon responses hereto for any subsequent action. All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract. No set-aside decision has been made. Note that a key factor in determining an acquisition to be a Small Business Set Aside is that small business prime contractors must perform at least 50% of the effort, as defined in FAR Clause 52.219-14. Finally, in the event respondents do not agree with the anticipated NAICS Code, the Government requests respondents provide a suggested NAICS Codes with responses.   TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The first key technical requirement for the JMEMs production contract is software development to enhance, modify, and sustain existing custom software systems consisting of engagement level modeling and simulation components. The JMEMs custom software systems are used to determine weaponeering results for multiple conventional weapon systems and platforms against multiple target types, and are also used to determine a quantitative operational evaluation of air combat tactics, missile intercept probability, and aircrew performance. Weaponeering results consist of but are not limited to probability of damage estimates considering target vulnerability, weapon effects, munition delivery errors, user defined damage criteria, weapon reliability, and terrain effects.  The second key technical requirement for the JMEMs production contract is to assist the Government in the analysis, production, utilization and publication of weapon effectiveness and target vulnerability data products. JMEMs weapon effectiveness data includes system characteristic and performance data for multiple air-to-surface, air-to-air, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface weapons, direct and indirect fire weapons guided and unguided weapon systems; these systems includes but are not limited to missiles, rockets, bombs, artillery, mortars, small caliber guns, naval gun systems, tank rounds, as well as non-kinetic and offensive cyber effects capabilities. JMEM target vulnerability data includes, but is not limited to; target models consisting of personnel, fixed and rotary winged aircraft, ships, armored and un-armored military vehicles, land based equipment and weapon systems, as well as infrastructure elements such as bridges, underground bunkers and tunnels, and above-ground buildings.  KEY COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS  The scientific emphasis of the JMEMs software and data products requires advanced education, knowledge and skill in Advanced Mathematics, Physics and Engineering as well as recent and relevant expertise in modeling and analysis of damage effects from multiple types of kinetic and thermobaric weapons against personnel, military and commercial vehicles and equipment, hardened and non-hardened structural targets. The specific key competencies required to accomplish the scientific emphasis of the JMEMs products includes but is not limited to: • Software and Systems Engineering • Relational Database Design and Administration • Computer Networking and Information Technology • Blast Propagation  • Warhead Penetration and Fragmentation • Weapon Trajectory (3DOF and 6DOF Modeling) • Weapon Cratering and Ground Shock Propagation • Materials Science - Properties and Response of Solids • 3-D Structural Modeling and Structural Response • Personnel and Equipment Vulnerability • Design of Experiments (DoE) • Finite Element (FE) and Statistical Analysis. An additional critical part of the JMEMs production contract is the training of active duty weaponeers and targeteers in the JMEM software products; therefore, additional areas of specialized knowledge, skill and experience in the area of training are also required. The key competencies associated with training include but are not limited to: • Military experience and/or knowledge of DoD Operational Command center functions • Military experience and/or knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures for Weaponeering, Targeteering and Mission Planning • Military experience and/or knowledge of Collateral Damage Methodology and Estimation • Military experience and/or knowledge of Target Material Production in support of deliberate and dynamic targeting process • Military experience and/or Knowledge of Joint Publications/Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instructions associated with Weaponeering, Targeteering, Collateral Damage and Coordinate Mensuration • Lesson planning and Training Documentation Development. Software development tasks for the JMEMs production contract will require a demonstrated proficiency in the design, implementation and verification of engineering and engagement level modeling and simulation software. The key software development competencies include but are not limited to: • Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA/OOD)  • Software Design Patterns • User Interface Design • Application Program Interface (API) Design • Modern Software Framework/Architecture • 3D Graphics Rendering and Imagery Replication  • Software Documentation and Unified Modeling Language (UML) • HTML, XML, C, C++, C#, FORTRAN, JAVA • Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) Library • Relational Database Design and Administration and SQL • Cybersecurity, namely the safe storage and network dissemination of classified data, in particular the DoD Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework v1.0 dated September 2015. • Computer Network Communication Protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, SOAP) Systems and Software Engineering Processes are also considered a critical knowledge area required for the JMEM production contract. Respondents to this notice shall provide examples that demonstrate experience in the implementation of Systems and Software Engineering processes which are equivalent to Maturity Level 3 in the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Staged Representation for Systems and Software Engineering. Additionally, each respondent to this notice must possess key competencies in the following Software Development areas: • Software Design, Analysis and Documentation • Software Project Planning and Integrated Project Management • Requirements Management and Development • Configuration Management  • Verification (Software Test to include unit, integration, and system level verification, as well dynamic and static forms of software test) • Validation • Software Quality Assurance and Metrics Evaluation • Product Integration • Technical Solution • Risk Management • Effort and Cost Estimation • Decision Analysis and Resolution • Organizational Process Focus, Definition and Training PROGRAM EXECUTION REQUIREMENTS The JMEMs software systems and data operate and are distributed on Government classified networks; therefore JMEMs production will require an expert level of knowledge related to the application of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) requirements for obtaining authority to operate, as well as DoD guidance for classification marking and foreign releasability. Additionally, security clearances will be required of all personnel working on JMEMs products. Production of JMEMs software and data products may be performed across geographically separated contractor facilities. However, the majority of development and production of JMEMs software products must be performed in a Government owned facility located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Additional contractor support and subject matter expertise in the area of direct fire weapons and air combat tactics and maneuvers will be required at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Each respondent to this notice should be capable of recruiting and retaining top quality employees at each of the Government facility locations mentioned above.