Instructions 

Each white paper should be no more than six (6) pages at 12pt font with Times New Roman (excluding optional cover page and completed attachments). Whitepaper submissions should address the following: 

1. Company Overview

• • Company name, point of contact, and size (small/large business designation, Foreign owned/Partnered with Foreign entity).

• • Relevant experience or background supporting national security missions or similar challenges.

• • Does your company have a facility clearance and if so what level? Do you currently have cleared personnel?  

2. Capability Alignment

• • Identify which topic(s) you are responding to.

• • Describe the value your company brings to addressing the challenge(s) 

• • Highlight innovative approaches, existing technologies, or differentiators.

• • Estimate from ATP to delivery of first unit.

3. Technical Contribution

• • Briefly outline how your company anticipates contributing to the overall solution, including partnerships, integration opportunities, or areas of technical leadership.

• • Identify any anticipated needs or assumptions (e.g., GFI, data access, teaming). 

4. Optional: Attachments

• • 1-page capability statement (optional) 

• • Diagrams or visual aids to support understanding such as an OV-1 High-Level Operational Concept Graphic (optional) 

 

5. Topics:

• • Topic 1 (Terminal and Antenna Capabilities Description):  

• • • Describe your Commercial and/or Government Wideband Command and Control (C2) SATCOM Terminals and/or Antennas capable of operating in K/Q-bands.  

• • • Describe your current/previous Terminal and/or Antennas and its capabilities (e.g., frequency bands supported, data rates, orbits supported) with regards to connectivity to commercial and/or Government satellites. 

• • • Describe the antenna type and characteristics (e.g. parabolic dish, phased-array antenna, size, weight, power, cooling) utilized in your Terminal. 

• • • Describe the adaptability of your Terminal to support other waveforms, frequency bands, and capabilities to include NSA type-1 TRANSEC satellite communications (e.g., does your Terminal require moderate vs significant redesign). What limitations do you foresee with your Terminal when performing military SATCOM applications? 

• • • What is the TRL level of your Terminal and/or Antenna? See Attachment-2 for TRL definitions. 

• • • Describe your current/previous experience in leading the design, integration, and test of the functional elements within the Terminal.  

• • • Describe your current/previous experience in design, integration, and test of Terminal elements (e.g., Antennas, RF Front-end, RF/IF conversion, Modem, Cryptographic units, and Command & Control (C2) software).  

• • • Specify whether the Terminal functional element was in-house designed or COTS product. 

• • • Describe your current/previous experience in utilizing RF-over-Fiber (RFoF) or RF-over-IP (RFoIP) technologies in your Terminal implementation? Describe your RFoF or RFoIP implementation within the Terminal design. 

• • Topic 2 (Terminal and Antenna Systems Architecture Description and Development Capabilities): 

• • • Describe the use of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) in your Terminal and/or Antenna subsystem architecture. Does your product employ open standards to foster interoperability, affordability, and technical refreshes? If so, what standards do you have experience with and what standards have you employed in your Terminal products? (The Government mandates the use of MOSA to ensure procured capabilities employ modular, well-defined, non-proprietary and loosely coupled standard interfaces to ensure interoperability, compatibility, upgradeability and affordability). 

• • • Describe your company’s familiarity with open standards to include OMS (Open Mission Systems), UCI (Universal Command and Control Interface), AMS GRA (Government Reference Architecture), SOSA (Sensor Open System Architecture), FACE (Future Airborne Capability Standard) and others.  

• • • Describe your company’s familiarity with Agile Software development methods and development environments as well as waterfall software development approach and which methods have been employed on your Terminal product lines. 

• • • Describe your company’s maturity and employment of digital engineering and model-based system engineering tools for developing Terminal products. 

• • • Describe your Terminal product architecture (e.g., system block diagram) and what aspects are proprietary (i.e., limited or negotiated rights available to the Government) and non-proprietary (open) with potential for Government purpose rights or full data rights.  

• • • Describe your Terminal’s data (including data at rest), COMSEC, TRANSEC, INFOSEC boundary, and encryption capabilities. 

• • • Describe your Terminal’s use of system security engineering and cybersecurity design. 

• • • Describe your Terminal’s use of COTS/FOSS/GOTS hardware and software. 

• • • Describe your familiarity with military hardening requirements to include E3, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), radiation environments, temperature, etc.  

• • • Describe your familiarity with solid state power amplification and the technology used (e.g., GaN). 

• • Topic 3 (Terminal System Waveform Capabilities): 

• • • Describe your commercial modem product line that supports advanced waveform capabilities for space and/or ground applications (refer to Attachment-1 Generic Waveform Characteristics). 

• • • Describe your current/previous modem designs for commercial and/or military applications that are similar to XDR waveform capabilities (refer to Attachment-1). 

• • • Describe the spread spectrum technology used in your modem’s design/ implementation (e.g., FHSS, DSSS, CSS, etc.)  

• • • Does your modem have waveform reprogrammability? If yes, describe the implementation. 

• • • What is the technology readiness level (TRL) of your modem designs? See Attachment-2 for TRL definitions. 

• • Topic 4 (Terminal Software Defined Radio (SDR) Capabilities): 

• • • Describe SATCOM SDR capabilities for space and/or ground applications.

• • • Describe your current/previous SDR product line.  

• • • Does your SDR product line support the military applications? If yes, describe the role and capabilities within the NC3 mission. 

• • • Describe the waveforms supported by your SDR. Describe the method in your SDR to change or select the waveform implementation, compliance to Open Standards. 

• • • Describe the HW technologies used in your SDR (e.g., ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, SoCs, etc.).  

• • • Describe the SW technologies used in your SDR. 

• • • Describe the use of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) in your SDR architecture. 

• • • Does your SDR have capabilities to operate in a contested environment (e.g., Jamming, Cyber-attacks) or nuclear scintillated environment? If yes, describe the implementation. 

• • • What is the TRL level of your SDR? (See Attachment-2 for TRL definitions). 

• • Topic 5 (Terminal and Antenna Systems Production Capabilities): 

• • • Describe your previous and ongoing contract efforts to productionize Terminals in development and manufacture Terminals. 

• • • What is the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of your Terminal products? (See Attachment-3 for MRL definitions).  

• • • Describe your manufacturing capacity and ability to increase production rate. 

• • Topic 6 (Terminal and Antenna Systems Sustainment Capabilities): 

• • • Describe your previous and ongoing contract efforts to sustain fielded Terminals. 

• • • How many Terminals do you currently sustain? 

• • • What is your sustainment model and what sustainment services do you provide? 

• • • Do you provide warranties and warranty service for your Terminals? 

• • • What is your experience with establishing and operating a Terminal help desk? 

• • • What is your ability to support the longevity of this application? What is the length of time you typically support a Terminal/Modem in sustainment? 

For questions, contact Lt Keenan Sweeney, keenan.sweeney.1@spaceforce.mil and/or Ms. Cynthia Castellon, cynthia.castellon@spaceforce.mil 

Key Documents

• Commercial C2 Terminal Whitepaper Request
  • Attachment 1: Waveform Characteristics
  • Attachment 2: Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Definitions
  • Attachment 3: Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) Definitions

Submissions

White papers must be submitted no later than Monday, Oct 6th, 2025 at 1200 PT to: keenan.p.sweeney.mil@mail.smil.mil

(Late submissions may be considered on a case-by-case basis but will not be guaranteed a review prior to the event). 

Note: In accordance with the security classification guide of the ESS PMO, submissions must be handled at the classified level. Any documents submitted related to ESS must be classified secret. 1:1 meetings must be held in person to support a secret level meeting.  Vendors must submit classified white papers through SIPRNet (refer to submission section below). 

Disclaimers

Companies are advised that data and information submitted to the Government for the ESS Reverse Industry Days may be released to non-Government advisors for review and analysis. The non-Government advisor support will be provided by Aerospace Corporation, KBR, BAA & MITRE. If a company has any objections to a non-Government advisor having access to its data or information, the company shall notify the Government immediately and provide grounds and justifications for its objection to Lt Keenan Sweeney, keenan.sweeney.1@spaceforce.mil 

Submission of a white paper does not guarantee a 1:1 session, future contract opportunity, or further engagement. Submittals including proprietary information will be rejected.  Participation is voluntary and at the vendor’s discretion and expense. 

20-21 October 2025 | LAX Marriott

While you await notification of selection for a one-on-one with the ESS Government team, register now for the 2025 SpEC General Member Meeting on October 20–21!

Friday, 26 September 2025 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PT

During this virtual event, the Government team provided additional details about the ESS Reverse Industry Day #2 – Whitepaper Submission Request.

The goal of this event was to help members better understand the submission process and provide the information needed to prepare a solid submission.