The Department of the Army, Army Program Executive Office, Command, Control and Communications-Tactical, Project Manager Tactical Radio, Product Manager Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit, has a requirement for novel capabilities, rapid-production, and cost-effective sustainment strategies in support of the 2-Channel Leader Radio.

• The Army is conducting market research to determine the status of currently available non-developmental and/or commercial 2-Channel Radio products and technologies capable of high-rate production at a low unit price. The Army is primarily interested in technologically mature, National Security Agency and Joint Interoperability Test Command certified 2-Channel single radio solutions capable of simultaneous voice and data communications between multiple echelons of battlefield leadership with peers, subordinates, tactical enablers (i.e., aviation and fires), Coalition, Host Nation and units equipped with legacy Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) and an advanced networking waveform interoperable with the Army Integrated Tactical Network. The intent of this market survey is to assess the state-of-the art of the technology available in 2-Channel radio products that could be applied to meet existing and future operational and programmatic requirements set forth in the attached Draft 2-Channel Leader Radio Performance Requirements Document.
• The Army envisions follow-on contractual efforts will involve qualification testing of hardware and software solutions, National Security Agency and Joint Interoperability Test Command certification, Limited User and Operational Testing, new equipment training, warranty and repair oversight, technical documentation for configuration management and transition to full organic sustainment within three (3) years of first full rate production delivery. The Army desires manufacturing capacity of up to 500 units monthly given a five (5) month procurement lead time with surge capacities double this amount.
• Additionally, the Leader Radio is classified as a National Security System with requirements to be certified for high assurance communications at the SECRET level in accordance with National Security Directive 42 and Committee on National Security Systems Policy 11. Proof of the product’s National Security Agency (NSA) certification or a description of the respondent’s experience in obtaining NSA certification for the same or similar products should be addressed in the response.
• The Army desires Leader Radio solutions with minimal maintenance and inspection requirements at the organizational level that are easily repairable for deployed units. Current sustainment is provided by a mix of Interim Contractor Logistics Support and Organic repairs and maintenance of core depot line replaceable units to be performed at Tobyhanna Army Depot under Public/Private Partnership Agreements. To ensure successful transition to full organic depot sustainment the Army will require Leader Radio Contractors to establish and maintain a technical data escrow account permitting the Government or a third party to sustain all released versions of the software source code baseline and conduct hardware sustainment for all fielded equipment.