NETWORKING THE FIGHT

Amendment / Modification

This amendment to BAA FA8750-24-S-7002 provides an anticipated funding breakdown for each Technical Area (TA) per Fiscal Year (FY).

• Part II, Section I, paragraph 3, "Program Phased Effort", has been updated.
• The anticipated funding breakdown table has been added/updated.

No changes to proposal deadlines or submission requirements are indicated. Bidders should note the updated funding breakdown for planning purposes.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Department of the Air Force, AFRL, seeks innovative research proposals for the "Networking the Fight" (NtF) program. The goal is to enhance information sharing flexibility at the tactical edge, enabling secure movement of information across security domains and heterogeneous networks, spanning air, space, and ground. The program aims to develop capabilities for seamless information transmission and management in tactical environments to improve mission success and support Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

The research is divided into three Technical Areas (TAs):

• TA 1: Next Generation Cross Domain Solution Broker: Develop a discoverable, reconfigurable broker service to enhance existing Cross Domain Solutions (CDSs), focusing on discoverability and reconfigurability for tactical deployment.
• TA 2: Highly Dynamic Red/Black Networking: Develop resilient forwarding capabilities over Red/Black network boundaries, enabling dynamic routing, metadata passing, and optimized data flow management.
• TA 3: Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A): Develop and integrate MS&A tools to assess the viability of TA 1 and TA 2 artifacts, creating a testbed for performance evaluation.

Deliverables include reference hardware and software implementations, MS&A products, digital models, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Interoperability Test Plans.

• BAA Type: Open, 2-Step BAA with a partial Closed-Staggered component for TA 1, TA 2, and TA 3.

• Period of Performance: Effective until February 14, 2029. The program is structured in three phases over approximately three years (Phase 0: 9 months, Phase 1: 12 months, Phase 2: 15 months).

• Estimated Funding: Approximately $70M total. Individual awards typically range from $1M to $24M, not normally exceeding 36 months.

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated. Specifically, three awards for TA 1, three for TA 2, and one for TA 3 for the closed-staggered portion.

• Award Instruments: Procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or Other Transactions (OTs).

• Submission: White papers are the initial submission. Formal proposals will be by invitation only.

• White Paper Due Date: February 28, 2024, 11:59 PM EST (though later submissions will be accepted with reduced likelihood of funding).

• Proposal Due Date (if invited): April 8, 2024, 11:59 PM EST.

• Evaluation: Based on Scientific and Technical Merit, Related Experience, Openness/Maturity/Assurance of Solution, and Reasonableness/Realism of Costs.

• Open to all qualified offerors.

• Closed to foreign participation, with specific exceptions for fundamental research and FOCI mitigation.

• FFRDCs and Government entities must demonstrate unique eligibility.

• Offerors should monitor SAM.gov for amendments.

• Dialogue between offerors and the Government is encouraged.

• Strict adherence to submission instructions is required.