Requests for Information (RFI) For DCGS Multi-INT Fusion

Solicitation Number: Notice Type: Special NoticeSynopsis: Requests for Information (RFI) For DCGS Multi-INT FusionFEDERAL AGENCY NAME: Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Rome Research Site, AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-45141.0 GENERAL INFORMATION1.1 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY: This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue a RFP in the future. This RFI seeks "best of breed" tools (TRL-5 or higher) which each contractor believes can add value to the DCGS mission. Any capabilities submitted must be able to operate in a modern environment leveraging government provided infrastructure and enterprise services. It is the contractor's burden to adequately demonstrate successful operation in a virtualization environment and justify each tool's standing as a TRL-5 or above. The contents should

include information about the company, proposed analyst tools, the technology's relevance to AF DCGS, and its successes, if any. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Air Force is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.1.2 FEEDBACK: Submission of an abstract is voluntary. Respondents are advised that AFRL is under no obligation to provide feedback with respect to any information submitted under this RFI.1.3 REGULATORY GUIDANCE: This notice constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), "RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract."2.0 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)2.1 BACKGROUND: The Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) is seeking information to better understand existing vendor offerings and the landscape of research and development (R&D) towards Multi-intelligence (Multi-INT) fusion and analytics.2.1.1 The volume and complexity of Multi-INT data streaming from AF and national sensors has challenged the analyst's capacity to sort through, analyze, and report. The Air Force is moving into a new exploitation paradigm, coined Sense, Identify, Attribute, Share (SIAS) by AF Deputy of Staff for ISR, Lt Gen VeraLinn Jamieson, which will mandate new approaches, workflows, and capabilities to successfully execute Multi-INT fusion and analytics. The 24 Jul 2018 approved Flight Plan signed by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force states, "To accomplish the Flight Plan aims, we must have the architecture and infrastructure to enable machine intelligence, including automation, human-machine teaming, and ultimately, artificial intelligence; these initiatives will define how the ISR Enterprise executes operations." Technology components designed to support SIAS will need to ingest, reason over, and inform both analysts and other emerging technologies designed to automate both ISR database queries and physical collection.2.1.2 An Open Architecture framework affords the ability to rapidly host, test, modify, update, and transition new tools, including tools that will enable the future of SIAS. Part of the approach to nominating new tools for inclusion is holding periodic TechFests where potential technologies are demonstrated to key stakeholders, analysts, and others as a first step in potential transition. This RFI is intended to monitor industry's capabilities as well as identifying new tools for possible inclusion in upcoming topic-specific TechFests. At the discretion of the Government, RFI submissions may be followed up with a request for further information and/or invitation to a TechFest. RFI submissions will be retained for future reference and may lead to more than one TechFest invitation opportunity.2.2 TECHNICAL CHALLENGE: AFRL is seeking potential DoD Laboratory, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), Academia, and/or Industry vendors who are working technology capabilities that can provide Multi-INT analysis and fusion capabilities in the following areas:2.2.1 Establishing/maintaining fusion priorities and mission planning via workflow and workforce management.Assist with workflow management to assign analysts tasks that satisfy fusion requirements based upon analyst training, qualifications and past performance. Effectively manage and refine requirements and make recommendations to mission planners for improved sensor, process employment, collection orchestration, and collection from any relevant data source.2.2.2 Performing automated or machine-assisted time-dominant fusion.Analyze intelligence data from multiple sources, correlate related objects and activities identified in those sources in space and time, and fuse (e.g., associate) them into actionable and timely multi-source intelligence products to improve decision making in time-dominant analysis.      • Ability to automatically fuse data across multiple sources to create patterns of life and detect anomalous activity such as new tactics or procedures; provide contextually aware personalized data feeds, summaries, and visualizations focused on RFIs, EEIs, and other requirements.      • Provide autonomous capabilities to the analyst that provide analytical support and recommendations, capture models for both analyst and object behavior, and support predictive analytics to include mission order of battle and adversary modelling.2.2.3 Providing situational awareness to analysts and/or decision makers.      Enable seamless access to intelligence data and provide event-triggered dynamic   updates to fused Situational Awareness (SA) data within user-defined constraints using descriptive and predictive analytics to identify and predict significant changes to the battlespace. Depict identified multi-INT indications and warnings, trends and patterns of significant activity in support of a continuously updated operational User Defined Operating Picture (UDOP). Support collaborative human-human, human-machine and machine-machine exchange of information.2.2.4 Performing automated or machine-assisted content-driven fusion.      Analyze and fuse intelligence data from broad variety of sources including airborne, satellite and open source to facilitate understanding of the operational picture to include adversary doctrine, training, seasonal weather effects, etc.      • Ability to conduct foundational intelligence preparation of the operational environment to produce assessments of capabilities and activity based on fused intelligence from multiple sources.      • Ability to correlate and fuse objects and activities from multiple sources to identify the commander's priority intelligence requirements (PIRs).2.2.5 Creating and disseminating multi-INT products/data.      Dynamically disseminate single and multi- source fusion ISR products. Involves system aided creation of products at multiple security / releasability levels according to user defined templates and rules. Ensure products are discoverable and disseminated according to established guidelines.3.0 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ABSTRACTS3.1 CONTENTNO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RFI RESPONSE.3.2 FORMAT3.2.1 All abstracts shall state that they are submitted in response to this announcement.3.2.2 The abstracts will be formatted as follow:3.2.3 Section A: A cover page identifying the company or organization, street address, and the names, emails, and telephone numbers of the point of contact (POC). In the case of partnerships, please provide the appropriate information for the lead POC. Also provide a short summary statement of the company's or party's experience/capabilities and a short summary of the organization's experience in the areas described above. This section is not included in the page count.3.2.4 Section B: Technical Summary. The Government is assessing the current state-of-the-art algorithms, methods, and techniques necessary to ensure efficient and effective Multi-intelligence (Multi-INT) Fusion and analytics. The RFI responses should describe the product solution proposed, address coverage of the capabilities stated in this RFI by the proposed solution, explain the potential advantage to the Air Force, describe the maturity and approximate TRL of the solution, whether solution being used operationally, types of data used, describe the technical approach of this effort, and describe any IT environment requirements.3.2.5 The abstracts shall be limited to 8 pages. All abstracts shall be double spaced with a font no smaller than 12pt font. All responses to this announcement must be addressed to the POCs, as discussed in Section 7.0 of this announcement. Respondents are required to submit one electronic copy to the Government technical points of contact (TPOCs) in Microsoft Office Word.3.3 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. The submitted documentation and content thereof becomes the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned. No solicitation documents exist at this time. This is NOT an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request. This is a request for information announcement for planning purposes only. The Government will not reimburse costs associated with the documentation submitted under this request. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. Although proposal terminology may be used in this inquiry, your response will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal. This announcement is not to be construed as a formal solicitation. It does not commit the Government to reply to information received, or to later publish a solicitation, or to award a contract based on this information.3.4 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. This notice is part of Government market research. Information received as a result of this request will be considered as sensitive and will be protected as such. Any company or industry proprietary information contained in responses should be clearly marked as such, by paragraph, such that publicly releasable and proprietary information are clearly distinguished. Any proprietary information received in response to this request will be properly protected from unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one source to establish the capability and requirements for any future acquisition, so as to inadvertently restrict competition.4.0 INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS. AFRL/RI representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements.5.0 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS. Multiple abstracts within the purview of this RFI announcement may be submitted by each responder.6.0 SUBMISSION. RFI abstract due date is December 7, 2018.7.0 AGENCY CONTACTS. Verification of government receipt or questions of a technical nature can be directed to the cognizant technical points of contact (TPOCs):Primary TPOC:Mr. Mark CampbellTelephone: 477-327-4132Email: mark.campbell.5@us.af.milAlternate TPOC:Ms. Melissa CaiolaTelephone: 315-330-3528Email: Melissa.caiola@us.af.milQuestions of a contractual/business nature shall be directed to the cognizant Contracting Officer, as specified below:Amber BuckleyTelephone: (315) 330-3605Email: amber.buckley@us.af.mil8.0 ATTACHMENTS. None.