F/A-18C/D Roadmap Procurement Program (RPP)

The following synopsis is amended to include an updated ceiling value of $500M (revised from $300M posted on September 23, 2009). This update is a result of more accurate estimates of US Navy, Marine Corps, and FMS direct sourced requirements. There are no other changes other than the response date. The synopsis now reads: The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Orlando intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract (IDIQ) for the F/A-18C/D Roadmap Procurement Program (RPP) with L-3 Communications Corporation, Link Simulation & Training Division (L-3), Arlington, TX under authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements". The anticipated ceiling amount for this contract is $500M with a base five year ordering period with five additional one year options if the ceiling has not been exhausted. The F/A-18C/D RPP IDIQ will provide for the acquisition, modification and upgrades of USN and USMC F/A-18C/D aircrew training systems and for the modification and upgrade of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Tactical Operational Flight Trainer (TOFT) hardware and software components that are common with F/A-18C/D TOFT components to maximize capabilities amongst platforms. 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-six F/A-18C/D Tactical Operational Flight Trainer (TOFT) training systems and provided upgrades and modifications for Software Configuration Set (SCS) 19C and 20X, Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan (NASMP) interoperability, Brief/Debrief Stations, Mission Operation Centers, image generators and visual databases. The F/A-18C/D training systems requirements include incorporation of all ongoing aircraft engineering change proposals (ECPs), SCS updates, (to include, but not limited to 21X, 23X, 25X, 27X) 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&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 FA-18C/D RPP IDIQ will also focus on reducing cost of ownership by optimizing existing hardware and software commonality across all FA-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 System Contract (TSC) II multiple award IDIQ at NAWCTSD. This would require the Government to have two infrastructures in place for life cycle support or would require a significant rework of the current TOFT design and development that would cost the Government additional non-recurring engineering (NRE) effort for 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 synopsis is not a request for competitive proposals. It is a notice that outlines the Government's intent to contract on a sole source basis with L-3. However, interested sources may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements. Interested sources must submit detailed technical capabilities, ability to obtain F/A-18 C/D 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 Holly DeFord (holly.deford@navy.mil) in an electronic format that is compatible with Word 2003, no later than 20 November 2009. 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. No solicitation document is available. If no affirmative written response is received, the IDIQ Contract for the F/A-18C/D RPP will be awarded without further notice prior to award.