99--MARKET SURVEY- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / Radar Data Digitizer Market Survey Announcement

This Market Survey is issued in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acquisition Management System (AMS) Section 3.2.1.2.1. The purpose of this Market Survey is to determine whether or not adequate competition exists to and to determine the feasibility for small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses or eligible socially and economically disadvantaged businesses (SEDB) that are certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for participation in the SBA's 8(a) Program. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a need to interface thirty-one analog Airport Surveillance Radar model 8 (ASR-8) systems and their associated secondary radar systems [either Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator model 5 (ATCBI-5) or Mode Select (Mode-S)], currently deployed and operating in the National Airspace System (NAS), to digital terminal automation systems defined by the Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement (TAMR) program. This need may be extended to the replacement of existing digitizers in the NAS utilized in terminal and en route domains. The digitization of these interfaces is required to support the surveillance and automation roadmaps as well as to provide digital formats consistent with the TAMR program. The ASR-8 and the ATCBI-5 systems both provide a video output that is transmitted to the terminal automation and display equipment, typically via coaxial cables, while the Mode-S system provides a serial output in the terminal Common Digitizer 2 (CD-2) format. As the NAS evolved, the need to digitize the ASR-8 and ATCBI-5 systems output for selected applications was identified and a digitizer was developed and implemented at specific locations. The advent of the TAMR program now requires that all ASR-8 systems and their associated secondary radar systems have a digital output. This digital output will be accomplished by converting the ASR-8 and ATCBI-5 video outputs into a digital message format capable of supporting IP addressing with the ability to provide primary only target reports, secondary only target reports, merged (primary and secondary) target reports and weather contour information on separately configurable output data streams supporting CD-2 and All Purpose Structured Eurocontrol Surveillance Information Exchange (ASTERIX) 3448A message formats. When the ASR-8 is collocated with the Mode-S system, the digital output will be accomplished by converting the ASR-8 video outputs into digital target messages and incorporating the serial Mode-S target information into the digital message format capable of supporting IP addressing with the ability to provide primary only target reports, secondary only target reports, merged (primary and secondary) target reports and weather contour information on separately configurable output data streams supporting CD-2 and ASTERIX 3448A message formats. The digitized output will provide a primary target detection performance Pd of ninety percent and a secondary false target rate of no more than one percent using standardized FAA analysis tools. The digitized output also will provide correlated and non-correlated primary only target reports, secondary only target reports, combined or merged target reports from the secondary and primary target reports, and weather contour information capable of supporting six level weather detection and dissemination in accordance with National Weather Service standards. The estimated quantity that may be required by the Government is 37-45. The digitizer equipment being proposed must be a non-developmental item and one unit will be required to be delivered with the vendor's proposal for evaluation and testing if a screening information request (request for proposal) is issued. This Market Survey is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a solicitation for a Screening Information Request (SIR). At this time the nature of the competition has not been determined. The FAA intends to review all response submittals to help establish an acquisition strategy. Accordingly, this Market Survey must not be construed as either a promise to award a contract or an obligation for the Government to provide compensation for information associated with the preparation and submittal of inquiries addressing this Market Survey. If a formal solicitation is generated at a later date, a notice will be published on FAA Contract Opportunities. No award will be made as a result of this Market Survey. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the FAA. The FAA reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any private sector input as a result of this market survey. Responses will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this survey or results of information submitted. The principle North American Industry Classification System code for this effort is 334511, "Air Traffic Control Radar Systems and Equipment Manufacturing". Submission Details: Interested vendors are requested to provide the following information by July 23, 2012 @ 1pm (EST) 1. Provide a description of the digitizer equipment currently deployed (and deployed location) including technical performance characteristics for the primary, secondary and weather reporting as well as reliability, maintainability, and availability information for the operating equipment. 2. Provide a description of any development work that would need to be completed if all requirements would not be met by the existing equipment design. 3. Identify any peculiar test equipment required and would need to be provided to support the digitizer equipment. 4. Provide a description of the logistics support for the digitizer equipment, e.g., sparing, technical and operational manuals, contractor support, and training. 5. Provide a description of the Open System Architecture, if any, utilized in the development of the equipment as well as details of any proprietary information (hardware or software) that would not convey to the Government. 6. Provide a description of technical expertise or experience with ASR-8, ATCBI-5, and Mode-S systems, as well as expertise or experience with FAA surveillance and automation programs. 7. Provide a description of expertise or experience with the design and development of Radar signal processing capable of supporting target and weather detection and reporting requirements. 8. Provide a description of the resources available to support the testing, implementation, and support of its digitizer equipment to include an assessment of production capabilities and the expected delivery quantity per month and when the first unit could be delivered after a contract award. 9. Completed Business Declaration Form( see attached form) and Small Business Administration 8(a) form if applicable. 10. Identify warranty policies, extended warranty programs, current prices and any quantity discounts. Send one electronic submission to contact@example.gov. by 1pm July 23, 2012. The electronic submission should be in a Portable Document Format (.PDF). Submissions should not exceed 10 pages in length. Also, please note that the FAA email server restricts file sizes to 10MB per email, so larger files may have to be submitted in more than one email to be fully received. This announcement is not a solicitation for a Screening Information Request (SIR) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). Accordingly, this announcement must not be construed as either a promise to award a contract or an obligation for the Government to provide compensation for information associated with the preparation and submittal of inquiries addressing this announcement. Brochures alone will not be considered sufficient documentation for demonstration of capabilities, conflict-free credentials, and unbiased status. Responses will not be returned. No evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to respondents of the announcement. No collect calls or telephone inquiries will be accepted. The FAA does not intend to use responses to this survey to screen or down select, rather, they will be used to determine the range of contractor interest, experience and capability. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The FAA is not seeking unsolicited proposals at this time. If a solicitation is issued, it will be synopsized on the FAA's contract opportunities web page. It is the potential offeror's responsibility to monitor this site for the release of any solicitation. For questions, requests for additional information regarding this market survey, contact Lucinda Davis via E-mail only: contact@example.gov. Submission must include company Point(s) of Contact, telephone number(s), facsimile number(s), email address(es) (if available), and mailing address. No telephone calls will be accepted.