Air Armament Center, AAC/WRRK, 102 West D Ave, Suite 300, Eglin AFB, FL 32542-6808

69 -- ALASKAN AIR COMBAT TRAINING SYSTEMS (ACTS) UPGRADE PROGRAM POC Mr. Roland Baez Contracting Officer, (850) 882-9391, Ext. 5050 Sources Sought (SS). The Air Combat Training Systems (ACTS) Integrated Product Team (IPT), Air Armament Center (AAC), Eglin AFB, Florida, plans to modify the existing Alaskan ACTS Upgrade (AAU) contract to require the addition of a mission data recording capability for high activity aircraft (HAA) participants operating on the Alaska Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (AACMI) and Yukon Measurement and Debriefing System (YMDS) ranges. This effort will install a data recording device (DRD) into the P4BE Aircraft Instrumentation Subsystem (AIS) pods, and will include the addition of ground processing facilities necessary to integrate (merge) and format all HAA mission data from the DRDs for display on the existing Advanced Display and Debriefing Subsystem (ADDS) configurations present at Eielson AFB and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The AAU Program is currently underway with Applied Data Technology, Inc.(ADTI) to upgrade 86 P4B AIS pods, 7 AIS test sets, and the 2 Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) ranges in Alaska with datalink communication encryption/decryption, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, and uplink/downlink message formats optimized for Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) training. These AAU subsystem and range upgrades are scheduled for completion in April 2000. The DRD modification will be conducted in the field, and will be subsequent to, and not affect, the current AAU schedule for an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of the YMDS of January 2000 or the AACMI IOC of April 2000. Additionally, the DRD pod modifications are to be conducted incrementally so as not to disrupt the Cope Thunder exercises. The prime objectives of the AAU program are to enhance the HAA tracking performance on the YMDS and AACMI ranges through implementation of differential GPS technology, and to capture sufficient data to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of each mission for aircrew debriefings. Even with the GPS addition, the rugged Alaskan topographical environment is expected to produce a significant level of datalink message dropouts due to masking of AIS and ground-based tracking instrumentation subsystem antennas, particularly at lower aircraft altitudes. Adding a DRD to the pods and a data merger device to the range ground systems will ensure that all of the pertinent time, space, position information (TSPI) and weapons data for each HAA is captured for exercise playback and debriefing purpose. This additional AAU effort to install the DRDs as a field modification to the 86 P4BE pods is to occur immediately after the pods are tested and fielded in Alaska under the AAU contract. As such, there are no GFE P4BE pods available prior to the addition of this requirement. Additionally, the final technical data package will not be available until after completion of the AAU contract. The anticipated contract type will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP). Comments relative to this scope expansion should be addressed to Mr. Roland Baez or Ms Jaciel Robbins, AAC/WMRK, 102 West D Avenue, Suite 300, Eglin AFB, and FL 32542-6808 in writing no later than 30 days from the date of this announcement. Respondents must state the basis for any exceptions and provide information for Government evaluation of their firm's capability to perform the effort within the limitations identified above. Responding companies will not be notified directly of the Government's evaluation of these comments. An Ombudsman has been appointed to address concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposed development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or contracting officer, but communicates contractor 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 source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call Col. Christopher Caravello, AAC/CV, at (850) 882-0662. Direct all routine communication concerning this acquisition to Mr. Roland Baez Contracting Officer, (850) 882-9391 Ext. 5050, for contracting matters, and Mr. Bobby Tapley, Program Manager, (850) 882-9391, Ext. 5065 for technical matters. See notes 8, 22 and 26. Posted 12/23/98 (W-SN283233). (0357)

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