Class D Digital Selective Calling Radios for small boats

Request for Information (RFI)Command, Control and Communications Engineering Center (C3CEN)VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF), MARINE BAND, CLASS D, DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) RADIOS for the United States Coast Guard70Z04418RFI000002Market ResearchCONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESSThe United States Coast Guard (USCG), Command, Control and Communications Engineering Center (C3CEN), 4000 Coast Guard Blvd., Portsmouth, Virginia.GENERAL INFORMATIONThe USCG, as a member of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), invites industry to respond to this Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals. This RFI does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the USCG will take procurement action in this matter. Further, neither the USCG nor the Government will be responsible for any cost incurred in furnishing this information. Responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. 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 (RFP) or a Request For Quotations (RFQ), and it is not 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.The purpose of this RFI is for the purchase of VHF marine band Class D DSC radios for use by USCG units throughout the Coast Guard.Information obtained shall be used to make decisions regarding the availability of VHF marine band Class D DSC radios and their interfacing abilities with existing systems meeting commercial and military standards. The 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.It is requested that submission responses to this RFI contain pertinent information regarding VHF marine band Class D DSC radios capabilities, specifications, design names/descriptions, applications and other remarks pertaining to remote communications capabilities, warranty, technical support, expected life-cycle i.e. projected end-of-sale, end-of-life and end-of-support and other pertinent information. DESCRIPTION:The provision of information in response to this RFI shall assist the USCG in determining the availability of Very High Frequency (VHF) radio capable of operating in the marine band (156 - 162 MHz), and capable of sending and receiving both analog voice and Digital Selective Calling (DSC) data signals.Very High Frequency-Frequency Modulation (VHF-FM) Marine Band (156 - 162MHz) Radios Marine radios providing VHF-FM and DSC transmit and receive services in the following frequency ranges and modes: 156 - 162 MHz.Availability The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product, available for immediate purchase in the United States of America.Voice Communications Interoperability The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be capable of voice communications interoperability between shore-side and ship board Coast Guard assets and detachments, mariners, and other federal, state, local, and tribal agencies operating in the marine band.Standards 47 C.F.R. PART 80-Stations in the Maritime ServicesInternational Telecommunications Union (ITU) 493-13, Digital Selective-Calling System for use in the Maritime Mobile Service. The VHF DSC Class D DSC radio shall meet all general requirements for a DSC radio and all requirements for a Class D DSC radio of this specification.International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolutions A.609 & A.803, Performance Standards for Shipborne VHF Radio Installations Capable of Voice Communication and Digital Selective Calling. The VHF Class D DSC radio shall meet all applicable requirements for a Class D DSC radio of this specification.International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60529, Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP code)National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) 0183 E, Interface StandardMilitary Standard (Mil-Std) 810 C/D/E/F/GTelecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Standard 102.CAAA & TIA-102.CAAB for vibration and shock.Automatic Response The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be able to be configured to "No Automatic Response." When configured to "No Automatic Response" the radio shall return to the last known state or "No Automatic Response" when power is removed or the radio is turned off.Interconnection The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be able to interface with external devices via a NMEA 0183 standard interface.Record Audio (if available) The VHF DSC Class D radio shall provide a constant level audio output, both transmit and receive, to connect to a recording system (i.e. Digital Voice Logger (DVL)Mounting The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be capable of being flush or bracket mounted.Operational Temperature Range The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be capable of operating in a temperature range of -15 to +55o C.Operating Humidity The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be capable of operating in a humidity range of 0% to 95% non-condensing.Operational Environment The VHF Class D DSC radio shall provide continuous operation under the conditions of sea states, vibration, humidity and change of temperature and shall be rated IPx4 for protection against ingress of liquids in accordance with IEC Publication 60529.Operating Voltage The VHF Class D DSC radio shall operate on either 12 vDC or 24 vDC primary power.Warranty The VHF Class D DSC radio shall be provided with a minimum one year warranty, two or three years is preferred.Parts Availability The VHF Class D DSC radio vendor shall certify that the radio shall be supportable (e.g. parts availability, manufacturer repair support, etc.) is available for a minimum of five (5) years after initial delivery.Remote Control Units (if available) Each remote control unit shall have full control of radio functions, including all DSC functions.Each remote control unit shall include a speaker that provides the same audio as the radio's main speaker.Each remote control unit shall include volume control for the speaker identified above.Each remote control unit, speaker and microphone shall be rated IPx7 for protection against ingress of liquids in accordance with IEC 60529.Vendors responding to this RFI should provide documentation showing that their VHF DSC Class D radio meets all requirements stated above. This shall include as a minimum:Evidence that the radio meets ITU 493-X requirements and complies with IMO resolutions A.609, and A.803. This may be in the form of a test report or a letter from a qualified independent testing agency.Evidence that automatic acknowledgements can be disabled. For example, this may be in the form of a test report or operator's instruction manual.Certification that this is a Commercial off the shelf product. This may be in the form of catalog listing for the item.Documentation showing which (if any) of the desired features the radio includes. This may be in the form of technical or operating manuals/documentation.A statement of the number of radios the vendor can deliver monthly and the lead time required between receipt of order and the delivery of radios.Documentation of transmitter and receiver specifications. This may be in the form of a specification marketing brochure.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. If there are areas in the system requirements that your company can not meet, please identify those areas in your response along with the details of why it does not meet the requirements. The proposed system requirements for the VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF), MARINE BAND, CLASS D, DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) RADIOS for the United States Coast Guard.For those areas that the company cannot meet the specified government requirements, the company will define their capabilities and provide amplifying information as to why they cannot meet the government's request. 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. Size of Business according to North American Industry Classification System(NAICS) Code 334220.4. Positive statement of your interest in this procurement as a prime contractor5. Description of your product that might fill this requirement:a. What type of products do you offer that might fill this requirement? (Describe system capabilities & performance, 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.)b. Do you have a proposed upgrade to existing devices and/or propose Form/Fit/Function next-generation devices? Is so what are the life cycles?c. What is the expected Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for each component of your proposed solution?d. 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?)e. Do you offer a commercial product that could be modified to fulfill this need?f. Do you believe there is a better method of fulfilling this requirement? If so, provide an alternative solution.g. Do you offer quantity or other discounts to your customers?h. What are your warranty terms, if any? What is your standard warranty practice? Can you offer an innovative warranty approach that would cover the lag time from delivery and the actual installation of the components?i. Provide information for any additional charges for special packing and packaging?j. Do you have a commercial catalog for a related group of products or services?k. What is your average delivery lead time for this type of product?l. Do you expect to offer a new product or service sometime in the future that might affect this requirement?m. Do you provide spare part kits? (If so, can you identify the single points of failure and the price associated with these items)n. Provide a list of any proprietary data/components or embedded components for this product or data associated with this item.o. Existing technical documentation and brochures are welcome as attachments as well as product catalogs and price lists.p. A "commented" version of the Requirements Evaluation Worksheet (Attachment 1) to be returned as an attachment.q. Provide information on prior Government and commercial purchases of the same type (pricing, performance, and customer satisfaction data)r. Provide description of any built in test feature, a flow chart of the system analysis, and a list of the circuit card or assembly level bit resolution.s. What is your commercial practice for Software and Hardware upgrades? Is there an additional cost to the consumer for firmware upgrades?t. What is your commercial practice for Technical Support?u. What is your operational life cycle? Repairable life cycle?REQUIRED RESPONSES:Limit RFI responses to 10, single-sided, single-spaced pages. Responses must be unclassified. Any proprietary information provided must be marked to protect such data.The Requirements Worksheet is not included in the page count and is requested to be completed and provided with your response.Note: See format and page limitations and submission criteria set forth below for additional instructions.FORMAT & PAGE LIMITATION:Your submittal should be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper, limited to a maximum of 10, single-sided, single-spaced pages. The font for text should be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. The Responder may use oversized pages (including "foldouts") where appropriate to contain graphic presentations. Oversized pages do not count as extra pages within the page limitations. Submitted responses should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. Existing commercial documentation and product literature can also be submitted and is not subject to a page limitation.REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION / POINTS OF CONTACT:A Responder may request clarification in writing from the Contracting Office for any requirement that is unclear by sending an e-mail to the Contracting Points of Contact below:Katherine.M.Kearney@uscg.milAny requests for clarification must be received no later than the close of business (4:00PM, EDT), seven (7) business days prior to the close of this RFI in order to receive a timely response. Interested Responders are encouraged to periodically check the website during the response period for clarifications.SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTATION:Responses to this RFI shall be submitted in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format, delivered as an attachment to an electronic mail (e-mail) submission. Address the e-mail to the following:Katherine.M.Kearney@uscg.milPLEASE INCLUDE PRODUCT LITERATURE, NARRATIVE, CATALOG, PUBLISHED PRICE LIST AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS DEEMED NECESSARY.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:All responsible sources may submit information in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are due no later than 27 November 2017. If late information is received, it may be considered by the Government reviewers, depending on agency time constraints.Please note: The Government is not required to provide feedback to RFI Responders. 15. GOVERNMENT TERMS AND ACROMYMSAcronym Description Acronym DescriptionAES Advanced Encryption Standard EO/IR Electro-Optical/InfraredAIS Automatic Identification System ELMR Enhanced Land Portable RadioAM Amplitude Modulation ELT Electronic Locator TransmitterAMIO Alien Migration Interdiction Operation EMCON Emission ControlAo Operational Availability EMICP Enhanced Portable Incident CommandPostAOR Area of Responsibility EPIRB Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio BeaconAPCO Association of Public Safety Communications Officials FBB Fleet BroadbandATON Aids to Navigation FIPS Federal Information ProcessingStandardBCCS Boat Crew Communications System FM Frequency ModulationBFT Blue Force Tracking FMRC Factory Mutual Research Corp.C2 Command & Control FMSNU Flight Management System & Navigation UnitC4&IT Command, Control, Communications, Computers & Information Technology GHz GigahertzCAMS Communications Area Master Station GMDSS Global Maritime Distress & SafetySystemCBP Customs & Border Protection IEC International ElectroTechnical CommissionCFB Cipher Feedback IAW In Accordance WithCO Commanding Officer IFF Identify, Friend or FoeCOMSATCOM Commercial Satellite Communications IOC/C21 Interagency Operations Center/Command 21CONOPS Concept of Operations IMO International Maritime OrganizationCOOP Continuity of Operations Plan ITU International Telecommunications UnionDES Data Encryption Standard IWN Integrated Wireless NetworkDF Direction Finding JTRS Joint Tactical Radio SystemDGPS Differential Global Positioning System NSA National Security AgencyDHS Department of Homeland Security OFB Output FeedBackDoD Department of Defense OGA Other Government AgenciesDOG Deployable Operations Group ORD Operational Requirements DocumentAcronym Description Acronym DescriptionDSC Digital Selective Calling OTAR Over-The-Air-RekeyDSF Deployable Specialized Forces OTAP Over-The-Air-ProgrammingDVR Digital Voice Recorder OTAT Over-The-Air-TransferEAB Enterprise Architecture Board PC Portable ComputerE-AIS Encrypted Automatic Identification System PFPS Portable Flight Planning SystemECINS Electronic Charting & Integrated Navigation System PLB Personnel Locator BeaconECS Electronic Charting System PORD Preliminary Operational Requirements DocumentECDIS Electronic Chart Display Information System PSU Port Security UnitKMF Key Management Facility PTT Push-To-TalkKPP Key Performance Parameter R21 Rescue 21KVL Key Variable Loader RMS Root Mean SquareLOB Line of Bearing SAR Search & RescueLOS Line-Of-Sight SBU Sensitive But UnclassifiedMCV Portable Communications Vehicle SCC Sector Command CenterMHz Megahertz SSAS Ship Security Alerting SystemMKD Minimum Keyboard & Display STEDS Sensitive But Unclassified Tactical Exchange DisplayMMSI Maritime Portable Service Identifier TIA Telecommunications Industry AssociationMSST Maritime Safety & Security Team UHF Ultra High FrequencyMSRT Maritime Security Response Team UL Underwriter Laboratories, Inc.NAIS Nationwide Automatic Identification System VAC Voltage Alternating CurrentNLECC National Law Enforcement Command Center VDC Voltage Direct CurrentNM Nautical Mile VHF Very High FrequencyNMEA National Maritime Electronics Assoc.