Division chief talks contracting opportunities, bending the cost curve with industry

  • Published
  • By Justin Oakes
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Charged with acquiring innovative over-the-air communication solutions for the Air Force, Hanscom's Space, Aerial and Nuclear Networks Division was the topic of conversation during a Hanscom Representatives Association gathering in Lexington, Mass., April 28.

Col. Todd Krueger, the division's senior materiel leader and keynote speaker for the event, highlighted several prominent programs that would lend to potential contracts for industry partners.

Among the first mentioned was the 5th to 4th Generation Gateway program  - an initiative that focuses on bridging the communications gap between 5th and 4th generation aircraft that use different data link systems.

The gateway provides 5th generation fighters, such as the F-22 and F-35, the ability to share tactical data with 4th generation fighters, such as the F-15, F-16, F-18, as well as other Link 16 participants, creating a shared common tactical picture.

"This program is part of a bigger effort called MAPS (Multi-Domain Adaptable Processing System)," said Krueger. "What the Air Force wants to do is take tactical sensor data from different sources, fuse it, and then hook it onto a data link that is interoperable between 5th to 4th generation platforms."

According to Krueger, the service is still massaging MAPS requirements, but plans to release a 5th to 4th request for proposal, which will serve as the first piece of MAPS.

Pending an approved acquisition strategy, industry candidates can expect to see a draft RFP sometime next month with an anticipated award date third quarter of fiscal year 2016.

Vying contractors will also have another opportunity within the division's Common Data Link, or CDL, program office.

CDLs are high-capacity, encrypted, interoperable data links for ground and aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.

Even though CDL is an Office of the Secretary of Defense and joint effort, the Air Force plays a key role in development.

"Instead of multiple different contracts across various services, we're considering issuing a multi-award IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) where we could govern the process in a single vehicle," Krueger said. "We have to be efficient as we can with constrained program office resources."

The upcoming CDL contract will focus on the development of hardware and software engineering models and prototypes as well as other systems engineering products; a RFP is anticipated for third quarter of FY16.

Krueger later highlighted the Global Aircrew Strategic Network Terminal program  to the group of industry representatives, naming it one of the division's "biggest and most successful efforts."

Global ASNT -- a program dedicated to acquiring and sustaining nuclear command, control and communications terminals - is moving quickly through the first of its three increments and contracts.

And with Increment 2 on the horizon, comes more opportunity for interested contractors as each of the remaining two increments will be full and open source competitions.

The second contract will focus on the dissemination of emergency action messages to strategic aircrews via line-of-sight alerting systems including radios and klaxons - an estimated contract valued in excess of $50 million.

While no RFP is currently slated for release, the program office will be conducting market research and begin early government system engineering in FY16; the Increment 2 contract is expected around the FY18 timeframe.

In addition to discussing future contracting opportunities throughout the program offices, Krueger also touched on one of the Air Force's latest initiatives, Bending the Cost Curve, and how Hanscom plays a role in one of four pathfinder programs .

"Bending the Cost Curve is a way to involve industry early on before requirements are finalized," Krueger said.

Referencing MAPS -- and in turn the 5th to 4th program -- as one of the pathfinder programs for Bending the Cost Curve, the colonel emphasized that they are "looking how to go beyond requests for information, industry days and draft RFPs."

"In a perfect world, we can share our requirements in a draft state and get that input early on, where by far, industry can make the most difference," Krueger said.