U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is re-competing the SOF Deployable Node-Light version 3b (SDN-L v3b) Portable Satellite Communications (SATCOM) program to take advantage of modern technologies.
USSOCOM Deputy Program Executive Officer (PEO) for C4 Michael Fitz told Defense Daily Wednesday the command is planning to bundle all three different variants of the SOF deployable node–light, medium and heavy–into one competition rather than compete each variant independently. The goal of this strategy, he said, is to reduce the price and introduce commonality. Fitz said the acquisition strategy would not be one terminal variant for all three sizes, just different sizes for different deployments like small teams, some for medium sized headquarters or some for large headquarters. 
USSOCOM spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Allen said Friday in an email the government has to re-compete the program because the original awards expire in September 2017. Allen said the contract ceiling has not been determined. He expects a draft request for proposals (RFP) to be released in September. Allen declined an interview request.
SDN-L v3b is a portable SATCOM terminal and associated baseband providing secure and non-secure voice, video and data communications to special operations forces (SOF) worldwide. The SDN-L configuration provides a multi-user, multi-classification transmission capability and provides tactically deployed SOF users connectivity into the SOF information enterprise.
Potential bidders in this re-competition could include DataPath, GATR, GigaSat, L-3 Global Communications Solutions [LLL], ThinKom, Tampa Microwave, Comtech Telecommunications Systems (TCS), Harris [HRS] and Hughes. Each company, except Hughes, responded to an Army RFI issued in September 2014. The RFI sought new or existing SATCOM technologies that would be capable of meeting the SOF community’s desired requirements of improved performance, weight and transportability, while at the same time meeting the performance requirements of a multitude of users with different applications.
GigaSat said it would bid for the re-competed SDN-L v3b contract. Hughes Vice President and General Manager of Defense and Intelligence Systems Rick Lober said the company was considering bidding for the re-compete. GATR declined to comment for this story.
After this review, USSOCOM determined that none of the RFI responses offered any immediately deployable solutions that could improve the performance of the legacy command terminals. In late August 2015, USSOCOM approved a justification and approval (J&A) for other than full and open competition to L-3 Global, adding a year to a previously issued indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract for SDN-L v3b.
The J&A was for a follow-on contract to replace legacy SOF Deployable Node-Lite terminals. USSOCOM justified the sole-source, saying If a competition were concluded at the same time as the bridge solution to a SDN-L replacement, rather than extending the L-3 contract for one year, there could be possibly two terminals to replace and sustain.
It would also create, USSOCOM said, the future potential for three different baseline systems in the inventory, increasing complexity of capital equipment replacement plans, training, sparing and maintenance. The command believed that course could have resulted in increased costs with no additional increase in performance because the new capabilities were not yet available.