KC-135 Boom Operator Simulation System
I. DESCRIPTION
Sources Sought for Planning Purposes. This sources sought is being conducted by; AFLCMC/WNSK, Agile Combat Support, Simulators Division, to identify potential sources that may possess expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet the information identified below.
a) The Government is conducting market research to identify, as potential sources, companies that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to competently and competitively respond to the requirements for the Air National Guard (ANG) KC-135 Boom Operator Simulation System (KC-135 BOSS). This requirement consists of providing on-site Contractor Operations and Maintenance Support (COMS), Training System Support Center (TSSC) services including software updates and initial issuance of a Requirements Management Framework (RMF) Authority to Operate (ATO), and sustainment modifications. The KC-135 BOSS re-compete action is preparing for source selection and this sources sought serves as market research to identify support services available between the end of the current contract and award of the competitive contract.
b) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this sources sought or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. Companies responding to this sources sought are advised that participation does not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards. The Government will not reimburse any company or individual for any expenses associated with preparation or participation in this market research. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this sources sought.
c) Program Description: The KC-135 BOSS program consists of two training devices: KC-135 BOSS and Micro-BOSS. The KC-135 BOSS utilizes a high fidelity replica of the KC-135 boom operator compartment, an Instructor Operator Station (IOS), a visual display system, and equipment to provide boom operator continuation training. The KC-135 BOSS is certified under Aerial Refueling Airplane Simulator Qualifications (ARASC) Revision C, Level 1; the Micro-BOSS is utilized as a part task trainer/de-brief station. The KC-135 BOSS program provides COMS, TSSC, and hardware and software modifications for trainers belonging to the Air National Guard (ANG) at 17 sites (15 domestic, 2 OCONUS). The government solely owns all training assets included in the KC-135 BOSS program. The Air Force purchases the services and equipment, necessary to support the trainers.
d) The purpose of this sources sought is to determine interest in providing KC-135 BOSS simulation services to the United States Air Force (USAF) for up to 12 months period until the competitive contract can be awarded.
II. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
Primary activities supported under the KC-135 BOSS program include the five (5) core requirements, listed below:
a) Management: Conduct engineering design reviews for the modification efforts, report status of the program, conduct configuration management, quality assurance, concurrency management, obsolescence management, personnel management, information assurance, and contract transition activities. Develop and manage IMP/IMS and Re-competition Support Package.
b) Contractor Operations and Maintenance Support (COMS): Provide on-site technicians to ensure trainers are maintained to meet reliability and availability rates. On-site technicians will support operations of the KC-135 BOSS in both classified and unclassified environments for up to 40 hours per week. Provide maintenance and logistics support to the devices to include parts tracking, repair capability, and spares & inventory management and maintain the KC-135 BOSS training device to achieve semi-annual simulator certification (SIMCERT) to Aerial Refueling Airplane Simulator Qualifications (ARASQ) Revision C, Level 1.
c) Training System Support Center (TSSC): Provide personnel and processes for engineering, integration and testing of concurrency and obsolescence modifications. Tasks include but are not limited to:
i) Software & hardware modification, visual database modification,
ii) Computer support, Distributed Mission Operation (DMO) Mission Package standards support,
iii) Generating RMF ATO artifacts, technical analysis and feasibility study support.
iv) Operate a document library to maintain, stock, store, and distribute all KC-135 BOSS technical documents, engineering drawings, software, other CDRLs and any other Re-competition Support Package data items.
v) Relocate the TSSC to a Government facility
vi) Sustainment modification that are modification efforts above and beyond that of the TSSC.
III. Sources Sought Response
In response to this sources sought, please provide the following information:
PART I: BUSINESS INFORMATION
Please provide the following business information for your company and for any teaming or joint venture partners:
• Company Name:
• Address:
• Point of Contact:
• CAGE Code:
• Phone Number:
• E-mail Address:
• Web Page URL:
• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 336413. Based on the NAICS Code, state whether your company is: - Small Business* (Yes / No)
- Women Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (Yes/No)
- Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)
- 8(a) Certified (Yes / No) Date of 8(a) certification:
- HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)
- Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
• System for Award Management (SAM) (Yes / No)
All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded any DoD contract. Prospective contractors are cautioned to ensure that the proper NAICS code for this effort appears in their SAM listing, if applicable to the company's capabilities.
(*) If you answered yes, please explain whether your company would be capable of meeting the requirements of FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting.
PART II: COMPETITION CONSIDERATIONS AND BUSINESS STRATEGIES COMPETITIVE SERVICES - RISKS AND CHALLENGES:
The Government is formulating ideas, concepts, and strategies in performing market research and has identified known significant risks and challenges below:
• Period of performance under consideration is up to 12 months. (Approximately June 2017 through May 2018).
• All devices at the operating location must operate at no less than 90% availability rate throughout any transition period to achieve the no break in training requirement.
• Must successfully produce all artifacts necessary to achieve an Requirements Management Framework (RMF) Authority To Operate no later than mid-October 2017
PART III: CAPABILITIES
The capabilities package should be brief and concise, yet clearly demonstrate an ability to meet the stated requirements. Recent, relevant experience in all areas should be provided. Teaming and/or subcontracting arrangements should be clearly delineated and previous experience in teaming must be provided.
a) Describe briefly the capabilities of your company and the nature of the goods and/or services you provide.
b) Describe your company's technical competencies and experience in sustaining boom operator training devices. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual points of contact (Contracting Officers or Program Managers). Provide no more than 3 examples.
c) Describe your specific capabilities to sustain a KC-135 Boom Operator Simulation System. Be sure to include any information relevant to your experience with attaining system availability, identifying and resolving obsolescence issues, maintaining a Re-competition Support Package, and responding to user requests to update visual databases.
d) Describe your experience in managing user-generated software changes. Include your document maintenance process and your software/database modification development, test, distribution, and installation processes.
e) Describe your experience working in a Mobility Air Forces (MAF) DMO environment and obtaining an Authority to Operate (ATO) in such an environment.
f) What experience do you have maintaining training device technical data, engineering drawings, and source code/media? What is your expertise in successfully obtaining and working with data and software containing limited or restricted rights, and/or third-party proprietary data?
g) What experience do you have modifying and maintaining boom operator training device software?
h) Are there any other relevant topics, concerns, and information that will help the Government in forming an acquisition strategy? Are there any cost saving ideas with regard to operational hours/days per week that would help the Air Force reduce service rates? Finally, are there any approaches for structuring incentive fees/rate reductions for meeting/not meeting aircraft concurrency?
i) What is your approach to accomplish relocating the Training System Support Center (TSSC) from Ann Arbor, MI to McGhee Tyson ANGB, TN within a two week time period. Does your approach include Government verification testing prior to relocation, tear-down, packing, crating and shipping, reassembly and Government verification testing to meet Simulator Certification (SIMCERT)?
IV. PART IV: COMMUNICATION:
If you choose to respond, the Government requests non-proprietary, non-sensitive responses include any concepts, ideas, and strategies that would facilitate the ability to meet the above program requirements.
Please e-mail your responses to Matthew.Albers.3@us.af.mil and Zachary.Hollingsworth@us.af.mil by 4:00 PM EST on 20 January, 2016.
Marketing materials are considered an insufficient response to this sources sought. Please limit responses to no more than 12 total pages including all backup materials, and identify a representative to support further Government inquiries and requests for clarification of the information provided, if needed.
Matthew Albers, Email matthew.albers.3@us.af.mil - Zach Hollingsworth, Email zachary.hollingsworth@us.af.mil
