Field Service Representatives (FSRs) Supporting AN/TPQ-53 Radar in United States Army Central (USARCENT) Area of Operations

1. Synopsis. This Sources Sought Announcement (SSA) is being issued to assess industry ability to satisfy a critical requirement for six contractor Field Service Representatives (FSRs) to support AN/TPQ-53 radar systems deployed to the United States Army Central (USARCENT) area of operation. The FSRs must be fully trained, information-assurance (IA) certified, and administratively prepared to deploy immediately upon contract award. The deployed FSRs must be capable of assuming the full mission support role immediately upon arrival within the area of operations to ensure continuity of the on-going mission. This SSA shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, or request for proposal. It shall not be used as the basis for a proposal. This SSA is being issued to obtain information from interested sources regarding their ability to satisfy the Government's critical requirement for contractor FSR support within aggressive schedule parameters. 2. Backround The AN/TPQ-53 radar system is a highly mobile radar set that automatically detects, classifies, tracks, and locates the point of origin of projectiles fired from mortar, artillery, and rocket systems. It mitigates close combat radar coverage gaps and will replace the current AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar systems fully supporting brigade combat teams (BCTs), division artilleries (DIVARTYs) and field artillery brigades (FABs). The AN/TPQ-53 radar system will complement the Firefinder radar system until its retirement, and will interoperate with future Battle Command Systems (BCS) to provide the maneuver commander increased counter fire radar flexibility. It will be capable of being deployed as part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) System of Systems (SoS) to provide a sense and warn capability for fixed and semi-fixed sites. The AN/TPQ-53 radar system is capable of increased range and accuracy throughout a 90 degree search sector in stare mode, as well as 360 degree coverage while rotating for locating mortar, artillery and rocket firing positions. 3. Description of Requirement a. This requirement is for six FSRs to support AN/TPQ-53 radar systems deployed to USARCENT. The six FSRs must be fully trained, IA-certified, and administratively prepared to deploy to USARCENT immediately upon contract award, when they will proceed to the continental United States (CONUS) Replacement Center (CRC). Immediately upon completion of processing at the CRC, the FSRs will deploy to USARCENT. b. The scope includes operation, field maintenance, and sustainment support of AN/TPQ-53 radar systems at deployment locations; FSR training; supply chain operations; radar maintenance data collection and reporting; reliability program plan updates; upload of software and firmware updates; forensic data collection; and program management support and data. c. The period of performance is 12 months, consisting of a six month base contract with a separately priced six month option. Award is anticipated in September 2016. d. The deployed FSRs shall provide field maintenance and sustainment support on a 23 hour per day, 7 day per week (23/7) basis. The maintenance and sustainment support provided shall ensure the deployed AN/TPQ-53 systems achieve a 95% Operational Availability (Ao). e. The Government will not provide operator or maintainer training for the FSRs. The Government does not possess a validated training package that can be used to train and certify the FSRs, and has not yet taken delivery of the final technical manuals, or technical data package with source code for the AN/TPQ-53. f. Conditions under which the FSRs will work are volatile and potentially hostile. 4. Information Requested. a. Technical Performance. All responses to this SSA should include the following information: (1) Interested vendors must clearly demonstrate that they possess the skills, training, and experience to meet the specified requirements, including the ability to deploy six fully trained and IA-certified FSRs to USARCENT immediately upon contract award. The FSRs must be capable of assuming the full mission support role immediately upon entering theater. There is no technical data, on the job training, or transition period available. (2) Provide an integrated schedule which clearly identifies inchstones, durations (specified in working days) and dependencies associated with administratively preparing the FSRs for deployment. The integrated schedule should also include the inchstones and durations for accomplishing training and IA certification of FSRs. (3) Describe the training that will be used to ensure the FSRs possess the skills, knowledge and ability to perform operation and field service maintenance on deployed AN/TPQ-53. (4) Describe any technical support and/or reachback capability that will be available to FSRs. (5) Summarize relevant experience with radar ground technologies. Identify any fielded ground radar systems that are currently being supported. (6) Assess and characterize the risk associated with satisfying the Government's requirement to provide trained and deployable FSRs immediately upon contract award. Identify risk mitigation strategies to be employed. (7) Identify other relevant efforts which entail supporting deployed systems outside the continental United States (OCONUS). (8) Identify potential partner/teaming arrangements or joint ventures that may be pursued to meet this requirement. (9) Clearly identify assumptions on which your response is predicated. As a minimum, identify any required Government furnished equipment/Government furnished information on which the approach is predicated, and all required Government support anticipated. (10) Provide any other relevant information you wish to share regarding your ability to satisfy this requirement. 5. Response Requirements. All responses should include a cover page with the following information: a. Company Name b. Mailing Address and Website c. Pont of contact, with email address. d. Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code e. North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) number. f. State your companies associated Business size and eligibility under U.S. Government social-economic programs and preference (i.e., type of business -large, small, small-disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned or 8(a)). g. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number h. Identification of business size, i.e. U.S. large or small business in relation to North American Industry Classification System Code 811219- Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance. Small businesses must identify any applicable socio-economic categories such as small disadvantaged business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, 8(a), woman owned small business, etc. Company information will be verified via the System for Award Management (SAM) database. Responses to this SSA must be unclassified, and must not exceed 15 pages in length (includes cover page, and table of contents). Double sided printed pages will be counted as two pages. Responses must be with fonts no smaller than 10 point, and one inch margins. Information is to be presented in one continuous form in either Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft PowerPoint or .pdf. Information will be provided through e-mail only. Respondents should ensure labeling of information contained as proprietary. The Government will not reimburse responders to this notice for any costs incurred in responding, or in any subsequent exchange of information. All interested firms that possess the capabilities herein are encouraged to respond to this notice by providing the information specified herein, on or before 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 11, 2016. Information shall be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist identified as the point of contact. Telephone or email requests for additional information will not be honored. All documentation submitted shall become the property of the Government. The Government reserves the right to utilize and share with industry any information requested, unless information is identified with proprietary or business sensitive markings and unique to your company.