Navy projects new OTA consortium will be operational in early FY-19

The Navy is moving forward with a consortium focused on information warfare capabilities, projected to be operational in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019.

The consortium will primarily utilize other transaction (OT) authority to conduct research, development and prototyping on "underlying technologies, such as data sciences, cyber [and] autonomy that advance the Navy and Marine Corps' information warfare capabilities," Inside the Navy reported earlier this month.

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Centers Atlantic and Pacific will hold an industry day Feb. 1 in North Charleston, SC, about the Information Warfare Research Project, according to a Jan. 22 Federal Business Opportunities notice.

The commands intend to issue a program announcement that will request proposals following the industry day in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018, and issue an OT award at the end of May 2018, according to the notice.

The consortium will operate in two phases: the first is projected to last three to five years using a budget between $25 million and $50 million. The second phase will be competitively awarded at the conclusion of the first phase and have an estimated budget of $250 million. 

"The objectives for both phases are the same, which are to have an OT available to enable rapid prototyping of technology in the areas listed in the RFI.  Phase I just refers to this initial OT and Phase 2 would be a follow-on OT using lessons learned from this initial OT," the service said in a written response to an industry question.