Flight Test Aircraft for Satellite Communication Terminal Systems

Sources Sought: Flight Test Aircraft for Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Terminal SystemsThe United States Air Force is issuing this Sources Sought for the purpose of conducting market research to identify potential Industry Sources who can furnish, operate, integrate, modify, and maintain an aircraft in  support of a Government flight testing effort.The aircraft must accommodate (excluding respondent’s flight crew) a Government test team of  6 – 10 personnel with associated workspace to include chairs, tables and power outlets for laptops.  The aircraft must have sufficient space for satellite communication equipment, test equipment (provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)) and respondent provided flight qualified equipment racks, power, and cooling. The approximate volume of this equipment including the equipment racks is 150 to 175 cubic feet. Also, the aircraft must be capable of accommodating a radome (provided as GFE) on the top of the fuselage that is approximately

9-11 feet long by 3 feet wide. The gross weight of all equipment including radome and government test team personnel is approximately 2,300 – 2,800 pounds. The aircraft performance must meet the following minimum criteria;  cruise speed of 350+ knots; operating altitude of 35,000 feet; range of 2500 miles round trip with estimated payload and  flight time 5-7 hours.In addition to operating the aircraft, the respondent is responsible for all aircraft modifications, radome installation, satellite communication equipment integration and installation, and equipment rack fabrication and installation. Also, the respondent is responsible for storing and physically securing the aircraft and providing secure storage for both SECRET test media and satellite communications equipment when not installed in the aircraft.All necessary aircraft modifications and obtaining FAA certification must be completed in 18 months to meet the test schedule.This Sources Sought is not a solicitation.  Responses to this announcement will be used solely by the United States Government to support acquisition decisions. This Sources Sought is solely for informational and market research purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government or a promise to issue a RFP in the future. The Government will not pay for any information received from respondents to this Sources Sought. This Sources Sought synopsis provides a summary of the requirement at the unclassified level.  Respondents interested in receiving the formal RFI, containing the necessary information to formulate a response, should complete all of the attached documentation and submit via email to arthur.bazdanes@us.af.mil and martin.bamberg@us.af.mil no later than (NLT) 1700 EST, 11 May 2020. To receive the formal RFI, the interested business must be a U.S. company with an active US CAGE Code and possess, at a minimum, a Secret facility clearance. Companies will need to designate two (2) individuals to receive the formal RFI documentation. The designated individuals will need to sign both attachments to this Sources Sought. Companies will also need to simultaneously send a visit request (VR), for a period of 90 days after Sources Sought notice, to AFLCMC/HNS via Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), SMO Code: LK1MFVH0. The Point of Contact is AFLCMC/HNS Security Manager: Ms. Pamela Jones, email: pamela.jones.1@us.af.mil, (781) 271-5092. Document requests that are missing required information, or signature will be returned without action. Once the submitted Document Registration and Disclaimer form, individual Non-Disclosure Agreements and visit requests are received and approved the detailed RFI will be provided via encrypted email through Department of Defense (DoD) Safe Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) Website (https://safe.apps.mil/)Summary of Requirement: The purpose of this Sources Sought response is to identify potential industry sources who are capable of providing an aircraft meeting the requirement described above for Government flight tests. The intent of the formal RFI is to receive industry responses that identify alternative test aircraft that will satisfy the Government’s test needs, meet government test schedules, and provide necessary cost data to compare acceptable alternatives. Please direct questions and responses regarding this Sources Sought to the Contract Specialist, Mr. Martin Bamberg, (781) 271-6497, martin.bamberg@us.af.mil and the Contracting Officer, Mr. Arthur Bazdanes, (781) 271-2952, arthur.bazdanes@us.af.mil NLT 1700 EST, 11 May 2020. Attachment(s):1. Document Registration and Disclaimer Form2. Use and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)