ASC/YSD, 2275 D St, Ste 16, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-6503

39 -- NEXT GENERATION SMALL LOADER PROGRAM (NGSL) PROGRAM (REVISED NOTICE) SOL F33657-98-R-0027 DUE 073198 POC Robert M. Nolin, (937) 656-9492/Contracting Officer, Capt George Budz, (937) 656-9380 This is a Revised Notice of Proposed Contract Action for the NGSL Program announced earlier by Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center on 22 Aug 97. The NGSL Program is now managed by Aeronautical Systems Center. The NGSL program is for a 25,000 pound capacity self-propelled cargo transport loader: The NGSL will interface with all main deck and lower lobe cargo doors of all commercial and military cargo aircraft. The NGSL must be air transportable on Air Force C-130, C-141, C-5 and C-17 military aircraft, and should be capable of driving on and off without ramp/cargo bay approach shoring. The NGSL shall be certified for transporting, lift/lowering, and on/off loading nuclear weapons. The NGSL will be used to move cargo from loading areas to the aircraft. The NGSL will have an operating speed of 15 mph (loaded) on smooth, hard surfaces, and have the capacity to traverse paved asphalt, dirt and gravel surfaces covered by sand, rain, mud, sleet or snow at lower speeds. The deck of the NGSL should have a powered conveyor system, and be compatible with military HCU-6/E pallets, Type V platforms, ISO containers and rolling stock, and have a deck height service range from 39 to 220 inches. The deck length as a minimum should be capable to accommodate three HCU-6/E pallets with the 108 inched dimension traversing the deck width. The acquisition will be conducted in two phases. As a result of the down-select 1 source selection, the government may award up to two contracts for the delivery of three "production-representative" NGSLs from each contractor. These are to be delivered and tested for compliance with contract requirements, and to assess the actual reliability/maintainability/availability capability of the competitor's products. A pre-planned product improvement (P3I) shall also be proposed to achieve the government's RM&A goal. After being advised of government test results, the government will release a request for proposal to these contractors for the purpose of describing what changes to the NGSL design are required (if any) to meet all contract requirements. Phase 2 of the program will commence with the award of a single contract resulting from the competitive down-select 2 source selection following receipt of offeror proposals. The government plans a Low Rate Initial Production phase wherein an initial order quantity will be delivered to the government for an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation program. Following successful conclusion of this test program, the contractor will be required to incorporate into the production design any and all changes necessary to resolve IOT&E findings before authorization is granted to enter into full rate production. All LRIP NGSLs produced up to that time must be retrofitted with the necessary modifications before their final acceptance is accomplished. Specific Information: Phase 1 of the NGSL program: Planned RFP release date: on or about 1 Jul 1998. Award of up to two (2) contracts to different sources for delivery of the following items is contemplated: Three (3) each production-representative NGSLs (These are to be delivered nine (9) months after contract award for test and evaluation. One NGSL will be delivered in-place at the contractor's facility for contractor test/Nuclear Certification testing purposes. The other two production-representative NGSLs will be delivered to Travis AFB CA for an Air Force conducted Operational Evaluation test program lasting three months.); Operator/maintenance training at Travis AFB CA; Three months of on-site contractor technical test support at Travis AFB CA; Commercial operating and technical manuals (delivered in digital media); An initial spares kit (to be defined by the contractor) to support the three production-representative NGSLs during Air Force test; Firm-fixed-prices for 264 production NGSLs to be delivered in government Fiscal Years 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 (upgrading the 3 NGSLs delivered under Phase 1 are included in this total); firm-fixed-prices for data submittals during production; and a "not to-exceed" priced option line item for a pre-planned product improvement (P3I) program for the production units. (The P3I program is intended to provide a venue for government funding/authorization of contractor proposed product improvements designed to improve on the Reliability/Maintainability & Availability (RM&A) performance values originally stated in the proposal, then demonstrated and validated during the contractor and Air Force testing of the production-representative NGSLs in Phase 1.) Offerors will also provide pricing to support two possible logistics support concepts for the Phase 2 production loaders. One of these concepts will be selected and implemented as part of the Phase 2 award. The first concept is for government maintenance at all three levels: Organizational and Intermediate and Depot. The second concept is for government maintenance at the first two levels: Organizational and Intermediate, but to use maintenance provided by the offeror at the Depot level. Both logistics concepts should be priced as annual options for government fiscal years 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Offerors will be required to submit for evaluation during the Phase 1 source selection, a preliminary Logistics Support Analysis Plan for both Logistics concepts (to include life-cycle cost information). Also required in the Phase 1 proposal will be a Manufacturing/Production Plan, and a Quality Assurance Plan for the three production-representative NGSLs, a preliminary Manufacturing/Production Plan for Phase 2, and a preliminary Quality Assurance Plan for the Phase 2 production NGSLs. Phase 2 of the NGSL program: will be limited to the Phase 1 awardees in accordance with FAR 6.302-1. Phase 2 contemplates final down-selection between the competing production-representative loaders. A request for proposal will be issued on or about 1 Feb 2000, with a single award made approximately 1 Jun 2000. This RFP will require offerors to propose design changes (if any) for the production NGSLs that may be required to correct deficiencies (if any) noted in the contractor and Air Force testing accomplished in Phase 1. The firm-fixed-prices for the production units will not be open for modification, although, if the Phase 1 observed RM&A performance is greater or lesser than the value included in the contractor's System Specification, this value will become the production-baseline value for the production Specification, and also become the baseline value for the conversion of the P3I program's NTE to a firm-fixed-price The evaluation criteria for this down-select will be specified in the Phase 1 RFP. Final versions of the Manufacturing/Production Plan and the Logistics Support Analysis Plan will be required as part of the Phase 2 proposals. Summary of Revisions: The "NTE" pricing for the production NGSLs previously contemplated for the Phase 1 proposal/contract has been changed to a firm-fixed-price requirement. The Phase 1 solicitation will now specify the "baseline" and "objective" Reliability/Maintainability and Availability requirements for the production NGSLs rather than leaving this unidentified until the Phase 2 RFP. The logistics support requirement during the production program has been added. The nuclear certification requirement for the NGSLs has been added. The P3I program has been added. The NGSL Program has now been added to Wright-Patterson AFB's PreAward Information Exchange System (PIXS). This Web-based information network can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.pixs.wpafb.af.mil. The PIXS listing is established as the main vehicle for dissemination of information regarding the C-17 SPO managed NGSL program. All documentation and information pertinent to the program including this synopsis and the resulting solicitation will be posted to the PIXS. Paper copies of the RFP will not be available. Questions received from interested parties concerning this requirement as well as the government answers shall be posted to the PIXS. You are encouraged to visit the NGSL PIXS site often as information will be updated continuously until the final solicitation documents are posted. No telephone requests. Only written or faxed requests received directly from the requesters are acceptable. All responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered. Points of Contact are Mr. Robert M. Nolin, Contracting Officer, Phone (937)-656-9492, FAX (912)-926-3784. Mr. Stephen J. Plaisted has been appointed as Ombudsman to hear concerns from offerors, or potential offerors, during the proposal development. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate government personnel. Existence of an Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or the contracting officer. Accordingly, the Ombudsman does not participate in the preparation of solicitations, the evaluation of proposals or the source selection process and, will provide confidentiality as to the source of the concern. Should you desire to contact the Ombudsman, Mr. Plaisted can be reached at (937) 255-9005. See Note 26. (0166)

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