69--F/A-18 and EA-18G Aircrew Training Systems Flight Plan Procurement Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract Award

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Orlando intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, a Single Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for the F/A-18C/D Roadmap Procurement Program (RPP) with L-3 Communications Corporation, Link Simulation and Training Division (L-3), Arlington, TX, under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.? The F/A-18C/D RPP IDIQ will provide for the training systems, modifications and upgrades of US Navy and US Marine Corps F/A-18C/D aircrew training systems, the modification and upgrade of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Tactical Operational Flight Trainer (TOFT) hardware and software components that are common with the F/A-18C/D TOFT components, and modification and upgrade of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G unique TOFT software to support aircraft System Configuration Set/Engineering Change Proposal (SCS/ECP) programs. The F/A-18C/D RPP will also provide for directed procurement by Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers for the acquisition of F/A-18C/D aircrew training systems and common components. L-3 developed and built the existing twenty-five F/A-18C/D TOFT training systems and provided upgrades and modifications for SCS 19C and 20X, Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan (NASMP) interoperability, Brief/Debrief Stations, Storage Area Network, Aural Cueing Systems, Motion Cueing Systems, Mission Operation Centers, image generators and visual databases. The F/A-18C/D training systems’ requirements include incorporation of all ongoing aircraft ECPs, SCS updates, and incorporation of major subsystems identified in the F/A-18C/D aircraft development roadmap that support training in the full mission spectrum from planning through mission rehearsal, including individual through joint interoperability levels encompassing events in the initial strike fighter training syllabus, Strike Aircraft Training and Readiness Matrix (T and R), Air Combat Training Continuum (ACTC), and events associated with Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC). Any new F/A-18C/D training systems, modifications and upgrades must be fully integrated and interoperable with the currently fielded F/A-18C/D systems and require the use of technical information that is not readily available to other contractors during design and development as the Government has neither the intellectual property rights nor data necessary to provide to another contractor. The F/A-18C/D RPP IDIQ will also focus on reducing cost of ownership by optimizing existing hardware and software commonality across all F/A-18 and EA-18G TOFTs through the extensive use of common interfaces, data structures, hardware and software constructs. As a subcontractor, L-3 provided hardware and software components for the thirteen F/A-18E/F TOFTs and the three EA-18G TOFTs that are common with the F/A-18C/D TOFTs. These components include, but are not limited to, the Instructor Operator Station, Brief/Debrief Station, visual database, image generators, host computers and interoperability of these devices with each other. Common TOFT component modifications and upgrades must be fully integrated and interoperable with the currently fielded systems and require the use of technical information that is not readily available to other contractors during design and development due to restricted rights and limited data rights. Because the contract requires in-depth knowledge of the current trainer design, award to any other contractor would result in substantial duplication of costs to the Government that would not be recovered through competition and would create unacceptable delays in fulfilling F/A-18 and EA-18G mission training requirements. A competitive acquisition would allow for a new system to be introduced to the field that may not be integrated and interoperable with the existing systems due to the restricted rights and limited data rights that resulted from the original competitive award under the Training Systems Contract (TSC) II Multiple Award Contract (MAC) at NAWCTSD. This would require the Government to have two infrastructures in place for life cycle support or would require significant rework of the current TOFT design and development that would cost the Government additional non-recurring engineering (NRE) effort for the first article development testing, and retrofit of existing TOFTs. As the current sole designer, developer, integrator, manufacturer and supplier of USN and USMC F/A-18C/D aircrew training systems and hardware and software components that are common to the F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, and EA-18G TOFTs, only L-3 possesses the requisite knowledge, engineering expertise, and data rights of the design required to design, build, modify, upgrade and deliver F/A-18C/D aircrew training systems and to maximize the capabilities amongst the F/A-18 platforms to include F/A-18E/F and EA-18G TOFT common component acquisitions, modifications and upgrades within the Government’s requisite delivery schedule. This Sources Sought is not a request for competitive proposals. It is a notice that outlines the Government’s intent to award an IDIQ on a sole-source basis with L-3. However, interested sources may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government. In doing so, interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities, ability to obtain FA-18 and EA-18G aircraft elements and simulation technical data, and any other information that demonstrates their ability to meet the needs of the Government. Detailed capabilities must be submitted by email to Ms. Jessica Roach (contact@example.gov) in an electronic format that is compatible with Word 2003, no later than 20 May 2016. All information shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses shall be limited to no more than TEN (10) 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. This sources sought notice is not to be considered a request for quotations or proposals. No solicitation document is available. No contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice, but will be used to determine if a comparable source is available and more advantageous to the Government. If no affirmative written response is received, a sole source award for the F/A-18C/D RPP Single Award IDIQ will be pursued. This acquisition is being pursued on a sole source basis under statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. (c) (1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). Matters pertaining to this notification may be directed to Jessica Roach at +1 (555) 000-0000 or via email at contact@example.gov.