PRE-SOLICITATION, PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE FOR THE ARMY'S COUNTERMINE CAPABILITY SETS (CMCS The U. S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Acquisition Center -- Washington Operations and the Project Manager for Mines, Countermine and Demolitions, Countermine Division, (PM-MCD-C) are hosting a Pre-Solicitation conference for the acquisition of Integration and Logistics Support for the Countermine Capability Set (CMCS). The conference is scheduled for 0930 -- 1600 hours, 30 March 2000, at Wood Theater on North Post Fort Belvoir, VA. A map is at "http://www.aafes.com/conus_ner/ft_belvoir/map.htm". Wood Theater is located on Abbott Road and is shown as #12 on the map. This Pre-Solicitation conference is conducted in advance of a Draft-Solicitation and a formal Request For Proposals for the acquisition of the services required for the Integration and Logistics Support for the CMCS. A Draft RFP is expected to be ready for release on or about 1 June 2000. The final RFP is expected to be released on or about 14 July 2000. The Army requires the ability to counter the threat from antipersonneland antitank mines while conducting route and limited area clearance missions necessary to continue military operations. The Countermine Capability Set (CMCS) described herein will mitigate operational risk, especially in support of contingencies and Stability and Support Operations (S&SO), with sets of readily accessible countermine equipment. The CMCS will be available to deploying troops to provide an incremental and significant increase over current capabilities. CMCS is a suite of available or off-the-shelf countermine equipment, which will be acquired in limited quantities, configured in sets for storage, and issued to deploying units as needed. CMCS will consist of several types of countermine equipment, including mine detection, neutralization, limited clearing, marking, and protection equipment. Specific countermine equipment items being considered for the CMCS are: light weight rollers and plows, magnetic mine countermeasures, mine clearing armor protection kits, individual body armor protection sets, vehicle-mounted mine detectors, mine resistant vehicles, protection kits for critical wheeled and tracked vehicles, small area clearing devices, remote controlled heavy mine clearing equipment (such as full-width flails, grinders, or clearers), advanced mine detectors, mine defeat rifles, a mine information and recording system, and others. The purpose of the conference is to provide the Government an opportunity to explain the requirements for Integration and Logistics Support for the Countermine Capability Set (CMCS) and to invite potential offerors to provide their comments and questions. The following is an outline of some of the proposed contractor's responsibilities currently being considered: a) The contractor will obtain a small number (i.e. approximately 1 to 3) of each CMCS item specified for the conduct of limited Government testing and evaluation. b) The contractor will provide logistics support during the conduct of Government testing and evaluation at sites to be determined. Such supportwill include, but not be limited to, training of test personnel, maintenance and repair of the equipment, and transportation to and from test sites. c) Upon completion of the test and evaluation phase for each item, the contractor may be required to obtain additional specified quantities of the countermine items in order to configure up to four CMCS sets at locations to be determined by the Government. At present, it is envisioned that two of these sets will be stored in CONUS. The remaining sets will be stored OCONUS. d) The contractor shall provide logistics support for each CMCS site as items are introduced to the set. Options are envisioned for continuing support over several years. Elements of support under consideration are: operation of the site, on-going storage, reporting status of sets, periodic inspection and maintenance of CMCS equipment and their logistics support packages to assure a "ready-to-issue" condition to meet contingency requirements, conduct of "just in time" individual and unit training on the CMCS and its components prior to deployment, supply accountability and issue of CMCS components, repair of equipment as needed during S&SO, and refurbishment of items upon completion of a mission and return of equipment to CMCS stocks. e) The contractor will also perform, either directly or by subcontract, limited Engineering and Development (E&D) for other selected CMCS items. Such E&D effort is envisioned to be restricted to those activities necessary to adapt existing equipment or designs to designated host vehicles, develop simple prototypes, or similar limited efforts. f) As in subparagraphs a-d above, The contractor will be required to provide limited numbers of these prototype systems for Government testing and evaluation, logistic support during testing, limited production quantities of such items upon approval by the Government, and continuing logistics support following delivery. g) The contractor will coordinate with the Government program managers and project offices for CMCS items being developed or managed under in-house programs to arrange for test items, logistics support, and delivery of additional items for each CMCS as directed by the Government. h) The contractor will be responsible for providing commercial facilities or for maintaining a Government facility or facilities to properly store, issue, maintain, train, and outfit the CMCS with spare and repair parts. i) The contractor shall have the capability to provide experienced maintenance personnel, spares, and repair parts to support user operations and maintenance in CONUS and OCONUS during contingencies and S&SO. j) The contractor will be responsible for the preparation of training materials and obtaining or preparing technical manuals for the operation and maintenance of each of the CMCS Sets. k) The contractor is responsible for establishing or coordinating worldwide shipping capabilities to support the U. S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps worldwide. l) The contractor will be responsible for obtaining any authorizations, licenses and permits to ship the CMCS or its components worldwide. m) The contractor shall have the capability of supporting contingency operations on demand at high optempo up to the deployment of all four CMCS sets simultaneously, upon the notification by the Government that such emergency exists. n) The contractor will be responsible for the safekeeping and the security of the CMCS and the security of all contingency plans for deployment. o). The contractor is responsible for having countermine equipment operational and ready for deployment. p) Under potential additional options, the contractor will obtain, support testing, and further modify or develop other countermine equipment for integration into the CMCS sets as it becomes available. q) The contractor shall develop an implementation plan for transition to a depot or to a third party at the end of the contract performance period. Funding for this program starts in FY01. Under current plans, the program is expected to be funded for at least six years. Contractors are encouraged to have questions prepared ahead of time for the pre-solicitation conference. Questions and answers regarding this procurement will be in the public domain and periodically posted to a central site. The U.S. Army is interested in a contractor capable of providing a total logistics support solution to the needs of the storage, maintenance, training, and deployment of the Countermine Capability Set (CMCS) equipment. PM/MCD will be the focal point for the performance of this contract. Management support for this program is being provided by BRTRC, Inc. All requests for information or comments must be sent via e-mail to rosenbrg@brtrc.com with an information copy provided to akimbe@hoffman-issaa2.army.mil. Telephonic requests will not be honored. If you are interested in attending the Pre-Solicitation conference, you must send the name, telephone number, e-mail address, and the name of your company to the e-mail addresses above not later than 27 March 2000. Additional information related to this procurement can be found at: http://abop.monmouth.army.mil. The government envisions the establishment of a virtual reading room prior to the release of the draft RFP at a website to be determined. WEB: http://abop.monmouth.army.mil, http://abop.monmouth.army.mil. E-MAIL: akimbe@hoffman-issaa2.army.mil, rosenbrg@brtrc.com. Posted 03/16/00 (W-SN435007).

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