ESC Global Air Traffic Operations/Mobility C2 SPO (TG), 11 Eglin St., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2120

A -- PROGRAM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT (PRDA) ENTITLED "GLOBAL AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT (GATM) AVIONICS FOR SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT" SOL GATO 97-02 POC Major Jeff Emmons, Contracting Officer, 617-377-7985; Capt. Patrick Hughes, Contract Specialist, 617-377-6949. Program Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) entitled "Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) Avionics Architecture for Air Combat Command Special Mission Aircraft," PRDA #GATO 97-02 . The Global Air Traffic Operations / Mobility Command and Control (GATO/MC2) Systems Program Office (SPO) of the Air Force Electronic Systems Center (ESC) seeks research, development, and integration sources to provide diverse, innovative, and creative approaches to the generation of a notional avionics architecture that will enable the addition of GATM capabilities to special mission aircraft (specifically, the E-3, E-8, and RC-135V/W ). BACKGROUND: As the civil aviation community migrates towards Communications Navigation Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), inadequately equipped Air Force aircraft face the prospect of operational restrictions and the risk of losing access to certain civil airspace. Any such restrictions on Air Force aircraft would be unacceptable to support our Information Superioritycore competency. Thus, the Air Force plans to equip its aircraft as necessary to avoid any operational penalties. Full compliance and interoperability with CNS/ATM could dictate the incorporation of the following aircraft capabilities: Required Navigation Performance (RNP), Controller/Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS), ADS-B, Mode S, Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), 8.33 kHz VHF radios, (Reference http://herbb.hanscom.af.mil/tbbs/R39/RFP39.htm for further information on these capabilities). PROJECT STATEMENT: The GATO/MC2 SPO is interested in the generation of a notional architecture plan for the special mission aircraft that: (1) specifies the operational and technical GATM baseline requirements set and civil implementation timelines, (2) specifies new avionics equipment (COTS or new developmental items), (3) identifies modifications needed to existing equipment, (4) determines the need for any new software, where the software is hosted, and the scope of the development effort, (5) defines the physical interfaces between equipment and the protocol standards to be used, (6) identifies any critical risks in the implementation of the proposed architecture, (7) specifies the requisite ground infrastructure to support the approach (maintenance concept, depot requirements, simulators, technical orders, etc.), (8) establishes the business case for the chosen architectural approach in the context of alternative technical solutions, (9) rough-order-of-magnitude estimates for the solution sets. GUIDELINES: (1) GATM operational and technical requirements are volatile and open to interpretation, therefore, reasonable assumptions should be made by the offerors in the generation of their proposed architectures, (2) The Air Force is interested in as much COTS equipment as possible in order to share update costs with commercial industry. However, it is recognized that in some cases unique developments may be necessary in order to meet various military unique requirements, (3) Adequate hardware and software growth must be provided to accommodate future capabilities, (4) The proposed equipment and architecture must meet the intent of civil standards and certification requirements, including compliance with the relevant Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS), Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS), Technical Standard Orders (TSO), Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS), software development standards (per RTCA DO-178B -- reference www.rtca.org for further information). SELECTION CRITERIA: Selection for contract award will be based on the following factors: (a) Overall technical merits, methodology, innovativeness, and reasonableness of the proposal plan, (b) the offeror's capabilities, related experience, techniques, or unique combinations of which are integral factors for achieving the proposed objectives, (c ) the qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the principal investigator, team leader, and other key personnel who are critical to achievement of the proposed objectives, (d) the offeror's record of past and present performance, and (e) cost/price reasonableness. No further evaluation criteria will be used in source selection. The technical and cost information will be evaluated at the same time. Proposals shall be submitted in three (3) parts: Volume 1, Technical Approach and Methodology Description, Volume 2, Contractor-proposed task statement, and Volume 3, Cost Information. The Technical Approach and Methodology Description should not exceed twenty (20) double-spaced, 10 to 12 point font size, typed pages (excluding covers, indexes, and resumes). The task statement should not exceed six (6), double-spaced, 10 to 12 point font size, typed pages. (Caution: The Government will not review more than the page limitation). There is no page limitation on the Cost Proposal. Forward six (6) copies of each proposal to ESC/TGK (ATTN: Capt Patrick Hughes, Building 1618, 11 Eglin Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-1806). Proposals submitted using electronic media will not be accepted. The cost of preparing a proposal in response to a PRDA is not considered an allowable direct charge to the resulting contract or any other contract. It is, however, an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18. The Air Force reserves the right to select for award any, all, or none of the proposals received in response to this announcement depending on the quality and/or availability of funds and negotiate changes to costs and work proposed. Firms responding should indicate if they qualify as small, small-disadvantaged or woman-owned business. Proposals received in response to this announcement are subject to the Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. Also, be advised that this is currently an unfunded requirement. Offerors are requested to provide a point of contact by name and phone number in their proposal. An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the program director or contracting officer, but to communicate the offeror's concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the selection process. Interested parties may contact Colonel Lee H. Hughes, Director, Commander's Staff, ESC/CX, 617-377-5106. 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 date of receipt of proposals may be amended to provide for subsequent revisions to this PRDA. Furthermore contractors are cautioned that only contracting officers are legally authorized to commit the government. Remember all responses should reference PRDA #GATO 97-02. Questions of a technical nature may be referred to Maj Grant Carlson at (617) 377-4184. Contractual and cost response format questions should be referred to either the Contracting Officer, Major Emmons at (617) 377-7985 or to the Contract Specialist, Capt Patrick Hughes at (617) 377-6949. The Government estimates this study will require approximately two person years of effort. The work is anticipated to last approximately four to six months and be awarded in the late Fiscal Year 1997 time frame. AGAIN, THIS EFFORT IS CURRENTLY AN UNFUNDED REQUIREMENT AND AWARD MAY BE MADE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES IS 45 DAYS FROM THE PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. (0177)

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