SDA Issues Tranche 1 Ground Operations and Integration Request for Proposal

Two Response Dates: Vol I-VI due Feb. 24 & Vol VII due March 3, 2022

SDA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to establish the ground operations and integration segment for Tranche 1 (T1), the initial warfighting capability tranche, of the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA). Unique to this operations solicitation, the core functions include:  enterprise management, network management, mission management, payload data management, and constellation monitoring that span all segments (ground, link, space, and user) in the architecture.

The scope of work of the Tranche 1 Operations & Integration (O&I) contract requires the O&I Contractor to develop, equip, man and operate state-of-the-art, commercial-like operation centers, acquire and operate SDA ground entry points (GEP), and lead ground-to-space integration efforts. SDA’s T1 Transport Layer operations are enabled by the T1 ground segment that includes two operations centers located at SDA-provided facilities in Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB), Grand Forks, N.D. (Northern Tier) and Redstone Arsenal (RSA), Huntsville, Ala. (Southern Tier); multiple GEPs; external locations, and terrestrial backhaul communications; a fully integrated T1 satellite network; battle management command control and communications (BMC3) functionality; and, the T1 interoperability test environment. The ability of this contractor to work with and manage inputs and actions from multiple other performers will be critical to successfully field and operate T1 of the NDSA.