Deployable Insturment Landing System (D-ILS)

The Department of Defense (DoD) transformation vision relies heavily on more expeditionary, adaptable, enduring/persistent and agile joint forces, which in turn places increased emphasis on aviation assets for deployment, employment, sustainment, and redeployment. To further this goal, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) Battle Management Directorate (BM), Aerospace Management Systems Division (HBA), Landing Systems (HBAB) Program Office, located at Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB), Massachusetts, is requesting information from industry to assist in the planning for the procurement of a Deployable Instrument Landing System (D-ILS). D-ILS provides an equivalent fixed based Instrument Landing System capability at tactical airfields and a fixed based ILS restoral capability (e.g., natural disaster or humanitarian relief efforts). In addition, system will provide world-wide CAT I operations in all environmental conditions (e.g. desert, jungle, arctic), be deployable, transportable, as well as remotely monitored and maintained. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. It is not a Request for Proposal, a Request for Quotation, an Invitation for Bids, a solicitation, or an indication the US Air Force (USAF) or AFLCMC will contract for the items contained in the RFI. AFLCMC will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. The Government is requesting information from vendors that have a developed D-ILS glide slope and localizer system with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 9, in accordance with the DoD's Technology Readiness Assessment Guidance, April 2011. TRL 9 is defined as an "actual application of the technology in its final form and under mission conditions, such as those encountered in operational test and evaluation (OT&E)." This RFI is part of a Government market research effort to assess industry ability to produce a fielded D-ILS system based on a traditional ILS system. A traditional ground based ILS is defined as a system that provides vertical guidance (glideslope) and lateral guidance (localizer) by the transmission of modulated frequencies from separate antennas referenced to critical locations of a specific runway. Both the glideslope and localizer antennas each broadcast two (2) modulated frequencies from separate but co-located antennas, which are received and displayed aboard joint, coalition and civil ILS-equipped aircraft. The HBAB Program Office intends to procure up to thirty (30) D-ILS systems in a multi-year period full scale production beginning in FY17. 2. Conditions: The D-ILS must not interfere with airfield equipment (e.g. Air Surveillance Radar, TACAN, weather and other airfield equipment) while providing precision guidance to the final approach path. D-ILS must be capable of being transported to an operating location by aircraft, ship, rail, overland vehicle transport or a combination of these methods. The azimuth and elevation data will be passed to Terminal Instrument Procedures personnel for development of approaches; D-ILS equipment setup by three persons must be accomplished regardless of environment; the operators may be wearing cold weather or possibly chemical warfare gear; the D-ILS must be capable of passing Operational Flight Inspection per Federal Aviation Administration Order 8200.1C. 3. Please provide formal responses and justification to the questions listed below. a. Is the system a traditional ILS (Y/N)? b. Does the system require aircraft equipment other than an ILS receiver (Y/N)? c. Has the ILS passed an FAA flight check per FAA Order 8200.01C (Y/N)? d. Has the system been installed for operation at an airfield and subsequently redeployed (Y/N)? e. Has the system been transported on C-130 aircraft (Y/N)? If so, how many? f. Is the system compatible for transport using M1022-A1 mobilizers (Y/N)? g. Can the system provide precision approach guidance without air traffic controller intervention (Y/N)? h. Does the system require U.S. Air Force aircrew training beyond that required for a traditional ILS (Y/N)? i. Does the system require more than one frequency pair for guidance to at least four aircraft on approach simultaneously (Y/N)? j. Are all ILS maintenance status and functions available remotely (Y/N)? k. Are technical orders available or in development to U.S. military specifications for a USAF 1C8X2 technician (Y/N)? l. Are operator and maintainer training available or in development to U.S. military specifications for a USAF 1C8X2 technician (Y/N)? m. Are current DoD cybersecurity standards (Risk Management Framework) incorporated or in development (Y/N)? n. Based on previous production, what is your estimated unit production cost for a multi-year procurement of up to 30 systems (Y/N)? 4. Please provide your response electronically. Notify the POC in Section 5 of this RFI within 15 calendar days that a response will be submitted within 30 calendar days of this RFI notice. All responses shall be unclassified and reviewed to ensure consideration of operational sensitivities. Responses shall be 20 pages or less. 5.All RFI responses and correspondence, including pricing information, related to this matter should be provided in the English Language and e-mailed (preferred), or mailed to: AFLCMC/HBAK, Attn: Richard Williams, 75 Vandenberg Drive, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731-2103. Questions concerning this RFI should be directed to Richard Williams via email at richard.williams.66@us.af.mil, or by phone at (781)225-5125.