JSTARS Conversion of Technical Data to S1000D Specification
Sources Sought Synopsis
Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS)
Conversion of Technical Data to S1000D Specification
CAUTION:
The Joint STARS Program Office is seeking responsible sources for the conversion of the E-8 Joint Integrated Maintenance Information System (JIMIS) Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) like technical data to S1000D, an Extensible Markup Language (SML) specification for preparing, managing, and using equipment maintenance and operations information, and the international specification for the procurement and production of technical publications.
Contractors/Institutions responding to this request for information/market survey are notified participation in this survey may not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards. The government will not reimburse respondents for any expenses associated with their participation in the request for information/market survey.
BACKGROUND:
The E-8 is a modified Boeing 707-300 series commercial airframe extensively re-manufactured and modified with the radar, communications, operations and control sub-systems required to perform its operational mission. The most prominent external feature is the 27-foot (8 meters) long, canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage housing the 24-foot (7.3 meters) long, side-looking phased array antenna.
The radar and computer sub-systems on the E-8C can gather and display detailed battlefield information on ground forces. The information is relayed in near real-time to the Army and Marine Corps common ground stations and to other ground command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence, or C4I, nodes.
The antenna can be tilted to either side of the aircraft where it can develop a 120-degree field of view covering nearly 19,305 square miles (50,000 square kilometers) and is capable of detecting targets at more than 250 kilometers (more than 820,000 feet). The radar also has some limited capability to detect helicopters, rotating antennas and low, slow-moving fixed wing aircraft.
As a battle management and command and control asset, the E-8C can support the full spectrum of roles and missions from peacekeeping operations to major theater war.
Joint STARS evolved from Army and Air Force programs to develop, detect, locate, and attack enemy armor at ranges beyond the forward area of troops. The first two developmental aircraft deployed in 1991 to Operation Desert Storm and also supported Operation Joint Endeavor in December 1995.
Team Joint STARS men and women have contributed tremendously to overseas contingency operations, flying more than 130,000 combat hours in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, Unified Protector, Freedom's Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve. Their operational resume includes support of six Combatant Commands including U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Europe Command.
Team Joint STARS was the first organization in the USAF to activate under the Air Force's Total Force Initiative as a "blended" wing. America's first "Total Force" wing, the former 93rd Air Control Wing, an active-duty Air Combat Command unit, and the 116th Bomb Wing, a Georgia Air National Guard unit, were deactivated Oct.1, 2002. The 116th Air Control Wing was activated blending Guard and active-duty Airmen into a single unit. In October 2011, the Active Associate construct was formed by the newly activated 461st Air Control Wing as a member of Team Joint STARS.
Team Joint STARS through the 116th/461st ACW, is the only unit operating the E-8C and conducting the Joint STARS mission.
PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION:
The Joint STARS Program Office is surveying the market to determine those sources qualified to perform work under this effort. The contract is expected to include the following regarding support and sustainment of the E-8 weapon system:
- General program management responsibilities including; planning, organizing, staffing, administering, and controlling all contract activities, and to ensure cost, schedule, and technical objectives are achieved.
- S1000D shall be in accordance with Joint Service Business Rules, MIL-STD-3048, Department of Defense Standard Practice: Air Force Business Rules for the Implementation of S1000D, and TO 00-5-3, Air Force Technical Order Life Cycle Management.
- Convert JIMIS housed SGML like technical data used for maintenance and repair of the E-8 weapon system, to S1000D format specified by the USAF and AFLCMC/LZP Product Data Management for hosting into an USAF standardized digital data viewer (currently SDL Live Content).
- Convert utilizing 54 standard Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) functionality requirements, from the USAF S1000D (version 4.1) Decision Point Tool, 22 being mandatory requirements and 32 being configurable requirements.
- Mandatory Requirements
Functionality Category
Requirement
Annotations
Global data annotations The IETM shall have the capability to enter, store, and display globally applicable supplemental data. Globally means it applies at the Air Force level and can be seen by all users of the IETM, whether it's an Air Force Instruction, policy memo, urgent change, or supplemental data to the IETM.
Annotations
Local data annotations The IETM shall have the capability to enter, store, and display locally applicable supplemental data. Local can mean either wing level, base level, MAJCOM level or any similar level and can be seen by the applicable users of the IETM at the specified level, whether it's a local instruction or policy.
Delivery and Distribution
Network delivery/distribution Technical data shall be delivered/distributed via network such as Internet, Intranet, or LAN and shall use approved transfer protocols (FTP, HTTPS).
Graphics Functionality
Pan and zoom At a minimum, the IETM shall provide users the capability to pan and zoom graphics. Other graphic manipulation capabilities, such as rotating or magnifying glass view, may be included.
Linking
Hot spotting Graphics shall contain hot spots/embedded links to related information as needed. The most common example are parts illustrations where the callouts are linked to the appropriate parts listing.
Linking
Internal and external links All references, both internal to the document/data module and external to other documents/data modules, shall be hyperlinked and take the user to the referenced material when clicked.
Navigation and Tracking
Filter content per applicability The IETM shall filter the content displayed to the user based on applicability criteria given by the user. For example, the user specifies the tail number of the aircraft and only information relevant to that particular aircraft is shown. Filtering criteria are displayed in the "Additional Comments" field. At a minimum, both tail number and TCTO (pre and post) filtering options shall be provided.
Navigation and Tracking
Next and previous The IETM shall include "Next" and "Previous" navigation functions. These functions shall act in an equivalent manner to the "Forward" and "Back" arrows of web browsers.
Navigation and Tracking
Restore initial navigation view The IETM shall provide users the capability to restore the IETM interface to a default view. Frames and other parts of the IETM interface that have been resized, moved, or hidden will be reset to the IETM's default setting.
Navigation and Tracking
Search The IETM shall provide users the capability to search the technical content for specific characters, words, or phrases. Users shall be able to specify whether whole or partial matches should be returned and whether to search a single data module, a range of data modules, or the entire IETM.
Navigation and Tracking
Simultaneous display of multiple content objects The IETM shall provide the users the capability to display technical content text and any tables or graphics simultaneously. This can be accomplished either through separate panes on the IETM interface, separate pop-up windows, or a combination of both.
Navigation and Tracking
System/subsystem navigation The IETM shall provide users the capability to navigate through the technical content via the product's system/subsystem breakdown. User's would start at the highest level of the product (such as the aircraft itself), and would then navigate down through the system structure (such as airframe, cockpit) to find the appropriate data.
Navigation and Tracking
Text, graphic, and table searchability All text in the technical content shall be searchable, including all text located in graphics and tables.
Printing
Data module printing The IETM shall provide users the capability to print the current data module being viewed. TO policy must be followed with regards to printing excerpts (such as printing distribution and security statements).
Printing
Print screen The IETM shall provide users the capability to print the screen currently being viewed. TO policy must be followed with regards to printing excerpts (such as printing distribution and security statements).
Printing
Printing data module and linked data The IETM shall provide users the capability to print the current data module being viewed as well as any data referenced by the data module. Printed linked data shall be limited to one level of linking (i.e. any referenced data in the linked data shall not also be printed). TO policy must be followed with regards to printing excerpts (such as printing distribution and security statements).
Publishing
Complete page-based PDF technical manual publishing The publishing system shall be able to publish fully formatted, linear, page-based technical manuals as a PDF from authored S1000D data modules. This would be a complete publication, not an excerpt or a single data module.
Special Content
Emergency procedure quick access The IETM shall provide users quick (one click) access to associated emergency procedures. The IETM shall also provide users quick (one click) access to a listing of all emergency procedures.
Special Content
Help documentation The IETM shall have a "Help" option which provides users with documentation and guidance on how to use the IETM and all its options.
Updates
Active change indications and markings The IETM shall display appropriately authored change markers in the technical data and provide users with the capability to toggle the display of change markers on/off.
User Operation Mode
Disconnected mode The IETM shall be able to operate entirely in a stand-alone or disconnected mode where the IETM is not connected to any network or Internet.
User Operation Mode
Web browser viewable The IETM technical content shall be viewable in a standard web browser that is part of the Air Force standard desktop. Web browser plug-ins or helper applications may be used to enable additional IETM functionalities that are not possible with the standard browser.
- Configurable Requirements
Functionality Category
Requirement
Access
IETM tailoring via user roles/profiles The IETM shall be customizable based on user roles. Examples of customization include enabling/disabling menu options and allowing/disallowing access of certain data modules.
Access
Login/Logout via Common Access Card (CAC) The IETM shall provide users the capability to login and logout with their CAC.
Access
Login/Logout via username and password The IETM shall provide users the capability to login and logout with a username and password.
Access
Login/Logout The IETM shall provide users the capability to login and logout.
Access
Suspend/Restart The IETM shall provide users the capability to suspend their current session and to restart the session at a future time at the point where they left off.
Annotations
Action complete indicators The IETM shall provide users the capability to indicate that actions called for by the technical data have been completed. This is normally represented as a checkbox.
Annotations
Personal annotations The IETM shall provide users the capability to add supplemental information or notes to the data. Personal annotations can be added or deleted at the end user's discretion but is not retained at the end of the user session.
Annotations
Redlining graphics The IETM shall provide users the capability to redline/annotate graphics using markings for deletions, insertions, and changes. These markings are saved as feedback to correct/improve the publication during development and verification.
Annotations
Redlining text The IETM shall provide users the capability to redline/annotate text using markings for deletions, insertions, and changes. These markings are saved as feedback to correct/improve the publication during development and verification.
Delivery and Distribution
Paper delivery/distribution Technical data shall be delivered/distributed via printed paper publications.
Delivery and Distribution
Physical media delivery/distribution Technical data shall be delivered/distributed via physical media such as DVD or hard drive.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Dynamic diagnostics The IETM shall interface with the product to utilize onboard monitoring devices (e.g. Built-In Test) and support/test equipment for fault detection/isolation. Troubleshooting is based on results returned from the product rather than inputs received from the maintainer. This may require external software and the product must also support this functionality.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Software driven diagnostics The IETM shall guide the user (via software) through troubleshooting by analyzing maintainer inputs, fault codes, and their correlations to display the appropriate starting point/action for fault isolation instead of the maintainer using a predefined fault tree. This will require a logic engine and one or more process data modules.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
System simulation The IETM shall have the capability to represent the behavior or characteristics of the system function/malfunction to determine or reenact the problem. System simulation allows the user to introduce stimulus (such as pressure, valve positions, temperatures, voltages, sensor inputs, switch positions) and present the results in a manner that models the system behaviors. This can be used to model hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic and other systems.
Diagnostics and Prognostics
Wire/Fluid system tracing The IETM shall provide users the capability to select wires, fluid, pneumatic or (HVAC) line in a graphic (diagram or schematic) and have continuity highlighted thru the circuit or schematic.
External Processes
Deficiency/improvement reporting The IETM shall provide users the capability to report errors/improvements to the technical data by initiating the AFTO 22 process from within the IETM.
External Processes
Maintenance data collection integration The IETM shall have the capability to capture and transmit configuration change data (i.e. removed and installed part number information), tasks authorized, tasks performed, results of that work, etc. This information would be transmitted to Air Force maintenance data collection systems (such as REMIS).
External Processes
Other external system integration If there are any other external systems beyond the ones already listed (parts ordering, AFTO 22 change process, maintenance data collection) that should be integrated into the IETM, then these will be listed in the "Additional Comments" field.
External Processes
Parts ordering integration The IETM shall interface with the supply system to allow users to order parts from within the IETM.
Functionality Category -Annotations
PDF action complete indicators The PDF shall provide users the capability to indicate that actions called for by the technical data have been completed. This is normally represented as a checkbox.
Graphics Functionality
3D modeling The product and its components shall be modeled using 3D, solid object graphical figures and are displayed by the IETM. The use of 3D models can allow virtual assembly, disassembly, removal and installation of parts of the product using animation, simulation and/or virtual reality concepts.
Linking
Hot reference (tool tips) The IETM shall display tool tips to the user on relevant "mouse overs". At a minimum, all IETM menu options shall have tool tips as well as all acronyms and footnotes displayed in the technical data.
Navigation and Tracking
Audit trail The IETM shall track and log all user interactions during a session. These interactions can then be retrieved to recreate the session in case an audit is needed.
Navigation and Tracking
Dialog driven navigation The IETM shall prompt the user for input and would then jump to the appropriate location based on the response. This requires the use of one or more process data modules.
Navigation and Tracking
Graphical navigation The IETM shall provide users the capability to navigate the technical data via graphical representations of the product's system/subsystem breakdown. Heavy use of hot spotting is required on the graphics. For example, from a graphical overview of the aircraft, the user selects a wing. A graphical overview of the wing is presented. The user then selects the flaps. A graphical overview of the flaps is presented. The user selects the actuator. Information on the actuator is presented.
Navigation and Tracking
History of traversed links The IETM shall provide the capability to display to the user a history of all links traversed by the user.
Navigation and Tracking
User creation of bookmarks The IETM shall provide the capability to allow the user to create their own bookmarks or navigational links to specific locations in the data. This would require login functionality as the bookmarks are tied to the specific user login.
Navigation and Tracking
Voice activated commands The IETM shall provide users the capability to navigate through the technical content via voice commands.
Special Content
Animated graphics support The IETM shall have the capability to display animated graphic contained within the technical content for the user.
Special Content
Audio file support The IETM shall have the capability to play audio files contained within the technical content for the user.
Special Content
Link to external training The IETM shall include built-in links to external training sites for relevant maintainer/operator training courses/data.
Special Content
Motion video file support The IETM shall have the capability to play video files contained within the technical content for the user.
Requirements are outlined within guidance provided by USAF and Department of Defense publications. It is expected the Contractor personnel shall have the necessary technical skills and certifications to meet contract requirements. Interested firms should submit a written product demonstrating how they plan on providing technically compliant solutions for the Joint STARS weapon system during the support and sustainment timeframe listed. If a firm believes it would be competitive in providing necessary support and sustainment capability, then it should submit a product not to exceed 50 pages, with text of 12-font Times New Roman, and graphics should have no smaller than 10-font text. Commercial brochures will not be accepted. Without written permission from the respondent, the Program Office will not release to any firm, agency or individual outside of the Government any information marked "Proprietary."
LIMITATIONS:
JIMIS housed SGML like technical data was developed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Northrop Grumman Corporation, for use in the maintenance and repair of the E-8 weapon system. While the technical data format is SGML, it does contain some OEM specific formatting. The Government does not anticipate this will cause any difficulty in the conversion process of the JIMIS housed technical data. The Government owns the data rights to the technical data.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Responding firms should clearly indicate the following:
a. Experience in developing, testing, and producing systems similar to the E-8C;
b. Production capabilities sufficient to provide cost effective and timely solutions;
c. Previous platform integration and systems engineering expertise and experience, as evident in program success and citations from customers (firms should elaborate how they would propose a working relationship with another firm that has Total System Performance Responsibility (TSPR) for all upgrades made to the E-8C;
d. Government Furnished Equipment and/or Information required in order to perform the work;
e. A subcontracting plan for small business concerns;
f. The approach to coordinate logistics support planning activities with Northrop Grumman Corporation in order to support their Total Systems Support Responsibility (TSSR) sustainment contract responsibilities;
g. The approach to coordinate software development/integration activities with Northrop Grumman Corporation in order to support the Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR)
h. The approach in obtaining exact design/implementation documentation from Northrop Grumman Corporation to allow the performance of work described in this synopsis.
2. If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company's capability in meeting these requirements. Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.)
3. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged.
4. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to Capt Stacylee Johnson, Stacylee.Johnson@us.af.mil
5. Responses must be received no later than 12:00 p.m. EST 04 October 2019. Responses must be sent electronically via AMRDEC SAFE (https://safe.amrdec.army.mil/safe/) to: stacylee.johnson@us.af.mil
PART I: Business Information:
1. Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:
a. Company/Institute Name
b. Address
c. Point of Contact
d. CAGE Code
e. Phone Number
f. Email Address
g. Web Page URL
h. Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 334511
2. Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:
a. Small Business (Yes/No)
b. Woman Owned Small Business (Yes/No)
c. Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes/No)
d. 8(a) Certified (Yes/No)
e. HUBZone Certified (Yes/No)
f. Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes/No)
g. Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes/No)
h. System for Award Management (SAM) (Yes/No)
i. A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership)
PART II: Capability Survey Questions
1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and the nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure.
2. Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual point of contact (Contracting Officer or Program Manager).
3. Describe your company's capabilities and experience in generating technical data, engineering drawings, and manuals. Identify what software programs are utilized to generate these data products and what formats are available for delivered items.
Stacylee Johnson, Contract Specialist, Phone 4782223626, Email stacylee.johnson@us.af.mil - Adrian V. Oliver, Lead Contracting Officer, Phone 478-222-3629, Email adrian.oliver.2@us.af.mil
