Afghan Trainer Program ** Industry Day White Paper ** This White Paper is provided in DRAFT format and is for informational purposes ONLY and is subject to change. The anticipated CLIN structure stated in this white paper is in DRAFT format only and subject to changes and modifications. The overall operational aspect of this white paper is provided in DRAFT format and subject to changes and modifications. **************************************************************************** TAAC-Air/438th AEW Mission The purpose and mission of Train, Advise, Assist Command - Air (TAAC-Air) is to train, advise and assist our Afghan partners to develop a professional, capable, and sustainable Air Force. TAAC-Air, also known as the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, is a NATO-led organization headquartered in Kabul with Groups at both Kabul and Kandahar. TAAC-Air is a joint organization composed of US military, coalition military, and contractor personnel. The Afghan Air Force (AAF) was created as a separate entity in 2009. The aircraft in the AAF's inventory has varied over time. Currently fixed wing assets include the C-208B and C-130. Its rotary wing assets include the MD-530 Cayuse Warrior, Mi-17 & Mi-35. The AAF is vital to the success of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA). As the NATO mission scales back, the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) are more dependent on the AAF to provide combat and logistical capabilities. The C-208B aircraft is needed to train Afghan pilots, provide airlift capability, provide medevac capability and transport human remains. Contractors work hand-in-hand with Afghan and Coalition partners to ensure these critical capabilities are continuously available to the GIROA. Overview The goal of this Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) program is for the contractors to maintain the fleet of C-208B aircraft, while training Afghan maintenance personnel to properly maintain the aircraft. The goal of TAAC-Air is to ensure Afghans can organically maintain the C-208B fleet at contract completion. The CLS contract is intended to start with six (6) aircraft transitioned over to the Afghan government. These are based out of Shindand Air Field, Afghanistan. As the CLS contract progresses, there will be additional aircraft transitioned over to Afghan maintenance responsibility as the cadre of Afghan maintainers becomes qualified to maintain the aircraft without FAA Airframe and Power plant (A&P) oversight. This contract has built in CLINs for transitioning responsibility over to the Afghan Government in blocks of 2, 4, or 6 C-208B aircraft at a time. The CLINs can be executed individually or all at once providing the option to transfer from 2 to 12 aircraft during a 12 month Period of Performance. These option CLINs are duplicated each year of the contract to allow maximum flexibility for transition options. Once aircraft are transitioned, they will need spares (reparables and consumables), tools, support equipment, and maintenance support. This CLS contract will supply aircraft parts to the Afghan Supply Depot (ASD) as requested by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) to allow them to perform their own maintenance actions. The CLS contract has provisions included, in the event that the AAF maintainers require assistance from the CLS contractor, to complete complicated maintenance tasks. A Field Service Representative (FSR) will be provided at each coalition location to be the interface between the AAF maintainers and the USG. See PWS paragraph 3.3.6. Afghanistan is an austere environment and contractors should not expect full CONUS-style accommodations. The contractor should expect living accommodations to be small and tenants are often required to have room-mates. The Afghan Air Force may permit contractors to use their facilities, which are often not maintained to western or European standards. Operational Environment Issues The main bases (Kabul, Kandahar) have paved runways, but the more remote bases use unimproved runways that are prone to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) on the C-208B aircraft. Even paved runways can be prone to FOD due to aging infrastructure and the lack of an effective AAF FOD prevention program. Propeller damage is not uncommon. The Afghan pilots have a tendency to subject the aircraft to hard landings which sometimes causes damage to the front landing gear and/or hot brakes when trying to make a taxiway turn. To expedite authorization of these types of repairs, some Over and Above charges have been grouped into pre-priced CLINs on the new CLS contract. See PWS paragraph 3.2.4.2. Weather conditions in Afghanistan change frequently. If adequate protection of aircraft is not provided, aircraft are in danger of damage from weather conditions. The contractor must be prepared to react quickly to hangar the aircraft or take other actions to prevent damage as much as possible. If damage does occur, the contractor will be requested to repair through Over and Above contract actions. These aircraft are routinely flown into hostile locations not controlled by coalition forces. The contractor should be prepared for sheet metal maintenance repairs from hostile fire such as bullet holes. The maintenance of buildings, owned by the Afghan Government, is their responsibility to maintain, however, some maintenance issues are persistent. In Kandahar there are problems with the main hanger doors. They have been forced to rig them for manual operation until they can be repaired. Internet access is very restricted throughout Afghanistan. Kandahar has none, while Kabul has some internet access. The hangar spaces have no internet access. The contractor must plan accordingly if they require internet connectivity to conduct operations. Electrical power is intermittent. In Kandahar the electrical power is out most afternoons. This may impact training schedules and contractor needs to plan ahead for this or have an alternate power plan available. There are two distinctly different ops schedules in Afghanistan. Fighting Season (FS), the time frame when the mountain passes are open and most military fighting operations are conducted, is from May through October, and non-Fighting Season, when mountain passes are snowed in and movement is limited is from November through April. TAAC-Air will operate 40 hours per aircraft per month during fighting season and 20 hours per aircraft per month during non-fighting season. The daily schedule is a seven (7) day work week. The CLS Contractor must develop personnel schedules to have the proper maintenance staff on hand to accommodate this mission schedule, which also includes a 25% surge for contingencies each month during both FS and non-FS. The Industry day event is requesting feedback from potential bidders for impacts this operational schedule will cause, if any, to their bids. Working in a hostile environment comes with a unique set of challenges. The most common threats are insider threats (AAF personnel attack coalition or contractor personnel), indirect fire (e.g. rocket attacks) and complex ground attacks. The leadership of TAAC-Air is committed to ensuring the safety of all coalition and contractor personnel at all times. The current Force Protecting Operating Instruction (FPOI) states "all personnel must remain engaged [...] while simultaneously maintaining an effective force protection posture that preserves the safety and security of our people, mission and resources." Contractor personnel will possess and wear Combat Body Armor (CBA), to include a helmet, at appropriate times. The Government has implemented various FP measures to provide security for contractors working on an AAF/Coalition base. Be aware that contractors who refuse to comply with FP standards may be detained and may also be banned from entering certain coalition-controlled areas. TAAC-Air Cultural Considerations & Expectations There are certain cultural considerations that must be made in order to successfully work with our AAF partners. Working in a cross-cultural environment can be both challenging & rewarding. The following are key considerations help in building positive relationships with AAF personnel: Treat everyone with dignity and respect and ensure your subordinates do the same Build trust-based Relationships Start with basic respect and interest Find ways to build trust Keep your commitments, hold them accountable to theirs They don't care what you know, until they know that you care Relationships and patronage are very important Not understanding power structure will result in brick walls and frustration Afghan World View There is no singular Afghan mindset amongst such a diverse population Short term outlook; hoarders of stuff, information, power; limited trust in that which is beyond their reach True Afghan "buy-in" critical to sustainability Over & Above PWS 3.7.6: O&A Coordination: Once the need for an O&A is determined, the contractor shall notify the COR within 24 hours. The contractor shall then submit a proposal work statement, proposed repair effort (parts, labor, tools, schedule, et al), and proposed Not-To-Exceed (NTE) cost to the PMO within 5 calendar days of notification or as agreed with the PCO. The contractor shall notify the COR once the above coordination has taken place.
