US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Visible Assets Response to Solicitation: RFI-NEST
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Requestor: Air Force Materials Command
In support of: Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)
Submitted to:
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) / Contracting Division (PKE)
Attn: Francine Chavez
8150 "F" Ave., Bldg 20226, Rm. 9
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117
Francine.Chavez2@kirtland.af.mil
(O) 505.853.2483
Submitted on 26 October 2010 by:
Visible Assets, Inc
195 Bunker Hill Road
Stratham, New Hampshire, USA, 03885
www.visibleassets.com
www.rubee.com
Duns: 183880090
Cage: 4PUU2
1
2
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Executive Summary................................................................................................................. 1
Visible Corporate Overview ................................................................................................... 2
The RuBee Technology ........................................................................................................... 2
3.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 2
3.2 RuBee Security................................................................................................................... 3
3.3 RuBee Human Safety ......................................................................................................... 4
3.4 RuBee Intrinsic Safety ....................................................................................................... 4
3.5 RuBee Example Tags ......................................................................................................... 4
3.6 RuBee Readers and Appliances ......................................................................................... 5
3.7 The Dot-Tag Visibility Engine and 20/20 Application Builder ......................................... 7
4
5
6
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RuBee AFNWC System Proposal .......................................................................................... 8
Current Visible/RuBee Government Customer Contract Deployments ............................ 9
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 10
Contacts:................................................................................................................................. 10
Page: i
26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
1
Executive Summary
This is a response from Visible Assets, Inc. (Visible®) to the Air Force Nuclear Weapons
Center (AFNWC) Request for Information (RFI-NEST). This RFI response identifies and
describes Visible’s:
1. RuBee™ - world wide mission critical wireless asset visibility technology (see
www.rubee.com);
2. RuBee Data and Sensors – Real-time mission critical asset pedigree (expiry date,
temperature, shock and humidity history)
3. RuBee – Dot-Tag™ – 20/20™ integrated network services integrated into existing
systems utilizing Oracle embedded database products;
4. Bio-metrically high security, handheld, portable, computing device, as well as on-site
real-time asset visibility (on shelves in warehouses, or on aircraft) (see
www.rubee.com/Security).
We believe RuBee integrated asset visibility networks will enable AFNWC to achieve,
high security, real-time, visibility of key mission critical nuclear components, bombs, and
warheads across the Air Force nuclear enterprise system. We also believe with our experience
and partnership with Oracle (see www.rubee.com/Oracle) and other existing systems contractors
(e.g. CSC) we will be able to provide full world wide connectivity to the Air Force Global
Information Grid (AF-GIG), Reliability and Maintainability Information System (REMIS),
Integrated Maintenance Data System (IMDS), Standard Base Supply System (SBSS), Combat
Ammunition System (CAS), and Defense Integration and Management of Nuclear Data Services
(DIAMONDS).
Visible is prepared to provide the US Air Force and AFNWC with a technology
demonstration that will exhibit our mission critical asset visibility and mobile computing
capabilities with asset pedigree information in secure and harsh environments. Our network
technology is Oracle based and is compatible with current US Federal and DoD systems used in
the nuclear surety mission. We are currently deployed throughout many Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) site locations and have received or have the
capability of receiving the appropriate clearances and certifications required for use in support of
the Air Force nuclear surety mission. We have three individuals who have active or have had top
secret clearance within last five years
Visible’s ‘Asset Visibility’ platform is in use, robust and scalable, and can support:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The full Nuclear Surety tasking list integration;
The unique identification of tracked components;
Local command and control and support operations in connected and disconnected state;
The synchronization of data to ensure Nuclear Surety personnel has immediate access to
the latest command directives.
This document includes proprietary data that shall not be disclosed outside the US Government. This data shall not be duplicated, used, or
disclosed - in whole or in part - for any purpose other than to evaluate the RuBee Technology. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of - or
in connection with - the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting
contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction.
The data in this restriction is contained in the entirety of this document.
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
Visible will provide a fully customized biometric identification hand held system that is
compliant with Air Force requirements for connection to the Air Force Global Intelligence Grid
(AF-GIG). We have the current capability of coupling biometric identification with a layered
log-in protocol using a secure wireless ID card to verify the user and user’s credentials prior to
access/assignment of task. We also support the use of appropriate leading edge security and antitamper measures (see www.rubee.com/Security).
2
Visible Corporate Overview
Visible Assets, Inc., is a 32 employee, private US company founded in 2002, based in
Stratham, New Hampshire. Visible sells asset visibility networks for mission critical assets,
based on a new wireless technology known as RuBee. RuBee provides competitively priced,
long-life, low power, wireless, active asset and human ID tags that work in harsh environments.
These asset visibility networks use Oracle based Dot-Tag systems and visibility engines that
“virtualize” any RuBee enabled asset network of tags into a real-time visibility database and web
enabled visibility application. 20/20 quickly creates any visibility application on top of the DotTag/ RuBee network. 20/20 and Dot-Tag are both Oracle embedded database products. Visible
and Oracle sell 20/20, Dot-Tag RuBee visibility networks through industry-focused partners, for
high security government, high security commercial, weapons, and ordnance. RuBee is
protected by 21 issued US and foreign patents and approximately 80 additional pending and
foreign patents owned by Visible (www.rubee.com/Patents) Visible received the 2007 Frost and
Sullivan Technology Innovation of the Year award. RuBee Visibility Networks are working and
have been installed in some of the most secure sites in the world for over three years.
3
The RuBee Technology
3.1
Overview
RuBee is a unique, new disruptive wireless technology that delivers real-time asset
visibility at highly competitive prices (see: www.rubee.com). RuBee (IEEE 1902.1) does not use
Radio Frequency (RF) and is based on long-wavelength magnetic, inductive, active signals. The
typical RuBee tag has a 10-15 year battery life, with a field proven life of over 25 years using
small coin size Li batteries. RuBee tags have a range of 1 to 50 feet with data storage capability
and many optional sensors, CPU, static memory and real-time clock. RuBee tags overcome
many of the technological problems seen with RF systems near steel and water, and are field
proven in harsh environments. Most critically, because RuBee is magnetic it has no
eavesdropping, tempest or target risks seen with RF-based systems.
Page: 2
26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
RuBee is an IEEE issued standard (IEEE 1902.1), with a 19 member corporate members
in the workgroup (Epson, Motorola, Microsoft, GE, GM, LG Electronics, Bearing Point, RF
Technologies and many smaller companies). IEEE 1902.1 unlike LF, HF, or UHF RFID, is an
active, on-demand packet based protocol, similar to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ZigBee. RuBee uses
low frequencies (131Kz), and has a long wavelength (LW) of 7,511 feet, (2,289 meters or about
1.25 miles). All active and passive RFID tags are transponders; they reflect radio signals for data
communication, and use the same signal for timing and power. In contrast, RuBee works as a
transceiver, similar to a two way “walkie-talkie” but uses magnetic waves not radio waves
3.2
RuBee Security
RuBee is the only wireless technology to be approved by the US Department of Energy
(DoE) for use in high security areas where RF systems have all been banned. Since RuBee uses
magnetic data communication to eliminate the risks associated with other wireless technologies.
RuBee addresses Security officers’ three major physical layer risks and concerns with any
wireless system:
1. Tempest Threat – RuBee is proven as a USA NSTISSAM Tempest Level 1 device. This
is the strictest standard for devices that will be operated in high security environments. It
is assumed at this standard that an attacker will need almost immediate access and will
need to have the ability to place a listening device or other data collection device into a
wireless transmitter to send data to a remote data collection site.
2. Eavesdropping Threat – RuBee provides the highest level of eavesdropping security
because we do not require a lot E or H power. This greatly inhibits the ability for an
attacker to listen to and monitor data and packets that might enable them to obtain
classified or secure information about mission critical assets and asset status.
3. Target Threat – RuBee has no target threat capability. Because of its low power
emulations and Zero Field Detection (ZFD) software programming the ability for an
attacker to use a signal emanating from a RuBee tag as a reference or target is eliminated.
Tags may also be protected by packet encryption. Two way AES is the preferred standard
encryption in RuBee tags, when encryption is required. Additional options include AES keys that
are altered by a clock, so a new key is generated daily or weekly. RSA public private key
authentication is also an option in the RISC version of a tag. RSA can be slow and is not
recommended for real time detection through doors or gates. To be clear, we do not rely on
encryption for our systems security, rather we optimize the flow and we optimize the Physical
Layer below, and include encryption when necessary.
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
3.3
RuBee Human Safety
In July 2006, the FDA classified 1902.1 as a Non-Significant Risk (NSR) Class 1 device
in medical visibility applications. In May 2007, a peer-reviewed study was published by the
Mayo Clinic showing that RuBee has no effect on pacemakers or ICDs. A second Mayo study
has shown RuBee has no EMI or EMC in the operating room. RuBee has no known human
safety risks.
3.4
RuBee Intrinsic Safety
The company has tags in use in many explosive areas and has carried out extensive
internal testing in collaboration with and for the Department of Energy for us in nuclear
facilities. It has also started independent laboratory tests and expects its RuBee tags to meet the
ANSI 913-88 ATEX standard in Zone 0 or Zone I, Intrinsically Safe environment, and has
recently contracted NAVSEA to initiate full HERO explosive atmosphere testing. Because
RuBee is such a low energy magnetic technology, in most cases RuBee is many thousands of
times below existing published human safety and intrinsically safety standards.
3.5
RuBee Example Tags
A standard RuBee tag can have a form factor of .5” X 1” up to credit card size with a 2
mm thickness. The antenna produce about 600 mGauss and the tag produces about 50 mGauss.
To put that in perspective, the Earth’s magnetic field is about 500 to 700 mGauss. Magnetic
fields from Earth or a permanent magnet do not have any effect on RuBee because they do not
vary in time. When a magnetic field does vary in time (possible noise source), it usually has only
short range effects on RuBee since signal strength drops off fast. Typical RuBee noise sources
are LCD projectors, plasma panel displays, switching power supplies, large transformers and
lighting storms. However, RuBee demos and RuBee systems work in the same room with all of
these noise sources, because the signal drops off so quickly.
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
RuBee tags are often built into a mission critical asset and may have sensors that provide
detailed status and asset pedigree. For example the figure shown above is a standard DoD M4 A1
with a sensor for shot counting. The sensor produces a waveform that makes it possible to count
number of rounds fired, and also does statistics on how the rounds were fired. As a result we are
able to calculate barrel temperature, and other diagnostics that may be used as an indicator of the
weapon’s health. Visible was recently awarded a $5 Million DoD contract to provide these
functions for USSOCOM SCAR-H and M4s (see www.rubee.com/press/Crane-V1-7.pdf )
3.6
RuBee Readers and Appliances
Visible offers a variety of fixed and mobile readers or what we call RuBee Appliances
(see www.rubee.com/Armory ).
RuBee Smart racks are fixed fully networked appliances that provide real-time physical
inventory of items stored on fixed based shelves. Visible has many Smart Racks installed and
working for small arms within the DoE.
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
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US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
RuBee gRap Issuance stations have RuBee readers, a CAC card reader, and a 1D barcode
reader. These may be used for mission critical asset check in/out from a smart Rack. They
provide full data logging and integration into Dot-Tag systems (see below).
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
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US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
Visible has developed a general purpose RuBee Portal Platform (RP2) that can detect
user IDs and assets as they enter and exit a facility. These systems may be configured for doors
(DoorGuard™ ) or vehicles as they pass through a gate (GateGuard™). Hundreds of these
systems are in use throughout the world and they consistently provide high security detection of
any asset on exit or entry. We consistently detect any RuBee tags even if wrapped in Aluminum
foil or concealed in a steel case. Visible has passed an independent customer acceptance tests
with the ability to read five RuBee IDs and legal / illegal assets 100% of the time in a vehicle
moving 7 Km/hr, (4.35 m/ph). This included all assets even if hidden in the engine block. (see:
http://www.rubee.com/White-SEC/GateGuard-AT-010710.pdf )
3.7
The Dot-Tag Visibility Engine and 20/20 Application Builder
The Dot-Tag visibility engine is the middleware that takes networks of local RuBee
wireless networks to provide real-time virtualized database of mission critical assets. It in effect
turns every asset into a tiny website, and creates a real-time “Internet of Things”. Dot-Tag
provides enhanced asset integrity, accurate real-time product pedigree, physical inventory, active
inventory management, provides DOD 5015.2 audit logs and Sarbanes Oxley audit logs. A
typical Dot-Tag network includes RuBee wireless tags with optional sensors, RuBee antennas
and appliances, RuBee routers, a centralized visibility engine (Dot-Tag server), database tools,
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
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US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
VPN, TCP/IP drivers, protocol tools, network diagnostic tools, network and audit management
tools.
20/20 uses Oracle Weblogic as a foundation and is an industry Application Builder that
provides an integrated web based real-time start-up visibility network for a new application or
industry in a matter of weeks. We have installed Armory 20/20 and Dot Tag in several sites as
Oracle embedded products, owned and designed by Visible, but also sold and supported by
Oracle internationally. Applications become simple event driven, database enabled web
applications that can be easily viewed and controlled by any browser on any system, easily
modified and maintained, and can export events via XML or HTML5 or JSON to other third
party systems.
4
RuBee AFNWC System Proposal
Visible proposes to design and integrate customized RuBee Smart Weapons Tags for key
nuclear assets, components, bombs and warheads currently use in support of the Air Force
nuclear surety mission. Each RuBee tag will be associated to its key component via Read/Write
data stored in the tag. Each tag has an IP address similar to a laptop, a subnet address linked to
asset class, a fixed MAC address tied to the tag, and critical data tied to the weapon. The weapon
data can include serial number or US Air Force specific number, manufacture date, and the
manufacturer, etc. These data fields may be defined and changed by the administrative end user
in the 20/20 system.
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26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
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US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
All data once stored and defined in the tag will be automatically read and written when
the weapon is placed into storage or brought up to operational readiness. Physical Inventory
reads will be fully automated, and controlled by Dot-Tag and the 20/20 application. Data may be
read and written as well via tag programming features in 20/20. Data may also be read and
written via the pRap, Visible's RuBee-enabled handheld. We will add a finger print reader to the
base of the pRap to enhance security. Each storage area will have optional issuance stations with
a specific RuBee Router with Dual Display, (one for issuer and one so the recipient can verify
the serialized key component being issued). CAC, Alpha-numeric Keypad, magnetic-swipe,
and/or biometric data entry devices can be integrated into each issue station for Individual or
Two-Person-Control Audit capabilities. RuBee’s network application is an integrated, semicustom networked visibility package designed for weapons storage areas and armories. It can be
configured to be simple, low cost local application that provides most critical single armory
functions. It can also be configured to manage many 10's to 100's of sites with 100,000's of
managed key nuclear components, bombs, and warheads across the Air Force nuclear enterprise
system using secure and robust industry standard Oracle systems.
5
Current Visible/RuBee Government Customer Contract Deployments
US Department of Energy (DoE) – National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Sites:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Kansas City Site Office (KSO) and Kansas City Plant (KCP)
Nevada Site Office (NSO) and Nevada Test Site (NTS)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Los Alamos Site Office (LASO) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
Pantex
Sandia Site Office (SSO) and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL)
Savannah River Site (SRS)
Y12 Site Office (YSO)
US Department of Defense – Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) – Naval Surface
Warfare Center (NSWC)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
US Department of Agriculture
Page: 9
26 October 2010
*** COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL ***
Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this document
US Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Surety Tracking (NEST)
Solicitation: RFI-NEST
6
Conclusion
Security and Visibility together at the same site is never simple. However, Visible has
reviewed here the technology we apply in the design of any visibility network at a high security
site. We have provided reference data URLs for further research. We have shown that taken
together, it is possible to have both the Asset Visibility and Date Security so that site and asset
security is enhanced to the maximum levels. For further information Visible has created a US Air
Force - AFNWC special information-only web site for backup material as well as support
material associated with the RFI:
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http://www.rubee.com/AFNWCNE
Contacts:
Shawn P. Walther
Director of Business Development – Government Sector
Visible Assets, Inc
(O) 703.794.7238
(C) 703-447-4732
(F) 866.347.6740
swalther@visibleassets.com
Craig Weich
Vice President of Business Development
Visible Assets, Inc
(O) 603-601-0333
craig@visibleassets.com
John K. Stevens
Chairman and CEO
Visible Assets
(O) 617.395.7601
john@visibleassets.com
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26 October 2010
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