Satellite, wireless and other communications need technical support at Navy site in Maryland

The Naval Air Warfare Center’s aircraft division at Patuxent, MD, will be turning to a commercial contractor to help design, develop, integrate, test, evaluate and field what are known as “Telecommunications and Related Communication-Electronic Systems,” or TARCES.

To that end, the Navy issued a sources sought document on Feb. 19, which spelled out its needs, and indicated that it has scheduled an industry day to brief prospective vendors at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, MD, on March 5. The industry day will enable attendees to understand the history of the TARCES requirement and to tour certain laboratories of interest to the Special Communications Requirements (SCR) division at that site.

The chosen vendor will provide technical support in the following areas: military satellite communications, commercial satellite communications, HF radio communications, short-haul tactical communications, commercial wireless communications, “leading-edge” wireless communications, digital networking, and encryption and IT security technologies.

The Navy envisions a cost-type contract, which will be performed 20 percent at government facilities in St. Inigoes, MD, and 80 percent off-site at the chosen contractor’s facilities.

The Navy says it will use the input it receives from this sources sought document to determine if any small business set-aside opportunities should be utilized.

This type of support work is currently being handled by Smartronix, Inc., of Hollywood, MD, whose cost plus fixed fee task order is due to expire on April 29, 2015.

Further information is available from Jessica Guy at 301-737-7570 or jessica.l.guy@navy.mil.