[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23001-23002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09034]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2016-0291]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Troposcatter
Communications Exploratory Development
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces its intent to enter into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Comtech
Systems, Inc., to investigate the potential operational use of
troposcatter technology. The research includes employment of their
Modular Transportable Transmission System (MTTS) in northern Alaska to
establish beyond line of sight (BLOS) network links without using
existing infrastructure or satellite communications. Specifically, the
MTTS will provide a wireless IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) data link between
two locations separated by long distances and elevated terrain. The
MTTS will be setup in locations with no shelter/protection from the
Northern Alaskan environment. A Pilot Demonstration schedule has been
proposed in which Comtech Systems will provide their MTTS to connect
two points separated by 68 miles with a 3000 foot elevation in between.
The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center) will
prepare a Pilot Demonstration Assessment Plan and Comtech Systems will
operate the equipment for exploratory development over a one week
period to collect information on suitability, reliability, maintenance
requirements, and ease of use. While the Coast Guard is currently
considering partnering with Comtech Systems, Inc., the agency is
soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation
of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard
also invites other potential non-Federal participants to propose
similar CRADAs.
DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov, or reach the Docket Management Facility, on or
before May 19, 2016.
Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before May 19, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov in
accordance with Web site instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact LCDR Samuel
Nassar, Project Official, C4ISR Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Research and
Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 06320, telephone
860-271-2727, email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Participation and Request for Comments
We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of
comments.
Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2016-0291and
should provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You
should provide personal contact information so that we can contact you
if we have questions regarding your comments; but please note that all
comments will be posted to the online docket without change and that
any personal information you include can be searchable online (see the
Federal Register Privacy Act notice regarding our public dockets, 73 FR
3316, Jan. 17, 2008). We also accept anonymous comments.
We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Documents mentioned in this
notice and all public comments, are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following that Web site's
instructions. Additionally, if you go to the online docket and sign up
for email alerts, you will be notified when comments are posted or a
final rule is published.
Do not submit detailed proposals for future CRADAs to the Docket
Management Facility. Instead, submit them directly to the Coast Guard
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Discussion
CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710(a).\1\ A CRADA promotes
the transfer of technology to the private sector for commercial use, as
well as specified research or development
[[Page 23002]]
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.
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\1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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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 procurement
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one
non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal
participant will collect information/data for performance, reliability,
maintenance requirements, human systems integration and other data on
Troposcatter communications technologies. After an initial installation
and training, the Coast Guard plans to evaluate designated platforms
outfitted with the communications technologies for a period of one
week.
We anticipate the Coast Guard's contributions under the proposed
CRADA will include the following:
(1) Develop the Demonstration Pilot Assessment Plan to meet the
objectives of the CRADA with a diverse set of real-life mission
scenarios.
(2) Provide the pilot demonstration support in and around Nome, AK.
(3) Coordinate Pilot demonstration network connectivity between
various internet protocol (IP) systems.
(4) Collaborate with non-Federal partners to prepare demonstration
documentation including equipment assessments, final report(s), and
briefings.
We anticipate that the non-Federal participant's contributions
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
(1) Assist the R&D Center in the development and drafting of all
CRADA documents, including the pilot demonstration assessment plan,
equipment assessments, final report(s), and briefings.
(2) Provide and maintain the troposcatter communications equipment
to ensure the communications link is usable.
(3) Secure, with R&D Center assistance, Special Temporary Authority
(STA) to employ the equipment within the desired frequency bands.
(4) Provide technical support, training and maintenance throughout
the period of performance to ensure maximum availability and utility of
the networks.
The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development
costs. Proposals and 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 five single-sided pages (excluding
cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). 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:
(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 Comtech Systems, Inc. for
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is based on the fact
that Comtech Systems has demonstrated its technical ability as the
developer, manufacturer, and integrator of troposcatter transmission
equipment. However, we do not wish to exclude other viable participants
from this or future similar CRADAs.
This is a technology assessment effort. The goal for the Coast
Guard of this CRADA is to better understand the advantages,
disadvantages, required technology enhancements, performance, costs,
and other issues associated with troposcatter transmission. Special
consideration will be given to small business firms/consortia, and
preference will be given to business units located in the U.S. This
notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: March 24, 2016.
Captain Dennis C. Evans,
USCG, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development
Center.
[FR Doc. 2016-09034 Filed 4-18-16; 8:45 am]
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