RFI - Commercial Solutions Opening: Tactical Oceanography Supporting Full-Spectrum Undersea Warfare

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is seeking contractor support for its Tactical Oceanography (TAC-O) prototyping efforts, focusing on enhancing Undersea Warfare (USW) capabilities. The goal is to exploit the ocean environment to improve the performance of USW systems, including unmanned systems, weapons, and sonar. The contractor will provide scientific and engineering expertise in areas such as oceanography, ocean acoustics, systems analysis, and information systems design. Key tasks involve developing prototype concepts for USW systems, creating operator interfaces, conducting human factors engineering analysis, and performing modeling and simulation to evaluate new capabilities. Deliverables include prototype algorithms, feasibility studies, ruggedized oceanographic sensors, and analysis reports. The work involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and will be performed at various government and contractor facilities. The project is funded by various Navy sponsors and requires adherence to numerous military standards and security protocols, including those for cybersecurity and OPSEC.

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is seeking proposals for commercial technologies and data analysis to enhance undersea warfare capabilities through a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) under Other Transaction Agreements (OTA). This competitive solicitation, N66604-26-9-XXXX, aims to award prototype projects up to $20,000,000. NUWC requires expertise in oceanography, acoustics, USW system simulation, and prototype development to improve existing systems and inform next-generation submarines. Solution Briefs, not exceeding five pages, will be evaluated on technical merit, feasibility, past performance, data rights impact, and facilities. Successful prototype projects may lead to follow-on production contracts without further competition. Submissions are due via email to julianna.b.ricci.civ@us.navy.mil.

This draft Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Agreement outlines the terms between the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and a selected company for Tactical Oceanography (TAC-O) prototyping efforts. The agreement, authorized under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, details the scope, security, payment, and intellectual property rights. Key provisions include compliance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) for classified and controlled unclassified information, the ability for the Government to incrementally fund projects, and specific procedures for invoicing through the Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) system. The agreement also addresses data and patent rights, defining categories for government and company-funded data, and outlines dispute resolution and confidentiality protocols. This OTA functions as a flexible acquisition instrument, not subject to typical FAR regulations, aiming to enhance military mission effectiveness.

This document addresses industry questions regarding the “RFI - Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): Tactical Oceanography Supporting Full-Spectrum Undersea Warfare.” The CSO will allow participation from non-traditional defense contractors and will be limited to unclassified white papers. Awards will be prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) under 10 U.S.C. 4022, with the government reserving the right for sole-source follow-on production. Multiple awards are anticipated, focusing on various prototype concepts aligned with the Statement of Work, rather than specific prototypes. The government does not currently plan an industry day. The CSO serves as the request for proposals for the Tactical Oceanography (TAC-O) prototyping requirement, with individual awards potentially being Cost Plus Fixed Fee or Firm Fixed Price. The CSO is projected to be released around February 13, 2026, with responses due around March 13, 2026. Past performance references should come from systems like CPARS or direct knowledge sources. Existing SeaPort contracts are not directly relevant except for past performance. DD254 forms will be attached when the CSO is posted.

The document, a continuation of responses to industry questions regarding the “RFI - Commercial Solutions Opening: Tactical Oceanography Supporting Full-Spectrum Undersea Warfare,” clarifies key aspects of a new government contract. It explicitly states that this is a new contract, indicating no previous incumbent. Furthermore, it confirms interest in prototype projects that involve experimentation focused on deployment concepts, survivability, activation timing, and recovery of undersea devices, in addition to sensor performance and data exploitation. The document also confirms that concepts involving long-duration, dormant undersea systems that activate on command, including those with upward-moving or surfacing payloads, are considered responsive to the Tactical Oceanography (TAC-O) objectives outlined in the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). This indicates a broad scope for innovative solutions in undersea warfare support.

The “RFI - Commercial Solutions Opening: Tactical Oceanography Supporting Full-Spectrum Undersea Warfare” outlines the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center’s (NUWC) plan to award multiple prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) under 10 U.S.C. 4022. This new contract seeks unclassified white papers, with potential for classified addenda, focusing on tactical oceanography requirements. The CSO, anticipated for release around February 13, 2026, with responses due March 13, 2026, will be open for approximately 30 days. Awards may be Cost Plus Fixed Fee or Firm Fixed Price, and NUWC reserves the right to perform sole-source follow-on production. Multiple maturity levels will be considered, and evaluation will be based on technical merit. While no industry day is planned, the government values training materials and integrated technical execution. Companies can submit one proposal as a prime, but there is no limit to sub-contractor proposals.

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is seeking proposals through a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for Tactical Oceanography (TAC-O) prototyping requirements, intending to make multiple awards. This new contract will involve prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) under 10 U.S.C. 4022, with the government reserving the right for sole-source follow-on production. Non-traditional defense contractors are encouraged to participate. White papers must be unclassified, with classified addenda potentially requested later. The CSO, projected for release on February 13, 2026, will be open for approximately 30 days, with solution briefs due by March 13, 2026. Evaluation will primarily be based on technical merit. The scope includes experimentation with undersea devices, long-duration dormant systems, and various technical focus areas such as analytical studies, modeling, operator decision aids, and sensor integration. NUWC values training materials and knowledge transfer as prototype deliverables. Offerors can submit one proposal as a prime contractor, but there are no limits for subcontracting roles. The agreement will be directly with NUWC, considering multiple maturity levels for proposed solutions. Both government-furnished and contractor-generated data will be utilized, and both onboard environmental sensing and offboard data fusion are equally valued. Autonomy improvements can be informed by the concepts, but actual autonomy development is not included in the SOW.