Electronic Systems Center, R&D Contracting Division, Directorate of Contracting, ESC/PKRB, 104 Barksdale St., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806

A -- ELECTRODYNAMICS OF IONOSPHERE USING DIGITAL IONOSONDES AND OTHER HF TECHNIQUES SOL F19628-96-R-0036 POC Gino F. Cascieri, Contracting Specialist, ESC/PKRB, (617) 377-2623, Robert W. Tyrrell, Contracting Officer, (617) 377-2930. Notice of Contract Action for the purpose of issuing a Full and Open Competitive Soliciation in support of the Phillips Laboratory Geophysics Directorate, Ionospheric Effects Division (PL/GPI) to continue work in several areas such as: 1) study of equatorial ionospheric irregularities, 2) polar cap monitoring of the ionosphere for ground based determination of polarity of Interplanetary magnetic Field 3) upgrading of digital ionospheric sounding systems (DISS) network support, and buildup of ionospheric data base for testing PL based Parametric Ionospheric Model (PIM), 4) developing a visualization technique for display of multidimensional geophysical data, 5) Instrumentation for Ionospheric Modification Diagnostics, 6) construction of a prototype low power (a few hundred watts) digital ionosonde, 7) a portable digital ionosonde, and 8) a prototype digital ionosonde for satellite based ionospheric observations. The present work is carried out by University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts, Center for Atmospheric Research (UMLCAR) under Contract F19628-90-K-0029. The work is both experimental and theoretical. The contractor operates, maintains, repairs and upgrades five DISS systems deployed at Goose Bay, Bermuda and Qaanaaq, Narssarssaug and Sondre Stromfjord in Greenland. The contractor deploys instrumentation, collects, analyses and interprets ionospheric data in collaboration with PL scientists from equatorial stations during special campaigns (one per year). Interested potential offerors should possess experience in the following areas: 1) design, construction and deployment and upgrading of DISS and other digital ionosonde systems, 2) operation, maintenance of DISS for data collection, analysis and interpretation, 3) extensive background in theoretical and experimental Ionospheric Physics. The work involves occasional travel for maintenance of instruments, and field observations. For the first three items the expected work load is 10.4 man-years per year for four years. The work category calls for ionospheric physicists, engineers (both at high and medium levels), research associates, computer programmers, and administration of the contract effort. The period of performance will be forty-eight (48) months beginning in the 3rd quarter of FY96. This was previously synopized as a Sources Sought on 22 February 1996, referencing PR FY712196PL3168. Organizations that responded to the 22 February 1996, Sources Sought need not respond to this Notice of Contract Action. The forecasted Request For Proposal (RFP) release date is scheduled on or about 01 May 1996. Organizations with experience in this field who are interested in receiving a RFP should respond within fifteen (15) days of this publication to ESC/PKRB, Attn: Gino F. Cascieri, 104 Barksdale Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806, Reference RFP No. F19628-96-R-0036. Mr. Cascieri can be reached at (617) 377-2623. Offerors should list persons from customer firms whom the Air Force may contact to verify applicable work experience and performance. Firms should also indicate their status if qualified as socially or economically disadvantaged. Each offeror responding to this synopsis is requested to submit with its reply a name and telephone number for a point of contact. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman should only be contacted with issues or problems that have previously been brought to the attention of the program manager and/or the contracting officer and could not be satisfactorily resolved at that level. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. The Ombudsman is Col Claude E. Messamore, Jr., ESC/IG, (617) 377-5106. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes, does not constitute an IFB or RFP, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the government. See Numbered Note(s): 25. (0100)

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