Northrop Grumman Defense Mission Systems in Reston, VA has won a $25.4 million hybrid cost-plus-incentive fee/cost-plus-award fee common link integration processing (CLIP) contract. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $122.2 million.
The CLIP contract effort will be a full life-cycle effort, from system design through to training and system installation support on applicable aircraft ships, aircraft, shore sites/land platforms, and test facilities.
CLIP is a cooperative Navy and Air Force program to develop common software to integrate Tactical Data Links (TDLs) and Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity onto Naval Surface, Air, and Air Force platforms. When CLIP is installed, all craft would be able to exchange information digitally without having to rely on voice radio transmissions.
Previously, tactical data links have been integrated into the aircraft’s Operational Flight Program (OFP), which is the software program that runs all aircraft systems. This meant any change to the data link necessitated a change to the OFP. CLIP, on the other hand, is intended to function outside the OFP, allowing initial installation and subsequent upgrades to be much easier to perform.
The software will be written to an open operating system standard, enabling it to function on any operating system and on multiple types of computer processors as well. This makes CLIP flexible across the many platforms it must be integrated into to provide a tactical data link processing capability. Operators should also be able to pick and choose which CLIP applications they require for their mission, and scale the software to meet the unique tactical data link requirements of each platform that CLIP is integrated into.
Increment 1 of the program will integrate the B-1B, A-10 and MH-60. Increment 2 will continue to focus on Air Force and Navy aviation platforms, while increment 3 will integrate Navy surface ships. These lists of platforms are not complete. In fact, program officials fully expect that when fielding begins other customers will emerge.
There are estimates that CLIP could save the Air Force alone $750 million in installation, integration and sustainment costs, while significantly cutting platform development costs to integrate a tactical data link capability.
The CLIP initiative’s management structure is also different. Both Navy and Air Force program officials are members of an integrated product team that meets frequently to jointly manage the program. This approach has allowed program mangers to share resources and energy without loading the initiative down with additional management layers.
Work on this particular ancillary contract will be performed in San Diego, CA and is expected to be completed by January 2007. thecontract was competitively procured via the Commerce Business Daily’s Federal Business Opportunities website, and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website, with an unlimited number of proposals solicited and four offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. issued the contract (N00039-05-C-0006).
Additional Readings
* Hanscom AFB (Nov. 24, 2004) – Common Link Integration Processing; warfighter’s ‘Universal Translator’
* Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute – Pilot Project: QAW/ATAM/Common Link Integration Program (CLIP)
* Primezone Media (May 26, 2005) – Northrop Grumman Selected to Provide Link Middleware Software for Navy MH-60 Helicopters