This page provides important performance details to potential customers regarding CenGen’s ability to provide world-class professional support services for all NAVSEA Program Executive Offices, Directorates, and field activities. This webpage also highlights the functional capabilities associated with different products or business areas offered by CenGen and its team members.
Official Seaport-e Website The SeaPort-e portal provides a standardized means of issuing competitive solicitations amongst a large & diverse community of approved contractors, as well as a platform for awarding & managing performance-based task orders.
SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) has made electronic procurement of Engineering, Financial, and Program Management support services a reality. Using SeaPort-e, the Navy Virtual SYSCOM (VS) Commanders (NAVAIR, NAVSEA, NAVSUP and SPAWAR) has adopted an integrated approach to contracting for support services.
NAVSEA established the SeaPort Office to meet these the NAVSEA strategic sourcing wedge and the OSD performance based contracting directive while bringing order to NAVSEA PSS acquisitions.
| Ms. Lilotama (Lily) Bengfort, President CenGen Inc. 9250 Bendix Road North Columbia, MD 21045 Phone: 410-715-1300 email: lbengfort@cengen.com |
Mr. Mike Eader , Contracts Manager CenGen Inc. 9250 Bendix Road North Columbia, MD 21045 Phone: 410-715-1300 email: meader@cengen.com |
To sustain high quality standards, CenGen has a team of highly qualified individuals who work interdependently with each other. Our ability and flexibility to form individual tasks teams with a variety of required skills are essential to successfully meeting the needs of our clients on a timely basis. CenGen staff members are all proponents of quality management. CenGen holds quarterly training meetings for all staff and uses these meeting as a peer review to ensure all team members are coordinated and in technical concurrence. We are committed to not just meeting, but exceeding client expectations.
When staffing a project for NAVSEA, CenGen’s objective is to provide a compatible group of people with the appropriate mix of experience, skills, and labor rates that can provide a cost-effective solution to meet client requirements. Task teams are formed to handle multiple task orders at the same time.
In addition, CenGen has procedures in place to handle organizational conflicts of interest. CenGen’s policy is to not bid on any contract to supply system components or subcontract or consult to any supplier. In addition, CenGen enters into non-disclosure agreements with firms to protect proprietary information they provide in our work and do not use this information for any purpose other than what it is intended.
CenGen has put internal review procedures in place that enable our firm to sustain high quality standards of work. Each project is assigned to a Project Team Leader who reports directly to the President and/or Vice President of Engineering. The Project Team Leader is accountable and responsible for the day-to-day technical requirements and project staff management. Internal management communication lines include weekly teleconferences to discuss project status as well as a quarterly internal company program review.
Productivity enhancement and cost reduction methods are taken seriously at CenGen. Time management is critical to both, and that is why CenGen relies heavily on timelines and progress reports to meet project deadline and schedule new projects. Planning begins with an analysis of the task order requirement and the development of a task order management plan. This plan is used to manage and control the scope of the task order, measure performance, and identify potential impact on cost, schedule, and technical factors. A task order schedule using Microsoft Project and Excel cost management plan are utilized to ensure that all project tasks are planned, scheduled and performed to meet the goals and objectives of the project within the task order time and budget constraints. These schedules are updated and monitored monthly. Internal management communication lines include weekly teleconferences to discuss project status as well as a quarterly internal company program review.
Such meetings have been found to work well in the past. We maintain close liaison with our Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Technical Representative by teleconferencing and by informal and formal program reviews.
CenGen Program Managers are performance-focused and adept at achieving the necessary balance between the competing demands for scope, time, cost, risk, and quality. CenGen will develop a Program Schedule detailing milestones and tasks within the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to a level necessary to track effort (required and expended) against discreet work packages. The Program Schedule will clearly identify as external dependencies requirements for GFE, GFI, and/or Government Activity/Decision points. Milestones will be identified along with the critical path to milestone achievement. The Schedule will be provided as requested.
Our goal for task orders is to provide a highly skilled and experienced technical staff, managed according to well-defined and disciplined quality standards, and supported by strong corporate resources and capabilities in order to fulfill project requirements in a manner that consistently exceeds user expectations. Our ongoing success is a direct result of customer satisfaction with the high quality support of our technical teams.
Quality performance has been, and continues to be, the key element of CenGen’s past performance and reputation for success. CenGen’s commitment to effectively implement Quality Assurance and Control starts with corporate management and is fully supported at every level and includes: Management Responsiveness, Schedule Control, Contract Management and Administration, Overall Performance, Quality Service Delivery, training of employees in state-of-the-art technologies, and a methodology to objectively measure success.
Task orders and technical instructions would be posted here, as and when they are issued.
CenGen has supported numerous Office of Naval Research, Naval Research, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency over the last three years in this area including ONR’s Littoral Combat Future Naval Capability and Code 30 in support of Expeditionary Warfare and Combating Terrorism S&T departments under Secure Contract N0014-03-C-0180-Secure Mobile Wireless Networks, and Contract N0014-03-C-0353-Advanced Marine Corps Communications R&D.
The focus of these efforts was specifically to introduce secure wireless connectivity into the Marine Corps to address short range, Type 1 secure, wireless LAN connectivity challenges. This effort addressed a broad class of potential approaches to meet the requirements of user mobility within a local environment, as well as, providing vehicle connectivity within that local environment to provide access to gateways that are communicating to higher echelons (JTRS, TACSAT).
CenGen achieved the following: Created a highly mobile and reliable On-The-Move (OTM), Over-The-Horizon (OTH) connectivity between multiple, geographically isolated and mobile tactical radio networks, addressing the concern for the Line of Sight (LOS) limitations of the Marine Corps tactical data radio system; Provided proof of concept development for Type 1 Mobile Secure enhancements in support of JECCS, UOC, EFV, ForceNet, and D-DACT; Supported fielding/limited user evaluation (LUE) efforts to address the most critical shortcoming and provide recommendations to enhance seamless mobility and reduce configuration requirements for users; Optimization of the data to effectively utilize existing and emerging tactical data radios; Integration of on-the-move SATCOM capabilities into the CONDOR architecture; UAV relay testing support and inclusion in CONDOR architecture spirals, Engineering Data Models (EDM) Development; Developed optimized techniques to support CONDOR Gateways (GW)/POPV/CONDOR Army network optimization; Demonstrated a Type 1 Secure IP system for ship-to-shore communication while under way to relive on board satcom communications requirement between ships in a battlegroup. IP services were provided to VoIP telephones, computers, VTC suite and the DSSS Aegis battle simulation system. Service was provided for two sites that were approximately 6.5 miles apart as an alternative for battle group communications.
CenGen has established itself as a leader in engineering, systems integration and systems engineering as it relates to secure mobile tactical communications systems. While CenGen demonstrated the STOM Bridge proof of concept through an ONR contract which ultimately became the USMC CONDOR Program of Record, the CONDOR capability set needed to be enhanced in an operationally relevant environment and its capabilities enhanced.
CenGen achieved the following: Characterized a wide range of legacy, tactical voice and data radios, and their capabilities to enhance seamless mobility and reduce configuration requirements related to the CONDOR Point-of-Presence-Vehicle (PoP-V); Provided IP Data Communications to legacy Tactical Data Radios using Situational Awareness and Command and Control Applications; Demonstrated seamless mobility in communications by integrating significant numbers of tactical radios into surrogate POP-Vs, and integration of OTM or ATQH tactical and satellite communication capabilities; Evaluated the benefit of TCP Enhancing Proxies in a Tactical Network with High Latency transport links and Type 1 HAIPE Encryption; Demonstrated the integrated Joint Communications Architecture; various Ku OTM systems, Iridium, Globalstar, EPLRS Micro Lights, and various SATCOM modulation schemes for CONDOR; and seamless mobility in communications by integrating significant numbers of tactical radios into surrogate PoP-Vs, and integration of OTM or ATQH tactical and satellite communication capabilities; Provided TCP Large Window support to keep the network pipe full during bulk transfer; Provided follow-on support to the II MEF 09 ~ 18 June 05 training in Iraq and technical support for the CONDOR Gateway Field User Evaluation 1 (FUE-1); Supported an Army CONDOR variant Gateway (GW) integrated with US Army EPLRS and Force XXI Battle Command & Below (FBCB2) equipment and software at CTSF, Ft. Hood utilizing SPAWAR built CONDOR Gateways to address JROCM 161 initiatives; Provided support to the II MEF 09 ~ 18 June 05 training in Iraq and technical support for the CONDOR Gateway Field User Evaluation 1.
CenGen has developed and supported network emulation models and simulation that are scalable, versatile, and realistic. These laboratory-based emulation suites for programs with NRL, DARPA, and U.S. Army CERDEC include distributed execution and control to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of emerging tactical technologies that have been designed for various homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. By providing the realism of hardware-based systems at both the application and transport layers, our support in this area gives necessary data and insights during the R&D and the evaluation phases to ensure technology is mature and ready for field experimentation and deployment.
Our emulation laboratory capabilities and analysis support provides a rich set of features to support research, development, and evaluation of applications like Information Assurance solutions, MANET routing protocols, network coding algorithms, and reliability algorithms for multi-media applications (SA, chat, video, voice).
CenGen accomplished a number of high-risk challenges through the Tactical Automated Intrusion Detection Response (TAIDR) program: Created and validated a physical replication of the MANET environment; Defined metrics and methodology to assess various IA approaches in military, mobile environments (First to use application utility as metric); Developed an automated testbed control mechanism to enable effective testing of varied approaches; Developed well defined IA experimentation process and methodology that has proven highly effective in determining whether or not IA technology performance meets expected customer requirements and/or Go/No Go criteria for these programs; Developed real-time applications to automate testing, data collection, and analysis; Developed a test range that can be reconstituted quickly and which addresses the significant differences between mobile military networks and the wired internet that is the basis of current state-of-the-art modeling and simulation environments.
CenGen has fabricated and tested mock ups, full scale prototypes and R&D test tools for numerous programs including ONR Secure Mobile Networks, Naval Research laboratory, CERDEC SRW, FCS Communications, Boeing Voice Over IP, CONDOR, FCS TAIDR and DARPA Heterogeneous Communications Network (HCN). CenGen led the system architecture and trade-off efforts related to selection of hardware and software components used in the full scale model of a 400 node mobile ad hoc test range. CenGen built the model and ensured all subsystems worked properly together and that the system achieved its performance goals. We also built a 72 node hardware testbed prior to FCS TAIDR for the Naval Research laboratory and DARPA for the Defense Against Cyber Attacks (DCA MANET) program. In addition, we have prototyped radomes for aircraft testing of satcom antennas and for testing of other communications equipment on aircraft for DARPA FCS and HCN communications program.
Furthermore, our intimacy with communications gateway systems, have allowed us to integrate and fabricate COTS components with GOTS components into full scale gateway models for testing and evaluation. We have fabricated Engineering Development model gateways for USMC CONDOR and ONR Secure Mobile Networks.
Under the DARPA HCN Contract, CenGen built six (6) prototype High Bandwidth Communications on the move gateway units for Operational Testing in partnership with DARPA and SOCOM.
CenGen has supported system design documentation and technical data support necessary to support system development for numerous programs. These have included characterization of tactical data radio including test plan and documentation of radio performance for USMC CONDOR, design documentation and technical data packages, quick reference reports, maintenance/training Package and migration plan for IPv6 for a SOCOM dismounted user program. CenGen has also assisted with the definition of metrics, post processed and provided technical data in both paper and electronic format to objectively support system development for numerous programs including NRL/DARPA DCA MANET and DARPA IA MANET programs.
CenGen has supported technical development of software such as C2PC through the USMC program and Command Post of The Future (CPOF) through DARPA FCS Communications program. In addition, we have modified or develop applications such as Situational Awareness, Voice, Logistics, CHAT, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Time Critical Strike-type (Call for Fire) functionality to enable each to function in systems or subsystems on all past performance contracts in Table A or reference in this document. We are providing tools such as real and simulated traffic generators, and analysis tools; custom instrumentation based on customer requirements and Subject Matter Expertise support for tactical applications including, but not limited to C2PC, FBCB2, CPoF, FalconView, IRC Chat, etc. As a subcontractor to ITT, CenGen currently supports development of the Extendable Mobile Ad-Hoc Network Emulator (EMANE) for the Naval Research Laboratory.
CenGen has conducted Information Assurance analyses and testing that are outside the cognizance of NMCI for DARPA’s DCA MANET, IA MANET and US Army FCS TAIDR to effectively assess IA solutions developed by Performers like BBN, BAE, JHU/APL, Telcordia/SPARTA, Raytheon, etc. IA in mobile networks has different challenges than those faced by conventional infrastructure networks. Mobility introduces new targets that need defense as the mobile network, node location, motion pattern, traffic pattern, routes, and network topology all become vulnerable bringing in new security challenges in addition to traditional security issues. Furthermore, tether less mobility, which requires multi-hop ad-hoc routing in a wireless medium, is open to anyone within transmission range and is, therefore, vulnerable to attacks, which poses new challenges to network centric security. DoD’s need is a superset that includes the civilian needs, thus a viable solution for DoD needs will be a solution for the internet as well. CenGen supports IA solutions for warfighters and national security and is very familiar with Information Assurance testing. Consequently, we have developed programs and procedures that make it very difficult for information to spill over into another test. Our ability to make and break secure internet connections to the laboratory testbed is significant.
CenGen has been dedicated to the idea that realistic testing is essential in the development of network solutions for tactical deployment. We have the engineering expertise to stand up and integrate highly mobile, complex, large scale networks (50+ nodes) over a large operational area (100 km x 100 km) consisting of dismount, vehicular, and airborne platforms. Our live field test capabilities provide the ability to evaluate operational hardware and software in tactically relevant environments to support fielding.
CenGen has a very strong track record of fielding, demonstrating systems and analyzing network performance, as well as setting up testing environments that allow contractor teams opportunities to test their systems in a realistic environment. CenGen’s history of Testing and Demonstration support includes: Office of Naval Research Extending the Littoral Battlespace ACTD), JWID, FORCENET, FEDOS, Trident Warrior, CERDEC Unattended Airborne and Ground Vehicle Communications Networks (UAGNET) SLICE SRW Technical Field Test, U.S. Army AMCOM Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) Launch System (LS) test, FCS Lead System Integrator (Boeing) Scalable Mobile Network Demonstration as well as numerous DARPA test efforts including PerceptOR, LANdroids, Grand Challenge, FCS Communications, Boomerang etc.
Under the USMC CONDOR program of Record, CenGen provided technical training support to the II MEF 09 ~ 18 June 05 training in Iraq and technical support for the CONDOR Gateway Field User Evaluation 1 (FUE-1). In addition, for the DARPA Network Centric program, CenGen personnel trained US Army Signal Corps Soldiers to use this Network Centric System and their success demonstrated the ease of use of the applications, such as CPoF, C2PC, Video, Network Management, and CHAT; and the hardware such as tactical radios from Raytheon, ITT, and Harris; the Routers, etc.