The Air Force seeks information from industry for a proposed follow-on contract to provide support to the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite constellation, according to a notice posted on Federal Business Opportunities.
The Air Force intends to issue a follow-on contract to the current DSP On-Orbit Support and Sustainment Contract (DOSSC) to provide factory and operations site support and sustainment to the on-orbit DSP satellite constellation. The Air Force expects this contract to be awarded as a single contract. The Air Force also anticipates a request for proposal (RFP) to be issued by the end of March with a period of performance starting in fiscal year 2014 with one basic year and four one-year options.
The Air Force anticipates a contract award between early July and late December.
Northrop Grumman [NOC] is the prime contractor for DSP. Company spokesman Bob Bishop said yesterday Northrop Grumman is “very interested” in the contract. Boeing [BA] spokeswoman Jenna McMullin said yesterday it’s too early to tell if Boeing would pursue the contract. “Boeing reviews RFIs and considers if there is a strong role Boeing could play in the program before it makes a decision to bid,” McMullin said in an email. Lockheed Martin [LMT], one of the defense industry’s major space players, did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
DSP uses highly technical, non-imaging infrared and other sensors to detect ballistic missile launches, space launches, endoatmospheric and exoatmospheric nuclear detonations and reports them to United States and allied forces deployed worldwide. DSP is considered the precursor to the Air Force’s next-generation nuclear-hardened missile warning constellation Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS).
The contract would require the following support:
* Technical support to operational missile warning on-orbit constellation satellites, trending analysis, performance and data archive as well as the training of new personnel;
* Space-based non-imaging infrared mission performance assessment for real-time mission support and infrared event data analysis;
* Operational satellite and payload anomaly support to include root cause determination and implementation of corrective actions;
* Contractor facilities supporting on-orbit operations (either from the factory or at the operations site) must be Defense Security Service (DSS) certified and capable of processing classified information as required by the DSP constellation. The contractor retains responsibility for recapitalization and/or replacement of any hardware/equipment obsolescence throughout the duration of the contract;
* Program support including management of contractor team and contract/business operations segment to track financial issues and deliverables;
* Capability to develop software tools and implement command plans; and
* Support at various government sites.
The Air Force may also seek to continue efforts currently on the DOSSC: Rapid prototyping of data processing enhancements that maximize the utility of DSP data and maintain mission capability of aging assets and mission processor initiatives.
View the RFI here: http://1.usa.gov/Xib5tC