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Contract #: N00178-07-D-5265
Award date: 23 May 2007

Seaport-e Functional Areas Supported

3.1 – Research and Development Support

This functional area consists of supporting the development and application of scientific and analytical disciplines to conduct fundamental research: scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding: concept formulation; assessment of system and subsystem requirements; development, analysis and evaluation of concepts, technologies, systems and subsystems; and development of operational concepts and tactics with the end goal being the application of results to developing new or improving existing warfighting capabilities. This effort may include manning, operating, and maintaining test support craft and experimental vessels in the open ocean or restricted waters to support tests.

Unified Theory of Life Assessment of Naval Structures – TDA is currently carrying out a three year research project with the Office of Naval Research to develop life prediction of structural components using a unified theory of fatigue crack initiation and growth. The basics of this unified theory were formulated and co-developed by senior engineers of TDA. The current project with ONR entails research, modeling of cracks and their growth, life prediction software development, and verification and validation testing. Research work for this project focuses on extending the currently formulated two-parameter model for crack growth to address crack initiation, environmental effects and stress corrosion cracking. TDA will also conduct coupon and element testing for validation model formulation and software development efforts. The results of the modeling effort will culminate in TDA developed software, UNIGROW, for use across a wide variety of USN aircraft, ship and land vehicle structures.

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3.2 – Engineering, System Engineering and Process Engineering Support

This functional area consists of supporting the application of engineering disciplines to technically support development of new and existing Naval capabilities and systems, technically support development of significant alterations to existing systems, support integration and interface of existing equipment or software into different applications or platforms to support the warfighter, and support evaluation of foreign or nondevelopmental systems, equipments, and technologies. This functional area also includes all support required within the area of environmental engineering of U. S. Navy weapon systems and base related infrastructure.

Rotary Wing Health Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) Engineering – TDA has developed regime recognition logic and associated software to analyze usage of USN helicopters. TDA’s senior engineers developed the logic of regime recognition using recorded aircraft parameters from onboard structural health monitoring systems. This logic was first developed for the V-22, extended to the SH-60B helicopters, and is currently being applied to CH-53E recorders.  The regime recognition logic identifies the usage of the aircraft in a given flight to serve as a basis for load history experienced at a critical location. The time sequenced load history data are then used in damage algorithms to calculate damage sustained in each flight. The USN is planning to use this regime recognition tool for structural life assessment of its helicopters.

USN Aircraft and Derivatives Loads Engineering – TDA has conducted a great deal of research in the area of aircraft response to gust loading. For the USN C-130/KC-130, TDA measured flight data with the objective of deriving more realistic flight spectra, including determining more effective ways to model gust cycle placement across a flight sequence. This research examined the distribution of the number of gust cycles per flight as well as gust cycle clustering effects, wherein high amplitude gust cycles tend to congregate together in a subset of flights across the spectrum. This is significant in that it provides insight to better model the random nature of turbulence when developing aircraft flight spectra for fatigue and damage tolerance analysis. Using our knowledge and experience gained on the USN’s P-3C aircraft, TDA developed an analytical method to characterize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) WP-3D “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft response to gust loading. This research examined how the NOAA aircraft operating environment is different from the USN’s P-3 aircraft environment, and included the development of gust criteria based on measured aircraft response. As part of this research, a complete life assessment of the NOAA aircraft was conducted, including the development of more effective ways to model gust cycles in spectrum generation effort.

SDRS Process Engineering Support – TDA is responsible for processing all Structural Data Recorder Set (SDRS) download data from seven aircraft configurations, including the P-3, S-3, C-130, E-2C, E-6, C-2A and EA-6B fleets. To date, TDA has processed over 30,000 downloads from approximately 600 aircraft. TDA developed a computer program to process and review all in coming SDRS data. In addition, TDA matches this data set monthly with USN logbook records and NAVFLIR data to estimate data recovery rates. TDA performs various studies using SDRS data, including extracting counts of load levels less than 2g from P-3 SDRS data. This information was useful in developing vertical acceleration (Nz) exceedances below Counting Accelerometer Group (CAG) window readings. On another study, TDA worked on establishing touch and go landing distributions from SDRS data for use in a P-3 SLAP study. This included determining average minimum speed between landing and takeoff, which was helpful in characterizing Touch and Go (T&G) landing distributions. TDA provided on-site analytical support to the P-3C team on testing of the new SDRS digital fuel system component of the SDRS.

ASLS Systems Engineering Support – TDA provides direct support to NAVAIR’s Aircraft Structural Life Surveillance (ASLS) group (AIR-4.3.3.4). This includes assisting with the redesign of the P-3 Structural Appraisal of Fatigue Effects (SAFE) report to include Total Life Index (TLI) to track damage. In addition, TDA performs various technical investigations to provide process improvement recommendations for overall SAFE system efficiency. TDA provides engineering support to the USN on aircraft inventory projection assessments for the Health of Naval Aviation (HONA) program, and annually computes 3-year utilization rates for all rotary and fixed-wing aircraft platforms. This information is published by Chief of Naval Operations (N88) and used by USN logistic groups for future planning drills. TDA also performs retirement/inventory sensitivity studies to evaluate the impact of changes in utilization rates, life limits, delivery schedules, Fatigue Life Expended (FLE) rates and attrition rates as directed by the USN.

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3.3 – Modeling, Simulation, Stimulation, and Analysis Support

This functional area consists of the application of a standardized, rigorous, structured methodology to create and validate a physical, mathematical, or otherwise logical representation of a system, entity, phenomenon, or process. The functional area involves the use of models, including emulators, prototypes, simulators, and stimulators, either statically or over time, to develop data as a basis for making managerial, technical, strategic, or tactical decisions.

Aerodynamic Modeling and Simulation – TDA is currently developing an aerodynamic/aeroelastic model of the C-130 aircraft using several off-the-shelf software packages (MSC.Nastran, MSC.Easy5, Zona Technologies’ ZAERO and MATLAB/Simulink). The loads development and analysis effort included the effect of unsteady aerodynamic turbulence on the aircraft and derivation of trimmed loads solutions at prescribed g-levels as well as incremental load due to atmospheric turbulence. Unsteady aerodynamic effects were included as well. Using MSC.Nastran, TDA built a finite element model and input appropriate mass properties and element stiffness to derive the aircraft’s structural damping coefficients for use in the aerodynamic model.

Numerical Modeling – TDA has developed numerical models of P-3 flight data recorders for NAVAIR using MATLAB/Simulink. These models were used to develop the test spectrum used during system testing and qualification, as well as to analyze and validate post-test measured data. This test spectrum was designed to be representative of in-service load levels seen on the P-3 due to pilot-induced maneuver and atmospheric turbulence. Post-test analysis included time history comparisons (load magnitude) as well as frequency domain analysis (comparison of frequency content – both magnitude and phase – as well as coherence and correlation between the two measured systems). Finally, the measured data was converted to frequency of exceedance data to ensure valid peak counting across both datasets.

Finite Element Modeling and Simulation – TDA engineers have carried out extensive finite element modeling of aircraft structures to study stresses at critical locations due to service operational loads. One example of our finite element work involves modeling, followed by stress and fatigue analysis of F/A-18 arresting hook shanks using MSC.Nastran. TDA modeled the arresting hook and obtained stresses at the critical location for various dynamic and static load conditions. These stress results were then used to calculate the fatigue life of the arresting hook. Complicated local geometries of typical aircraft critical locations are routinely modeled by our engineers to obtain stress, or stress intensity factors, for use in further static and fatigue analysis.

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3.6 – Software Engineering, Development, Programming, and Network Support

This functional area consists of applying the engineering and scientific disciplines to perform technical analysis of, technically support development of or selection of hardware and computer software, or modification to existing hardware and software for systems, test facilities, or training facilities. This also consists of software engineering efforts and programming support required to technically support software implementation in systems, sub-systems, and components utilizing computers, electronics, and software.  Planning, designing, coding, testing, integrating, supporting, and delivering algorithms software (source code and executables), computer programs are the inherent activities of this functional area. Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions and product modifications (e.g., software tools, licensing. and associated hardware) which are incidental to the overall support service efforts are considered within the scope of this functional area. Generally, the software development processes used for software development under this contract shall be, as a minimum, assessed at Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) Level 3 or equivalent, however the Government may specify other (either lower or higher) standards in individual task orders issued under the contract.

TDA has extensive experience in stand-alone, web-based and client-server application design, development, implementation and testing. TDA's software development capabilities and technologies include the following:  software development/programming languages (Java/J2EE , XML/XSL, C/C++, FORTRAN, Visual Basic), web services (SOAP), web design (HTML, Flash, ActionScript, JavaScript, web portal/portlet technologies such as Liferay); database systems (Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, MS Access); web/application servers (J2EE application servers (JBoss, JRun, etc.), Apache, IIS web servers, Jakarta Tomcat (servlet/JSP implementation)); Java Enterprise technologies (J2EE; Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP), JavaServer Faces (JSF), JDBC (database connectivity), JNDI, JMS); design frameworks (Jakarta Struts, Hibernate, Spring, Java/J2EE design patterns); data modeling, database design and implementation; object-oriented analysis and design; independent verification and validation support; system architectures (Windows XP/2000/NT; Linux; UNIX (Solaris, AIX, HP-UX)).

TDA has developed a number of large-scale applications for the USN, including the following:

Fleet Metrics – TDA has designed, developed, tested and deployed a web-based fleet data collection and analysis application for NAVAIR, entitled Fleet Metrics. The Structural Data Recorder Set (SDRS) is one of the USN's "black boxes" for recording aircraft flight characteristics. The system records such aircraft parameters as airspeed, altitude, flight time and various other readings taken during an aircraft’s flight mission. Each year, the USN records thousands of hours of flight recorder data for a broad variety of aircraft. This data is then used to monitor and predict the effects of specific usage on aircraft fatigue life. A number of problems arise when trying to collect and use this measured data: time-consuming submittal process; limited data is submitted; fleet personnel rarely receive feedback on the data analysis results, the quality and integrity of the data, or the implications this data has on fleet usage and maintenance; and data recorder errors or data entry omissions are rarely addressed in a timely manner.  To address these issues, TDA developed Fleet Metrics. Since going live with this application in August 2004, over 38,000 flight hours have been collected. Fleet Metrics has dramatically improved the average fleet data submittal rates (from 60% to 85%) and reduced data transmittal rates (from weeks to days). The advantages of Fleet Metrics are: fast, efficient data submittal process; more data submittals/shorter submittal process leads to better fatigue life predictions; and fleet personnel receiving real-time feedback on the quantity, quality and integrity of their uploaded data.

PTEAMbase – TDA designed, developed, tested, deployed and now hosts PTEAMbase, a web-based ship and submarine preservation analysis and management application in use by NAVSEA. This application streamlines NAVSEA's fleet preservation work by providing a centralized application for use by NAVSEA and their contractors when generating required work packages and documenting the results of their repair work. It also acts as an analysis tool for NAVSEA by providing summary information and reports detailing many facets of their fleet preservation process, including summaries of dollars and hours associated with each contract, and contractor performance. The application also interfaces with handheld devices (PDAs) via a web service to support data collection in the field.

DBI/SST – The P-3C Database Interface/Spectra Sequencing Tool (DBI/SST) is a web-based fatigue spectra generation application developed by TDA for use by the USN and its SLAP partners. The USN and its P-3 Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP) partners (Canadian Forces, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Norwegian Air Force) had a requirement to model in-service loading in a manner which realistically captured both the load levels encountered in flight as well as the proper sequence of load events encountered across the lifetime of an airframe.  To address this requirement, TDA developed the DBI/SST. This tool produces fatigue life predictions based on fleet usage as well as provides maintenance engineers with tools to monitor fleet damage and, when required, calculate localized stresses at fatigue critical locations (FEM-compatible) to assist with localized repairs.

SFAMS – TDA developed fatigue damage calculation software based on USN’s Fatigue Analysis of Metallic Structures (FAMS) program. This program was first written in FORTRAN for legacy environments and tests, and then written in Java for modern platforms. SFAMS provides damage contributions from each type of load source encountered in a service load history. In addition, SFAMS provides the user many options to control the calculation flow, such as control of flight-by-flight residual stresses, low amplitude cycle damage values and control on prior history information to be used for current damage calculations.

OrionTD – OrionTD is a web-based application developed by TDA for the USN’s P-3 SLAP post-fatigue test destructive teardown and airframe analysis. This teardown effort, performed in five test sites across four nations, required engineers, scientists and technicians to collaborate on test findings.  This application allowed users to share damage summaries, images and other documentation. OrionTD acted as both a shared repository for damage findings and as an analysis and reporting tool used to sort and "make sense" of individual test findings.  Each partner brought to this joint effort both prior test and teardown experience and data requirements specific to their test articles, test and teardown methods, and teardown facilities and equipment. OrionTD successfully merged all of these needs into a common application.

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3.12 – Information System (IS) Development, Information Assurance (IA), and Information Technology (IT) Support

This functional area consists of providing information system software analysis, requirements definition, design, development, test, modification, installation, implementation, quality assurance, training, and documentation to meet the evolving data storage and reporting needs of programs and management. Analyze existing IT and IS databases, web sites, and IT applications and recommend new or improved interfaces and improved management tools that meet new management requirements, or improve management effectiveness and efficiency. Perform maintenance and technical support for Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN) that are outside the cognizance of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI). Modify, implement and maintain web based information systems and links. Develop web-site structure, prepare documentation for population, implement and maintain web sites.  Provide systems engineering and technical support for establishment, test, upgrade, and operational support of systems, networks, workstations and support equipment hardware and software that are outside the cognizance of NMCI. Conduct 1A analyses, develop, recommend, and implement, monitor, update, and maintain, IA practices, procedures, equipments, algorithms, and hardware that are outside the cognizance of NMCI.

System Software Analysis and Maintenance Support – TDA has significant experience developing technologies and applications that improve processes and enhance management effectiveness. Examples include TDA’s development of Fleet Metrics (a web-based aircraft data recorder collection and data analysis software) for NAVAIR. This application, which replaced a legacy mail/email/ftp data collection process with a web-based system, greatly enhances the  SDRS data collection process by significantly reducing data acquisition times as well as reducing the number of man-hours required to post-process this data. This involved interfacing with NAVAIR/NMCI regarding software requirements, accessibility requirements, system implementation, server setup, deployment and testing. TDA has provided onsite application installation as well as web/application server and database server setup and network systems integration for the DBI/SST (fatigue spectra generation) application for the USN, the Canadian Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force. This effort included developing software for installation; web/application server configuration and setup (including memory and logging optimization); database design, implementation and configuration; application deployment and testing within the customers’ environment; as well as post-install technical support and software upgrade assistance (handled remotely or onsite, as needed).

C-130 Pilot Survey Website – For the USN and US Marine Corps C-130 aircraft, historical representations of aircraft usage (types of missions flown, mission utilization rates and damage rates per mission type) are used to make fleet-wide assessments of fatigue damage and to estimate the remaining fatigue life of each fleet aircraft. However, aircraft usage tends to evolve and change as both mission requirements change and as the fleet ages (thus modifying each aircraft’s capabilities). To provide a method to continually update this usage, TDA developed and hosts a web-based survey for C-130 pilots and flight engineers (FEs) to log flown missions. The objectives are to provide insight into how well historical C-130 mission profiles match actual fleet usage as well as to update/refine these historical mission profiles/mission mixes to reflect current usage. This secure/encrypted application allows pilots/FEs to enter their flown mission code, view the corresponding mission and modify it accordingly. Results are then saved and a statistical analysis is performed to generate trends and variations in usage as well as a refined set of mission profiles/mission mixes.

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3.18 – Training Support

3.18.1 – Technical Training Support

This functional area consists of applying the engineering and analytical disciplines required to ensure that the warfighter and technical support community is provided with adequate instruction including applied exercises resulting in the attainment and retention of knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the platforms, systems, and warfighting capabilities they operate and maintain.

3.18.2 – Professional Development and Training Support

This functional area includes organizational development and process improvement training activities. This functional area consists of information dissemination, as well as the development and facilitation of training for the Navy and Marine Corps workforce related to organizational development and process improvement initiatives. This includes efforts such as implementation of LEAN practices, implementation of National Security Personnel System (NSPS), Competency Alignment initiatives, and other workforce training efforts related to organizational development initiatives, process improvement initiatives and Human Capital Strategies.

Technical Training Support – TDA has provided technical training support to USN fleet personnel and NAVAIR engineers for the Fleet Metrics application (web-based aircraft data recorder collection and data analysis software) in the form of numerous two to three day onsite software training sessions and ongoing application technical support, including the development of application documentation and downloadable application “Quick Start” guides. TDA has also coordinated and provided over a dozen onsite training sessions and provides ongoing technical support to the USN and Government contractors on a number of software applications, including PTEAMbase (NAVSEA’s fleet preservation analysis and management application), OrionTD (web-based interface for the USN P-3 SLAP post-fatigue test destructive teardown and airframe analysis), DBI/SST (a fatigue spectra generation application), P-3 SLAP/ASIWG community website and C130Survey.com (web-based C-130 operators aircraft usage survey).

Professional Development and Training Support – TDA has experience in providing professional development training to NAVAIR engineers. TDA developed and taught a three day onsite loads analysis course for NAVAIR Structures. This course covered aircraft gust loads analysis, including static discrete gust loads, tuned-discrete gust (TDG)/time-domain dynamic gust loads, as well as power-spectral density (PSD)/frequency domain gust loads. A review of basic structural dynamics and vibration analysis was also included, as was relevant MIL criteria.

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3.19 – In-Service Engineering, Fleet Introduction, Installation and Checkout Support

This functional area consists of the application of engineering, analytical, and technical disciplines and skills to establish and maintain long-term engineering, operation, and maintenance support for in-service warfighting capabilities as well as the capability to modernize or introduce transformational technologies into those capabilities.

In-Service Engineering Support – TDA has provided continuous support to the USN on its F/A-18A/B/C/D SLAP program. This includes fatigue analysis, crack growth analysis, risk analysis and corrosion assessment. As part of the F/A-18 in-service support, TDA independently reviews and analyzes prime contractor data and provides recommendations to the USN. TDA analyzed the stress corrosion cracking problem of the F/A-18 aircraft, provided statistical analysis of data and recommendations for the on-skin repair of the corrosion problem. TDA carried out corrosion analysis of wing fold attachments and provided probability of failure values of the wing fold attachments. TDA collected repair information from the fleet and also developed an application to collect and store the repair data. TDA collected fleet data on corrosion of wing root lugs, carried out statistical analysis of the corrosion data and provided recommendations on fleet inspections.

For the USN P-3C aircraft, TDA developed a novel approach to assess fleet damage condition using a total life approach and associated risk assessment. The USN has since adopted this Total Life Index (TLI) and Probability of Failure (PoF) technique to monitor and manage their aging P-3C fleet aircraft. In July 2006, TDA was awarded the Naval Air Warfare Center Division’s Area Commander’s Award for this ground-breaking development of total life and risk assessment methods and associated metrics to quantify the risk of continued USN P-3 flight operations.  Since development of this approach two years ago, TDA has been providing TLI and PoF updates to the USN P-3C fleet aircraft.

EP-3E/VPU Structural Analysis Support – For the USN EP-3E/VPU special mission aircraft, TDA provides ongoing structural analysis support for modifications to the airframe structure.

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3.20 – Program Support

This functional area consists of applying the business, financial management, and technical disciplines required to support planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, and leading team efforts in managing acquisition programs such that the result places a capable and supportable system in the hands of the warfighter when and where it is needed, and does so at an affordable price. This functional area represents an integration of a complex system of differing but related functional disciplines that must work together to achieve program goals through development, production, deployment, operations, support, and disposal.

TDA has provided ongoing program support to NAVAIR AIR-4.3.3.2 and PMA-290 since its inception in 1997. For the P-3C Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP), TDA’s involvement includes working closely with NAVAIR engineers to develop the Statement of Work (SOW) and conduct face-to-face meetings with potential bidders. TDA also helped prepare the Request for Proposal (RFP) and generated the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs). After contract award, TDA continued to support the program by providing technical assistance for NAVAIR on contract execution, tracked the funding levels, prepared modifications to the basic contract, conducted alpha contracting exercises with the prime contractor on several level of effort increases and maintained an approval list of outstanding CDRLs. TDA continues to support the program by analyzing the results obtained from the five year program and disseminating corrective action to be taken to the fleet and to other FMS operators.

For the EP-3E PR-32 program (reassembly of the aircraft damaged after collision with a Chinese MIG aircraft), TDA assisted the USN in developing the EP-3E reassembly SOW and associated contract. During contract execution, TDA monitored the contractor’s performance, attended program reviews, maintained and tracked funding levels of the program and reported the results directly to the program management office. The Defense Acquisition Excellence Award for Recovery, Repair and Rebuild of PR-32 recognized TDA’s outstanding effort.

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