General
-
What is Technical Experimentation?
-
Technical Experimentation (TE) is:
-
A unique opportunity for developers to demonstrate their technology and gain insight/perspective in a collaborative environment
-
An event to identify potential technology solutions, impacts, limitations, and utilities to meet SOF technical objectives
-
TE is NOT:
-
A marketing or trade show event
-
An acquistion event
-
Able to create a new contractual obligation
-
If you would simply like to market your technology, please submit a white paper to the USSOCOM eSOF (formerly TILO) office via the
USSOCOM webpage at: https://www.engagesof.com/submit "Submit Your Idea"
-
Obligations
-
Invitation and participation do not constitute obligation on behalf of the US Government
-
TE is not an acquisition event, and should not be looked at as such
-
TE does not have the authority to create new contractual obligations, nor has the authority to alter existing contracts
-
Venue Locations
-
TE is held at various locations around the United States
-
Most locations are austere, remote, and can be quite cold, hot, dry, or very wet depending on the season
-
Make sure to bring
-
Sunscreen
-
Water
-
Hat
-
Sunglasses
-
Rain Gear
-
Make sure to notify TE staff of any medical conditions you might have prior to going into the field
-
What Should I Wear?
-
TE is held in an outdoor environment under various weather and environmental conditions
-
Things to be mindful of:
-
Rain / Humidity
-
Excessive Heat / Dry
-
Snakes / Spiders / Ticks / Etc.
-
Do NOT Wear (Unless at a Maritime Event):
-
Shorts
-
Flip Flops/Sandals
-
Do Wear:
-
Jeans/Cargo Pants
-
Tennis Shoes/Boots
-
Light Weight Clothing in hot environments
-
Coats/Sweaters in cold environments
-
TE is a casual event and you will be on your feet, so please dress comfortably
-
Technical Experimentation Contact Information
Process for Participating
-
Review RFI on
https://sam.gov/
-
Keyword / Solicitation "USSOCOM" or "Technical Experimentation" with a Federal Organizations Code of: 97ZS
-
If you have not already done so, register and establish a Vulcan account at
https://vulcan-sof.com
-
Submit a Scout Card on Vulcan for each technology you would like to demonstrate. Follow ALL instructions in the Request for
Information (RFI) -
Ensure you attach your Scout Card with ALL required information to the specific event you would like to attend, i.e., "TE21-1"
-
Participants will be notified of their approval ~8-10 weeks before the event
-
Once approved, all participants must register for the event at the link provided by the TE Team
-
A schedule will be released ~ 2 weeks before the event.
-
Cost and Special Operations Equipment Access/Availability
-
Venue
-
Infrastructure, Tables, Chairs, Wifi
-
Technical and Operational Assessments
-
Participants are responsible for:
-
Travel Costs
-
Shipping
-
Any additional costs to run their experiment
-
USSOCOM cannot guarantee access or availability of equipment or systems that are currently in the special operator's kit. If you would like operator equipment, you may request it in your nomination with no guarantee of availability.
-
If special equipment is required, you MUST provide it.
Back to Top
Experimentation Nomination Submission Process
Camp Roberts is a California National Guard post in central California, located on both sides of the Salinas River in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, now run by the California Army
National Guard. The mission of Camp Roberts is to facilitate the training, mobilization and security of the National Guard, Army Reserve and Active Components units in support of Federal, State,
and community missions.
-
Establish a Vulcan account
-
Complete your Scout Card for each seperate technology and attach it to the specific event you would like to attend (i.e., TE21-3)
-
Complete
ALL
forms attached to the RFI (Supplemental Information Sheet, Photography Release, Risk Assessment, etc.)
-
For the Supplementation Information Sheet, all fields marked with an "*" are required.
-
Please be specific with regard to UAS platforms (Make/Model)
-
Radio Frequencies you will be transmitting (provide nomenclature of the device and each frequency you would like to transmit)
-
Laser devices need to list the category of Laser and provide documentation of a LSRB
-
Not Completing the fields on the Supplemental Information Sheet may result in a non-submission
-
The Supplemental Information Sheet should describe:
-
New Capability
-
Impact to the Special Operations Force (SOF) warrior
- Experiment Plan
- "How will you conduct your demonstration?"
- How you plan to use the information to improve upon the technology
- Resources needed:
- Day and/or night (or darkened) operations
- Network requirements
- Access to SOF equipment, not guaranteed to be provided
- Power sources (TE Team is limited on extension cords, so please plan to bring your own)
- Range or laser requirements
- Nominations are reviewed by USSOCOM personnel (including support contractors) to determine:
- Technical Maturity
- Relevance of or adaptability to military operations/missions
- Relevance to current operational needs
- Relevance to Event Focus Area
- Participation is by invitation only, failure to comply with the set rules will result in vendor removal of the event:
- Zero tolerance for violations of operational and safety protocols
- Trade show style booths/displays are not recommended
- Sales activities are not permitted
- Be mindful and respectful of other developer's proprietary information
Back to Top
So You've Been Invited. Now What?
-
Registration
-
All attendees must register in order to gain gate access to the event
-
It is very important to register as soon as possible in order to receive timely notifications of updates and/or changes to the event!
-
Register for TE at
Technical Experimentation (socom.mil)
-
After submission, you will receive a notification of receipt
-
Please check your junk folder if you do not see the email
-
Contact us if you did not receive an email
-
You will receive a response (approved or disapproved) to your registration submission approximately three (3) weeks prior to the event
-
Foreign Nationals
-
Must have approval from the Security Manager
-
Approval can take up to 30 days to obtain, so please submit your request early
-
Email
Tech_Exp@socom.mil with questions
-
Publishing the Schedule
-
The schedule of events will be drafted, published, and distributed approximately two (2) weeks prior to the event.
-
Reading the Schedule
-
Read the list of experiments FIRST and find your experiment and the corresponding experiment number
-
Find your experiment number and company name on the schedule
-
Note your time slot(s)
-
On the right is the color key for your experiment location at the event
-
Do not relocate without first coordinating with the TE Staff
-
Your Scheduled Time Slot(s)
-
Each experiment is given dedicated times to perform their experiment, but are invited to stay all week
-
SOF operators will be stopping by over the course of the week, giving them ample opportunity to see your experiment
-
If done with your experiment early, please use the extra time to collaborate with other vendors
-
If you need additional time, please contact TE staff to coordinate
Back to Top
What to Expect During the Event
-
Timing
-
Event/Safety briefings will be conducted at the start of the TE event and will take place every morning at 0800 sharp!
-
Ensure you are in place on time!
-
NOTE: The first day opening briefing is
MANDATORY for
ALL registered attendees. Subsequent morning briefings and hot washes
may be represented by just one member of each team/organization
-
Hot wash/After Action Review will be conducted at 1600 every afternoon
-
International Traffic in Arms Regulations / Export Administration Regulations (ITAR/EARS)
-
Participants are responsible for:
-
Complying with any and all ITAR/EAR requirements associated with their equipment
-
Protection of their own intellectual property
-
The TE Team will make every effort to distance ITAR/EAR experiments and readily identify them with appropriate signage
-
Safety
-
All participation is at the participant's own risk
-
By attending you agree that you will hold harmless the United States Government and the host TE installation for any and all liabilities
-
Photography
-
Photography is permitted of your own experiment so long as no active duty military members are photographed
Back to Top
TE is Over, What Now?
-
TE Survey
-
All experiments are encouraged to complete and submit our
TE Survey form after completion of TE
-
The survey includes:
-
What you were able to accomplish / Results / Findings
-
Anything new/surprises you learned about your equipment
-
Collaboration with others
-
Any changes you plan on implementing to your equipment
-
Please let us know how we did or how we can improve
-
Government Involvement
-
All operator assessments are due to the TE staff 10 business days after the event
-
Once all assessments have been received and consolidated, developers will receive an email notification from Vulcan that their
assessment have been published to their respective Scout Card(s) and are available for review
-
This usually occurs ~20 business days after the event
Back to Top
Specific Instruction for RF, Laser and UAS Platforms
-
Radio Frequency (RF) Emitting Devices
-
Any developmental device radiating on a given frequency or frequency band, must have prior approval to transmit on that frequency
-
Approval may include compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Title 47, Part 15 or a Special Temporary Authority (STA)
from the FCC. The FCC recommends you submit your STA request at least 30-60 days prior to the start of the event. The website to
request a STA is at:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/forms/STANotificationPage.cfm
-
If your equipment is government owned/operating within a Federal Band, you must have National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) frequency approval
-
Frequency approvals must be submitted to
Tech_Exp@socom.mil prior to commencement of the event.
-
Laser Emitting Devices
-
For most laser emitting devices, ensure your device has been properly tested and certified by a DoD/Service Laser Safety Review Board
(LSRB) -
You will be required to submit this documentation for review in order to be approved to operate at the event
-
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs)
-
In accordance with DoD policy governing Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) UAS platforms, a Request for Exemption Letter must first be
approved and signed by the USSOCOM Chief Information Officer (CIO) and SOF AT&L Acquisition Executive (AE)
-
Developers will be asked to provide a "Modified COTS" or "Unmodified COTS" questionnaire. This form is used as supplemental
information for the staffing process. The TE Team will provide these questionnaires
-
Note: There are strict guidelines imposed by the DoD with regard to most foreign manufactured UASs. Please contact the TE Team for
information
-
Note: Also, in accordance with DoD policy, all COTS UASs must have a valid Cyber Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) completed by a
recognized agency such as The Joint Vulnerability Assessment Branch (JVAB), or the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). If your UAS platform
does not have a valid CVA, it may not be approved to fly at TE
-
For questions regarding the frequency, laser, and UAS areas please contact the Technical Experimentation team at:
Back to Top