Shipboard Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) Compliant High Frequency (HF) Radios for the United States Coast Guard

Request for Information for Shipboard Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) Compliant High Frequency (HF) Radios for the United States Coast GuardDisclaimer and Important Notes: This posting is a Request for Information (RFI) from interested vendors and is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. This posting is not a Request for Proposals or a Request for Quotations, and it is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor is the Government responsible for any costs incurred in furnishing information provided under this RFI. No basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this RFI or Government use of any information provided. Further, the Coast Guard is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use any information

provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation. Responses will assist the Government in determining the availability of potential solutions and commercial products in the market. At this time no solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.General Information: The purpose of this RFI is to obtain information from vendors regarding availability of scalable shipboard High Frequency (HF) radio systems capable of high-bandwidth data services, narrowband legacy waveform transmission/reception, Automatic link establishment (ALE) network and other capabilities identified within this document. HF radio system is comprised of but not limited to the following: dual channel transceivers, single channel transceivers, dual channel receivers, 125 watt linear power amplifiers, 1 kilowatt linear power amplifiers, 500 watt linear power amplifiers, 4 kilowatt linear power amplifiers (shore only), 125 watt antenna couplers, 125 watt Near Vertical Incidence Sky-wave (NVIS) antenna couplers, 1 kilowatt/ 500 watt antenna couplers, dual channel Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) modems, single channel ALE modems, power supplies, and power conditioners. Information obtained shall be used to document and inform USCG what HF radio system capabilities currently exist in industry today. USCG will use the results received from this RFI to determine interest that may lead to vendors capable of meeting stated capabilities and supportability requirements.Responses to this RFI shall assist USCG in determining the availability of shipboard radio systems capable of providing reliable data and voice communications in the High Frequency radio spectrum that is interoperable with DHS and DOD assets in secure and non-secure modes. The intended implementation of this HF system is a multi-year integration into all cutters greater than 87' in length and at shore stations that posses a requirement for an HF transmit or receive capability on board. This includes but is not limited to all: 140', 154', 175', 210', 225', 282' 295', 270', 399', 418' and 420' cutters each with multiple HF circuits on board for a total population of approximately 148 cutters, 306 transceiver circuits and 307 receive circuits afloat. Also included are the following shore stations requiring a 4 KW HF transmit and receive capability: Communications Command (COMMCOM), Remote Communications Facility (RCF) Point Reyes, RCF Miami, RCF, New Orleans, RCF Honolulu, and Communications Detachment Kodiak for a total population of approximately 98 transmit and 152 receive circuits ashore.Threshold Requirements:Availability: The HF radio system shall be comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products, available for immediate purchase in the United States of America.General requirements (must include but is not limited to those listed):1. The HF radio system must be scalable to the following configurations: (4KW - Shore, 1KW Afloat, 125 W Afloat (Omnidirectional), and 125W Afloat (NVIS).2. 1.5 - 29.999 MHz operational transceiver/ receiver frequency3. Compatible with Cellular Over the Horizon Enforcement Network (COTHEN) and 2G ALE systems.4. 3G ALE and Wideband ALE (WALE) capable. User shall be able to select ALE mode of operation. ALE modes compliant with MIL-STD-188-141C.5. WALE standard implemented in the HF radio system shall be upgradable/updatable via software or firmware update only to meet requirements of the finalized MIL-STD and/or STANAG once determined.6. HF Data modem compatible with MIL-STD-188-110A, MIL-STD-188-110B, and MIL-STD-188-110C Block 3 (Appendix D) waveforms as defined in MIL-STD-188-110C. User shall be able to select the waveforms defined in MIL-STD-188-110 A/B/C.7. Adheres to MIL-STD-188-110C and MIL-STD188-141C for both shipboard and fixed station applications.8. TADIL A Link 11 capability in compliance with MIL-STD-188-203-1A and STANAG 5511.9. HF radio system able to be made compatible with / capable of Link 22/ NATO Improved Link Eleven (NILE) in compliance with STANAG 5522 via software / firmware update.10. Capable of upper sideband (USB), lower sideband (LSB), continuous waveform (CW), amplitude modulation (AM), and independent sideband (ISB) modes of operation available within each transceiver system.11. HF data exchange capability in compliance with MIL-STD-188-110C and STANAG 5066.12. Voice operated squelch (VOS) and RF level squelch functionality.13. Shall support external Type I & Type III encryption devices for voice and data communications. For Type I RF communications, radio shall be compatible with the encryption used by DOD forces. It must be interoperable with the advanced narrowband digital voice terminal (ANDVT) (KYV-5/KY-99/KY-100) and (KG-84/KG-84A/KG-84C). For Type III communications, radio must be compatible with the Rockwell Collins Digital Voice Privacy Processor (DVP-200) with 256 bit AES firmware version.14. Software defined and programmable Man Machine Interface (MMI) radio control system that provides control of all radio functions including ALE operations. Available as supplied as a front panel local control, standalone remote control or rack mount computer control.15. HF radio system capable of being programmed with both ALE names and frequency scan sets.16. Radio system functionality shall be fully compatible and able to be controlled via third party remote manager. A Third Party Remote Manager is defined as a solution capable of remotely controlling a radio or associated devices manufactured by another source of supply.17. System shall be IP addressable and able to be operated locally or remotely via PC/ Server-based virtual control.18. Automatic upon equipment power on and operator initiated built-in test equipment (BITE) testing that will identify 100% of any hardware fault to the lowest repairable level.19. Capable of remote operator initiated BITE testing that will identify 100% of any hardware fault to the lowest repairable level via IP interface.20. The equipment shall be designed to meet the electromagnetic emissions susceptibility requirements of the MIL-STD-461E for surface ships: CE102, CS101, CS114, CS116, RE102, RE101 and RS103.21. The equipment shall met performance requirements during applicable marine operating environments and/or exposure to the non-operating environments specified below. ‘Sheltered' indicates that the equipment is in an enclosed compartment and will not be exposed to the outside weather. ‘Controlled' indicates that the environment in the compartment will be controlled and regulated. ‘Isolated' indicates that the equipment will be housed in a shock isolated, EMI protected cabinet. The bridge of the ship will be considered uncontrolled space due to its open-door exposure to the outside weather.a. In a sheltered, controlled and isolated environment mounted to the deck.b. In a sheltered, uncontrolled environment mounted to the deck, desktop, console or bulkhead;c. In an un-sheltered environment (exposed to the weather) mounted on the deck, super structure or mast.d. Tables 1 through 3 summarizes the marine environmental conditions expected in different compartments of the ship and Table 4 defines the airborne noise limits.      Table 1 Sheltered, Controlled, and Isolated EquipmentDESCRIPTION OPERATING NON-OPERATING (STORAGE) SUGGESTED VERIFICATION1TEMPERATUREHUMIDITYSHOCK - SEA STATEVIBRATIONSHIP MOTION & ATTITUDE+10 TO +35C20 TO 80 % RH (NON-COND.)SEA STATE 4 & 5 (3.5G/ 30MS VERT., 1.0G/30MS TRANSV., 0.5G/30MS LONG.)4-25 HZ SINUSOIDAL±30° FRONT- BACK & SIDE- SIDE-20 TO 50C10 TO 95% RH (NON-COND.)SEA STATE 6 & 7 (5.0G/ 30MS VERT., 3.0G/30MS TRANSV., 1.0G/30MS LONG.)±45° FRONT-BACK& SIDE-SIDE TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 501.4, PROC. I & II AND 502.4, PROC. I & IITAILORED MIL-STD-810D METHOD 507.4TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 516.5, PROC. IMIL-STD-167, TYPE IDOD-STD-1399, SECTION 301Table 2 Sheltered and Uncontrolled EquipmentDESCRIPTION OPERATING NON-OPERATING (STORAGE) SUGGESTED VERIFICATION1TEMPERATUREHUMIDITYSHOCK - SEA STATEVIBRATIONSHIP MOTION & ATTITUDESALT FOG+0 TO +50C (2)10 TO 100 % RH (NON-COND.)SEA STATE 4 & 5 (3.5G/ 30MS VERT., 1.0G/30MS TRANSV., 0.5G/30MS LONG.)4-25 HZ SINUSOIDAL±30° FRONT- BACK & SIDE- SIDE -20 TO 50C 10 TO 100% RH (2)(NON-COND.)SEA STATE 6 & 7 (5.0G/ 30MS VERT., 3.0G/30MS TRANSV., 1.0G/30MS LONG.)±45° FRONT-BACK& SIDE-SIDE TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 501.4, PROC. I & II AND 502.4, PROC. I & IITAILORED MIL-STD-810D METHOD 507.4TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 516.5, PROC. IMIL-STD-167, TYPE IDOD-STD-1399, SECTION 301NEMA 250-1997, TYPE 2 (2)     Table 3 Unsheltered EquipmentDESCRIPTION OPERATING NON-OPERATING (STORAGE) SUGGESTED VERIFICATION1TEMPERATUREHUMIDITYSHOCK - SEA STATEVIBRATIONSHIP MOTION & ATT ITUDE-25 TO +50C (1)10 TO 100 % RH (NON-COND.)SEA STATE 4 & 5 (3.5G/ 30MS VERT., 1.0G/30MS TRANSV., 0.5G/30MS LONG.)4-25 HZ SINUSOIDAL±30° FRONT- BACK & SIDE- SIDE- 40 TO 70C10 TO 100% RH (NON-COND.)SEA STATE 6 & 7 (5.0G/ 30MS VERT., 3.0G/30MS TRANSV., 1.0G/30MS LONG.)±45° FRONT-BACK& SIDE-SIDE TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 501.4, PROC. I & II AND 502.4, PROC. I & IITAILORED MIL-STD-810D METHOD 507.4TAILORED MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 516.5, PROC. IMIL-STD-167, TYPE IDOD-STD-1399, SECTION 301SALT FOG RAINICE/SNOW LOADINGWIND LOADINGSOLAR RADIATION4.5 LB/FT2 30 LB/FT27.5 LB/FT2MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 509.4MIL-STD-810F, METHOD 506.4, P IIAW MIL-STD-1399, SECTION 302AIAW MIL-STD-1399, SECTION 302AMIL-STD-810F, METHOD 505.4Table 4 Airborne Noise LimitsDESCRIPTION MANNED SPACE UN-MANNED SPACE SUGGESTED VERIFICATION1AIRBORNE NOISE GRADE A12 GRADE A3 MIL-STD-740-1Shipboard specific requirements (must include but is not limited to those listed):1. 125 watt (peak envelope power) linear power amplifier with operator selectable output level control to provide for a 125W Near Vertical Incidence Sky-Wave (NVIS) antenna configuration and 125W vertical monopole antenna configuration.2. 500W (peak envelope power) linear power amplifier with operator selectable output level control and limited power operation upon module/component failure to provide for a 1 KW long haul circuit configuration.3. 1 KW (peak envelope power) linear power amplifier with operator selectable output level control and limited power operation upon module/component failure to provide for a 1 KW long haul circuit configuration.4. Manufacturer supplied hardware that allows power efficient coupling/ matching capability with the Coast Guard grounded half loop, NVIS antenna system throughout the transceiver operating frequency range with a maximum voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of 2.0:1 and transmission efficiency greater than 15% while maintaining compliance with MIL-STD-188-141B/C.5. Electrical Requirements:a. The 125W, 500W & 1kW HFRS equipment shall operate in a nominal 110/220 VAC, 60 HZ, Single Phase, Delta, in accordance with MIL-STD-1399, Section 300B, TYPE I.b. The equipment shall demonstrate no susceptibility to voltage spikes when tested in accordance with MIL-STD-1399, Section 300B - "Voltage Spike Test".6. Mechanical Requirements:a. The equipment shall be mountable into standard, 19- inch ANSI/EIA-310-D enclosures.b. 19" shipboard rack mountable equipment that utilizes no more than 30" vertical rack space per either 125W or 1kW system.c. The equipment shall be able to operate continuously without overheating.Shore specific requirements (must include but is not limited to those listed):1. 4 KW (peak envelope power) linear power amplifier with operator selectable output level control and limited power operation upon module/component failure to provide for a 4 KW long haul circuit configuration.2. Manufacturer supplied hardware provides 50Ω output to antenna/ balun. Shore based antennas use either a direct connection from transceiver to antenna or a balun to match impedance. Most commonly used antennas are the Telecommunications International Model 530 series, 540 series, and 550 series.3. Electrical Requirements:a. The 4kW HFRS shall operate in a nominal 180-264 VAC, 20A, 47-63Hz, Single Phase, Delta or 180-164 VAC, 15A, 47-63Hz, 3 Phase.b. The equipment shall demonstrate no susceptibility to voltage spikes when tested in accordance with MIL-STD-1399, Section 300B - "Voltage Spike Test".4. Mechanical Requirements:a. The equipment shall be mountable into standard, 19- inch ANSI/EIA-310-D enclosures.5. The 4kW amplifier (and any required supplemental equipment) utilizes no more than 72" vertical rack space. Note: Shore stations currently use 1 rack for the 4kW amplifiers, only separate racks for the transceivers (and any required supplemental equipment). These are often in separate locations within the same building. The 4kW system shall accommodate current physical configuration as stated.6. The equipment shall be able operate continuously without overheating.Receiver specific requirements (must include but is not limited to those listed):1. The receiver shall operate from 14 kHz to 29.999 MHz with 1 Hz increments.2. The receiver shall be a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product, available for immediate purchase in the United States of America.3. Capable of upper sideband (USB), lower sideband (LSB), continuous waveform (CW), amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM) and dual independent sideband (2-ISB) available within the receiver system.4. Voice operated squelch (VOS) and RF level squelch functionality.5. Receiver shall be fully compatible and able to be controlled via third party remote manager. A Third Party Remote Manager is defined as a solution capable of remotely controlling a radio or associated devices manufactured by another source of supply.6. System shall be IP addressable and able to be operated locally or remotely via PC/ Server-based virtual control.7. Automatic upon equipment power on and operator initiated built-in test equipment (BITE) testing that will identify 100% of any hardware fault to the lowest repairable level.8. Capable of remote operator initiated BITE testing that will identify 100% of any hardware fault to the lowest repairable level via IP interface.9. Electrical Requirements:a. Equipment shall operate in a nominal 110/220 VAC, 60 HZ, Single Phase, Delta, in accordance with MIL-STD-1399, Section 300B, TYPE I.b. The equipment shall demonstrate no susceptibility to voltage spikes when tested in accordance with MIL-STD-1399, Section 300B - "Voltage Spike Test".10. Mechanical Requirementsa. The equipment shall be mountable into standard, 19- inch ANSI/EIA-310-D enclosures.b. 19" shipboard rack mountable equipment that utilizes no more than 3 rack units (RU) of vertical space.11. The equipment shall be able to operate continuously without overheating.Objective Requirements - (may include but is not limited to those listed):1. Using 3G or WALE with MIL-STD-188-110C Block 3 (Appendix D) waveforms, HFRS shall be capable of recognizing, receiving, and responding to 2G ALE waveforms with like waveforms and ALE standard.2. Link 22 / NILE capable in compliance with STANAG 5522.3. Capable of frequency shift keying (FSK) modes of operation within the transceiver system.4. Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) tested for adherence to MIL-STD-188-110C & MIL-STD-188-141C.Submission of Information: Interested parties are encouraged to submit a response which supports the company's claim that it presently has the technology, qualifications, experience, and capabilities to satisfy the requirements or submit a response which identifies areas in the system requirements that their company does not meet. The Coast Guard's requirement may be refined based on knowledge gained from RFI submissions. Specifically, any interested parties are requested to provide the following information:1. Name of Company and DUNS number2. Point of contact and phone number3. U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Small business Size Standard is 750 employees for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 334220. Please identify if your company is a Small or Large Business based upon SBA's size standard. If your company is a small business, do you also qualify for other socioeconomic set asides (8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone)?4. Positive statement of your interest in this procurement as a prime contractor5. Description of your product that might fulfill the technical requirements, responses shall address the following:a. Technical Requirements:i. What type of products do you offer that might fill this requirement? (Describe major system components, system capabilities & performance, transceiver & receiver sensitivities, environmental specifications, physical dimensions, power requirements, and remote communications capabilities. Information regarding scalability of the system for use on small to large platforms must be included.)ii. Documentation of transceiver, receiver, antenna coupler, and power amplifier specifications.iii. Evidence that the radio meets 47 CFR Part 80. This may be in the form of a test report or a letter from a qualified independent testing agency.iv. Would your company provide software associated with your radio system to USCG for purposes of issuing the documentation as an attachment to a Request for Proposals (RFP) as government furnished information (GFI)? (if applicable)v. Does your company provide this software for release to any other system manufacturers for production in their systems? Are there any limitations? (if applicable)vi. Solutions/approaches not specifically conforming to the Coast Guard's current requirement may be submitted (i.e. Does your company have a better way of meeting our requirement?).b. Availability and pricing:i. Do you offer these products commercially? (Is this item under a current GSA Schedule or do you currently have a contract for this product/service with any other Federal Agency?)ii. Do you offer a commercial product that could be modified to fulfill this need?iii. Do you offer quantity or other discounts to your customers?iv. Provide information for any additional charges for special packing and packaging?v. Do you have a commercial catalog for a related group of products or services?vi. What is your average delivery lead time for this type of product?vii. Provide information on prior Government and commercial purchases of the same type (pricing, performance, and customer satisfaction data)viii. Do you expect to offer a new product or service sometime in the future that might affect this requirement?ix. Do you provide spare part kits? (If so, can you identify the single points of failure and the price associated with these items)x. Do you provide operation and maintenance training?xi. Provide a list of any proprietary data/components or embedded components for this product or data associated with this item?c. Warranty terms:i. What are your warranty terms, if any?ii. Is your Company either a) an authorized reseller; b) a distributor; or c) the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for any potential product (i.e ancillary equipment/software) in support of this RFI? If either a. or b., please state the name of the manufacturer you represent and proof as an authorized reseller/distributor or OEM (in other words can your company obtain parts from OEM throughout the life of this requirement?)iii. If your Company offers a commercial product(s) capable of meeting the requirements of this RFI, would repairs/modifications be restricted to employees of the OEM, its Authorized Dealers or those trained by the OEM (in other words, would you allow repairs/modifications to be made to the services/product by Government technicians or third party contracted employees?)iv. Is it your company's policy that materials/items procured from your company yet inserted by another vendor into an existing system will void the warranty of your company's materials/items?d. Existing technical documentation and brochures are welcome as attachments as well as product catalogs and price lists.Responses must be no longer than twenty pages in length. Technical documentation and brochures do not count in the fifteen page maximum. Submit your response by 2:00 PM EST on August 20, 2018 to the Contract Specialist, Paulette Wilson, via email at paulette.l.wilson@uscg.mil. All questions regarding this RFI may be referred to the Contracting Officer.