69 -- F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Aircrew and Maintenance Trainers

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR-Orlando) intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract (ID/IQ) with The Boeing Company, St. Louis, MO. (Boeing) under authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements". The anticipated ceiling amount for this contract is $500M. As the design cognizant activity and builder of the in production F/A-18 E/F Aircraft and EA-18G variant, Boeing alone maintains the engineering expertise required to design, build and deliver high fidelity F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Aircrew and Maintenance Trainers to meet critical aircrew and maintainers training requirements that occur concurrently with the introduction of the aircraft into the fleet. The Boeing Company through their Flight Simulation division is funded by the F/A-18 E/F Aircraft and EA-18G Programs to create aircraft systems software and modify aircraft Software Configuration Sets (SCS) for engineering simulations at Boeing that are used in the development of the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. These newly created and modified SCS software models are then reused in the development of F/A-18 E/F trainer systems. They will also be used in the newly developed EA-18G trainer systems. As part of the aircraft procurement program, Boeing developed and built the existing F/A-18 E/F Aircrew and Maintenance Trainers and are currently responsible for design, fabrication, integration, documentation, shipping, installation and testing of upgrades to specific trainers. Under the EA-18G Aircraft Program, Boeing will mirror this effort and build EA-18G Aircrew and Maintenance Trainers. This sole source acquisition will be for the procurement of new F/A-18E/F and EA-18G trainers and training systems and upgrades to existing trainers and training systems. The training systems requirements include incorporation of all ongoing aircraft engineering change proposals (ECPs), SCS updates, (to include, but not limited to H3, H4, H5, H6) and incorporation of major subsystems identified in the aircraft development roadmap that impact aircrew and maintenance training. The trainers and training associated with the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft is designed and developed based on data derived from parallel and spiral efforts contracted with Boeing under the aircraft procurement programs. The trainers will require incorporation of advanced and emerging technologies specific in design or application to the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. F/A-18 E/F trainers and EA-18G trainers require the use of technical and operational information that is not readily available to other vendors during design and development. Only Boeing has access to the requisite aircraft design data, aircraft specific software, and simulated models. Because the contract requires in-depth knowledge of the current and future aircraft designs, award through competition would require substantial duplication of costs that the Government would not recover through competition and would create unacceptable delays in fulfilling the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G's mission training requirements scheduled through FY10. This synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. Interested sources may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements. Interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities, and any other information, which demonstrates their ability to meet the needs of the Government. Detailed capabilities must be submitted by email to Tim Cichon (timothy.cichon@navy.mil) in an electronic format that is compatible with Word 2000, no later than 21 October 2004. All information shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses shall be limited to no more than FIVE (5) pages. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No solicitation document is available. If no affirmative written response is received, the ID/IQ Contract for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Aircrew and Maintenance Trainers and trainer modifications will be awarded without further notice.