Contracted Air Services (CAS) Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopter Services RFI

UPDATE: November 19, 2020 The Government would like to provide an update on the status of N0042120R0144 CAS SAR Helicopter Services. At this time, the SAR efforts will continue to be supported organically by the Navy helo assets and the subject effort has been put on hold until further notice. Please continue to monitor the beta.SAM.GOV site for any further updates. UPDATE: May 19, 2020 The Government has attached Industry Questions / Government Answers. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program Office, Contracted Air Services (CAS) (PMA-226) is seeking sources capable of providing Search And Rescue (SAR) helicopter services at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, NAS Key West, NAS Lemoore and NAS Whidbey Island. The U.S. Navy operates MH-60S aircraft at NAS Fallon, NAS Key West, NAS Lemoore and NAS Whidbey Island. Naval Station SAR detachments were established to provide critical lifesaving support for Tactical Air (TACAIR) operations in geographic regions where longer response times via other SAR agencies add risk to aircrew survival. The Navy is seeking Request For Information (RFI) information to replace these SAR aircraft with CAS qualified support. The contractor will provide at minimum the following capabilities for CAS SAR services: a. 10 Mission hours per location per year. b. Location specific details as follows: - Key West: 4,400 standby hours/year - Fallon: 5,160 standby hours/year - Whidbey Island: 4,400 standby hours/year - Lemoore: 7,488 standby hours/year c. Two (2) aircrafts requirement at each location and at least one fully mission capable d. Level A and Be medical supplies included per Navy Search and Rescue (SAR) Manual NTTP 3-50.1 e. No Government Furnished Property (GFP) will be provided f. Clearance Level: Secret (1) NAS Whidbey Island SAR Support: NAS Whidbey Island will provide 2-hour response SAR support for the overland and overwater areas in the local training area. NAS Whidbey Island SAR aircraft shall reach a search area within approximately 150 nautical miles (NM) radius from launch point in less than 2 hours of notification with approximately 25 minutes of endurance on station. Maximum response time of 30 minutes from the crew notification while standing SAR alert. (2) NAS Key West SAR Support: NAS Key West will provide 2-hour response SAR support for local training areas during airfield hours of operation or until last plane on deck notification, whichever is earlier. NAS Key West SAR aircraft, shall reach a search area within approximately 200 nm within 2 hours of notification with approximately 45 minutes of endurance on station for search and recovery. Maximum response time of 30 minutes from the crew notification to take-off while standing SAR alert. (3) NAS Fallon SAR Support: NAS Fallon will provide 2 hour response SAR support for the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) during airfield hours of operation or until last plane on deck notification, whichever is earlier. NAS Fallon SAR aircraft shall reach a search area within approximately 150 nm in less than 2 hours of notification with approximately 25 minutes of endurance on station for search and recovery. Maximum response time of 30 minutes from the crew notification to take-off while standing SAR alert. (4) NAS Lemoore SAR Support: To provide 2-hour response SAR support for overwater ranges off California Coast. Recommended basing stations are Salinas Municipal Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, or another airport within 150 nm of the western corners of the warning areas. SAR support will also be provided for the NAS Lemoore and China Lake overland training areas. SAR aircraft shall reach a search area within approximately 150 nm in less than 2 hours of notification with approximately 25 minutes of endurance on station for search and recovery. Maximum response time of 30 minutes from the crew notification to take-off while standing SAR alert. Provide a Contactor Owned, Contractor Operated (COCO) rotary wing aero medical ambulance aircraft dedicated for USN SAR missions and emergency transport in support of designated SAR stations 24 hours per day, seven (7) days a week. Maximum response time of 30 minutes from the crew notification while standing SAR alert. Have at least one fully mission capable aircraft and must be available during alert hours for Search, Rescue, and Medevac operations. Provide personnel that are qualified and medically and psychologically fit consistent with the intended mission, duration and projected area of operation. All personnel must be qualified and have current certifications/licenses for the duties they are assigned to. Provide and furnish as required all labor, management, supervision, aircraft, supplies, equipment, maintenance, and employee transportation. Hangar, maintenance, and office facilities will be provided for NAS Key West, NAS Fallon, and NAS Whidbey Island. NAS Lemoore SAR support must procure own base and hangar facilities at a location to meet required overwater response times The aircraft(s) shall be fully maintained by the Contractor. Ability to land at isolated or un-surveyed landing sites and ranges and load patients during day and night conditions in austere conditions. Aircrew will be required to utilize night vision devices (NVD) to facilitate night operations. Requirement to perform search and rescue in accordance with Navy Search and Rescue (SAR) Manual NTTP 3-50.1. General helicopter capability: - Cruise speed: 120 KIAS (minimum) - Aircraft must be Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capable/certification - Night Vision Device (NVD) compatible - Rescue hoist - Search light - Cabin capacity for minimum of two (2) litters Location specific: Max Range (2 x radius): Key West, Lemoore, & Whidbey Island: 450nm Fallon: 300nm Max operating elevation: Key West: 10,000 DA Lemoore, Fallon, Whidbey Island: 13,000 DA Operating environment: Fallon, Lemoore, and Whidbey Island: Range landings are subject to possible flight hazards such as unexploded ordnance (UXO), snow, ice, dirt, mud, leaves, trees, debris, uneven terrain, rocks, and inclement weather. Operations may include maneuvering, takeoffs and landings to pinnacles, ridgelines and confined areas. Temperatures may range from 120F to -30F. Require anti-ice/de-ice capability. Key West: Maritime and coastal only with no major elevation. Hazards may still include mud, leaves, trees, debris, uneven terrain, rocks, inclement weather, and confined area landings. Temperatures will range from 120F to 30F. Coupled hover capability required for Key West, Lemoore, & Whidbey Island Overwater rescue ability in water temps as low as 45F required for Lemoore & Whidbey Island. Water temps expected above 70F in Key West. Fallon unit does not require overwater capability. Expected flight hours per aircraft type per location per year: The contractor will only be required to fly in order to maintain minimum proficiency/currency requirements and in response to USN/DoD MEDEVAC and SAR. Historically, USN/DoD missions are extremely rare and will likely not exceed 10 hours of execution a year per station. GENERAL INFORMATION: The government anticipates to award a Single Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) type contract. The resulting ID/IQ contract will have an ordering period of 4 years and 364 days. This acquisition is anticipated to be issued as a Final Request for Proposal (RFP) on or about the second quarter of FY21. Please note that this is an estimated posting time, and it is the responsibility of the interested businesses to monitor beta.SAM.gov website for all subsequent postings. The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code utilized for this acquisition is 481219 - Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation the Product Service Code (PSC) is V121. This announcement constitutes a RFI. This RFI is issued as market research solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Request For Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to award a contract as a result of this announcement. These requirements are subject to change and the information provided below is for informational purposes only. The final requirement is anticipated to be defined under a formal RFP. Further, the Navy is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI notice. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the expense of the interested party. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the beta.sam.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this website for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Responses: Interested businesses shall submit responses electronically to Shandra Schultz, shandra.schultz@navy.mil and Rhonda Link, rhonda.link@navy.mil in Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) no later than 11:00 am EST on 18 May 2020. All data received in response to this announcement, marked or designated as corporate or proprietary, will be protected from release outside the Government. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted. Interested Business should submit a brief capabilities statement package on one-sided, 8.5x11inch pages in length with font no smaller than 10 point demonstrating the ability to perform the services listed in this notice. Capabilities documentation must address, as a minimum, the following: Questions/Company Information: An UNCLASSIFIED description of the respondent's general capabilities to support this effort to include the type of helicopter and any existing licensing agreements with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which may allow access to technical data required to fulfill the requirements. General capabilities of aircraft services being sought. Industry recommendation for the contract structure/contract type and fixed or cost type. What type of work has your company performed in the past in support of the same or similar requirement? Can or has your company managed a task of this nature? If so, please provide details. What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensure capability to perform the tasks? Provide a statement including current small/large business status and company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history, office locations/mailing addresses, DUNs number, CAGE Code, Company Point of Contact information, etc. Respondents to this notice also must indicate whether they qualify as a Small, Small Disadvantaged, Women-Owned, HUB Zone, or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern under NAICS Code 481219 - Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation. Can or has your company managed a team of subcontractors before? If so, provide details. Include in your response your ability to meet the requirements in the Facility and Safeguarding requirements of Secret. How many months from the date of contract award will it take for your company to be fully capable and ready to fly in support of this future contract? Does your company have experience with obtaining a Navy Interim Flight Clearance (IFC) in support of Public Aircraft Operations (PAO)? Does your company have experience with Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Instruction8210.1C Change 1, Contractor's Flight and Ground Operations? What is your current amortization schedule for new assets and is it inline or an exception to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) standards? If you have to procure new assets to support this effort, would you follow the same amortization schedule? Why or why not? The Government requests all interested parties to provide comments and responses to the following scenarios: 14. For Contractor Owned Contractor Operated (COCO) operations with aircraft crew consisting of contractor provided pilot, copilot, hoist operator, and paramedic: a. Will the contractor agree to operating military search and rescue under Public Aircraft Operation (PAO) statute Title 49 of the United States Code (49 CFR) or will the contractor consider this a civil operation conducted under Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 14 CFR 133 or 135 operations? b. What weather minimums does the contractor expect to establish in its General Operations Manual or Standard Operating Practices? c. Will the contractor maintain the aircraft in accordance with 14 CFR maintenance and certification requirements? d. Are your personnel accredited Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) or equivalent? e. What are the expected cost per flight hour for the COCO services? 15. For Contractor Owned Government Operated (COGO) flying the contract aircraft with contract maintenance. a. Will the contractor maintain the aircraft in accordance with 14 CFR maintenance and certification requirements? b. What weather minimums does the contractor expect to establish in its General Operations Manual or Standard Operating Practices? c. Are your personnel accredited Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) or equivalent? d. Will there be additional insurance costs for the contract? e. What is the estimated cot for type rating qualifications for the military pilots? f. What is the expect time-to-train for the type rating? g. Considering these pilots are second tour rotary wing aviators with approx. 750-900 total flight hours, what are the minimum flight hour requirements? (Total, total helicopter, aircraft commander, night, NVD?, etc). h. Would the contractor require an annual check/re-certification process for military pilots? If so, what organization would perform the process? i. Would Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical examinations be required or would military flight physicals suffice? j. What are the expected cost per flight hour and per standby hour for the COGO flying the contractor aircraft with contractor maintenance and personnel? 16. Military rescue swimmers with the rest of the aircrew being contractor personnel (2 x pilots; 1 x Paramedic/Hoist operator), contractor personnel aircraft and contractor personnel maintenance. The contractor provides three crew members, while the Government provides air-crewman/rescue swimmer for overland and overwater rescues. a. What additional training would the contractor require of air-crewman/ rescue swimmer? b. What is the minimum experience the contractor would require of the pilots? c. What would the annual check/re-certification process entail? d. Will there be additional insurance costs for the contract? e. Is your personnel accredited Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) or equivalent? f. What additional training would you require to ensure that you are capable of inserting swimmers in the water day or night? g. What are the expected cost per flight hour and standby cost per hour for this scenario to include contract maintenance and personal? 17. Other areas/information that industry may wish to provide. Note: Vendors may also submit any additional non-proprietary questions via email to Shandra Schultz, shandra.schultz@navy.mil and Rhonda Link, rhonda.link@navy.mil prior to response due date.