[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25488-25490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10320]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2012-0298]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Federally
Integrated Communications System
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with General
Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc. to lab demonstrate, field test, evaluate, and
document at least one technical approach to show interoperability, with
end-to-end encryption, for disparate Federal communications systems at
the Internet Protocol level. The Coast Guard invites public comment on
the proposed CRADA, and also invites other potential non-Federal
participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar
contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting
proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.
DATES: Comments and related material on the proposed CRADA must either
be submitted to our online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or
before May 30, 2012, or reach the Docket Management Facility by that
date.
Notifications from parties interested in participating as a non-
Federal participant in a CRADA similar to the one described in this
notice must reach the Docket Management Facility on or before May 30,
2012.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments on this notice identified by
docket number USCG-2012-0298 using any one of the following methods:
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
(2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
(3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone
number is 202-366-9329.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods.
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice,
contact Ms. Octavia Ashburn, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development
Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone: 860-271-
2882, email: Octavia.D.Ashburn@uscg.mil. If you have questions on
viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Ms. Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone (202) 366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to submit comments and related material on this
notice. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any personal information you have
provided.
Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket
Management Facility. Potential non-Federal CRADA participants should
submit these documents to Ms. Octavia Ashburn, U.S. Coast Guard
Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320
(email Octavia.D.Ashburn@uscg.mil).
Submitting Comments
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this
notice (USCG-2012-0298), and provide a reason for each suggestion or
recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online via
http://www.regulations.gov, or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but
please use only one of these means. If you submit a comment online via
http://www.regulations.gov, it will be considered received by the Coast
Guard when you successfully transmit the comment. If you fax, hand
deliver, or mail your comment, it will be
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considered as having been received by the Coast Guard when it is
received at the Docket Management Facility. We recommend that you
include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a
telephone number in the body of your document so that we can contact
you if we have questions regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov and
type ``USCG-2012-0298'' in the ``Keyword'' box. If you submit your
comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic
filing. If you submit comments by mail and would like to know that they
reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard
or envelope. We will consider all comments and material received during
the comment period.
Viewing Comments and Related Material
To view the comments and related material, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read comments'' box, which will
then become highlighted in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box, insert ``USCG-
2012-0298'' and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket Folder'' in
the ``Actions'' column. If you do not have access to the Internet, you
may view the docket online by visiting the Docket Management Facility
in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the Department of Transportation
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590,
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation to
use the Docket Management Facility.
Privacy Act
Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may review a Privacy Act, system of
records notice regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008,
issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), are
authorized by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-
502, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3710(a)). A CRADA promotes the transfer of
technology to the private sector for commercial use as well as
specified research or development efforts that are consistent with the
mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or
parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research
resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding. The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as an executive agency under 5
U.S.C. 105, is a Federal agency for purposes of 15 U.S.C. 3710(a) and
may enter into a CRADA. The Secretary of DHS (Secretary) delegated
authority to the Commandant of the Coast Guard to carry out the
functions vested in the Secretary by section 2 of the Federal
Technology Transfer Act of 1986, which authorizes agencies to permit
their laboratories to enter into CRADAs (see DHS Delegation No. 0160.1,
para. 2.B(34)). The Commandant of the Coast Guard has delegated
authority in this regard to the Coast Guard's Research and Development
Center (RDC).
CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have
a specific purpose and should not be confused with other types of
agreements such as procurement contracts, grants, and cooperative
agreements.
Goal of Proposed CRADA
Under the proposed CRADA, the Coast Guard's RDC would collaborate
with non-Federal participants. Together, the RDC and the non-Federal
participants would conduct lab demonstrations, field tests and
evaluations, and document at least one technical approach to show
interoperability, with end-to-end encryption, for disparate
communications systems at the Internet Protocol (IP) level. The systems
will be comprised of the current Coast Guard Rescue 21 (R21 or Rescue
21) conventional Land Mobile Radio (LMR) network and a Federal wireless
system partner. This integrated communications system should provide
for interoperability among the different Federal agency heterogeneous
radio systems, without changing the functionality of each existing
system.
We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include the following:
(1) Support network architecture and security discussions on the
work to be accomplished under the CRADA;
(2) Lead the development of the test objectives and test plan for
the specific work to be accomplished under the CRADA;
(3) Facilitate interactions between USCG, the non-Federal
participants, and a Federal wireless system partner to gain approval
for support during the test period of the CRADA test plan;
(4) Provide Coast Guard resources, and conduct the field test and
evaluation in accordance with the CRADA test plan; and
(5) Develop the CRADA Final Report, which documents the
methodologies, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA
work.
We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
(1) Provide an R21 gateway to work with current Commercial Off-the-
Shelf configuration used during this CRADA investigation;
(2) Provide an Inter Subsystem Interface (ISSI) Gateway to work
with a Federal wireless system partner interface;
(3) Test the R21 gateway with R21 system in lab demonstration;
(4) Test the Federal wireless system partner gateway in lab
demonstration;
(5) Conduct system level test for both gateways in lab
demonstration;
(6) Develop configuration process to execute field test and
evaluation;
(7) Provide input into the Coast Guard-developed, CRADA test
objectives and CRADA test plan;
(8) Provide equipment and software, and participate in equipment
installation and training for field test and evaluation;
(9) Following field test and evaluation, remove equipment and
software and restore to R21 original configuration;
(10) Provide technical report describing system configuration and
system performance of equipment and gateway;
(11) Provide input into the Coast Guard-developed, CRADA Final
Report.
Selection Criteria
The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants
all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this notice. The
Coast Guard will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal
development costs. Proposals (or any other material) submitted in
response to this notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are
expected to be unclassified and have no more than four single-sided
pages (excluding cover page and resumes). The Coast Guard will select
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
(1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
(2) How well they address the following criteria:
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(a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party
contributions described; and
(b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party
contributions described.
Currently, the Coast Guard is considering General Dynamics for
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on: (1)
General Dynamics' expertise, experience, and interest with the design,
development, maintenance, and operations of the Coast Guard's Rescue 21
system; (2) General Dynamics' capability to provide the significant
contributions required for the CRADA work; and (3) the Coast Guard's
Rescue 21 system, which includes a General Dynamics product containing
restricted rights software code. However, we do not wish to exclude
other viable participants from this or future similar CRADAs.
This is a technology transfer/development effort. Presently, the
Coast Guard has no plan to procure a new LMR network. The goal of this
CRADA is to conduct lab demonstrations, field tests and evaluations,
and to document at least one technical approach to show
interoperability, with end-to-end encryption, for disparate
communications systems at the Internet Protocol (IP) level, and not to
set future Coast Guard acquisition requirements for the same.
Therefore, non-Federal CRADA participants will not be excluded from any
future Coast Guard procurements based solely on their participation in
this CRADA.
Special consideration will be given to small business firms/
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in
the U.S.
Authority
This notice is issued under the authority of 15 U.S.C. 3710(a), 5
U.S.C. 552(a), and 33 CFR 1.05-1.
Dated: April 19, 2012.
Alan N. Arsenault,
Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2012-10320 Filed 4-27-12; 8:45 am]
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