Kuwait Low Altitude Surveillance System (KLASS)

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is for planning and informational purposes only and shall NOT be considered as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI or furnishing the requested information. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of a contractor's submission of responses to this RFI or the Government's use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor's input resulting from this RFI. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. 1.0 Introduction: The Kuwait Low Altitude Surveillance System (KLASS) is comprised of a tethered 71M Aerostat uploaded with a TPS-63 Solid State Radar and other communications electronics equipment. The KLASS also includes an aerostat mooring station, operations and flight control center, motor generators, weather radar, radar wind profiler, helium storage trailers and a purification system, and other ancillary equipment. The system has been a critical operational asset for the State of Kuwait since the 1980s, and continues to provide critical real-time, low altitude air surveillance, as well as surveillance of surface targets, to both the Kuwait Air Force (KAF), as well as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces. The most recent generation of radar, avionics and ground support equipment procured for the Government of Kuwait (GoK) was delivered in years 2014 and 2015. The most recent aerostat in service was deployed in 2019. The KAF relies on a full-time team of Contractor Engineering Technical Services (CETS) personnel to operate and maintain the KLASS. Program Executive Officer Land Systems (PEO LS) is seeking to assess industry's capability to provide a fully qualified and experienced CETS team to deliver the required services. KLASS CETS services are currently being provided by TCOM, L.P., the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the 71M Aerostat, under contract M67854-18-C-2015. Contract M67854-18-C-2015 was awarded to TCOM, L.P. on a sole-source basis under statutory authority 10 U.S.C Section 2304(c)(1), as implemented in accordance with (IAW) the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-4(a)(2), International Agreements, wherein full and open competition need not be provided for when precluded by the terms of an international agreement or under the written directions of a foreign government reimbursing the agency for the cost of the acquisition of the supplies or services of such government. All support requirements are defined in Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases between the U.S. Government and the GoK. The CETS team consists of fifteen (15) personnel in accordance with LOA requirements and is required to operate and maintain the KLASS 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Services required include: Flight Directors certified to operate/fly the 71M Aerostat, and with experience conducting aerostat operations in the types of weather found in the Southwest Asia geographic area (e.g., high winds, dust storms, excessive heat, etc.). Logistics Specialist responsible for site logistic support activities including tracking and replenishment of site repairable and consumable spares, monitoring helium usage and purification, and must also be winch-certified to conduct aerostat in-haul and out-haul operations. Electronics/Radar Specialists responsible for maintaining all aerostat payload electronics including the TPS-63 Solid State Radar, as well as the flight operations center, weather radar, radar wind profiler, and other electronic ancillary equipment. Aerostat/Mechanical Specialists responsible for maintaining the aerostat flex structure, mooring station, helium storage and purification equipment, motor generators, maintenance support equipment (e.g., Boom Lifts, etc.), and other ground support equipment. Training Specialist responsible for all aspects of formal and informal on-site training for aerostat operations and maintenance. The Government does not own a comprehensive KLASS Technical Data Package (TDP); therefore, the KLASS design TDP cannot be provided to industry. 1.1 Purpose: This RFI constitutes market research in accordance with FAR Part 10 and is not an RFP. The Marine Corps Systems Command is issuing this RFI, in support of PEO LS, to determine if more than one vendor has the capability to provide the support described in the Introduction listed above. 1.2 Objective: Data submitted in response to this RFI will be used to assess the marketplace environment for businesses capable of providing the support described above. 2.0 Requested Information: Interested firms are requested to provide information that identifies their capability and ability to perform the required services described in the introduction above. Responses should include a brief synopsis of previous experience operating tether aerostat surveillance systems in the Southwest Asia geographic region, or other areas with similar weather patterns. Responses should also include the estimated time it will take to assemble and deploy a new CETS team after a contract award date. 3.0 Response: Vendors possessing the requisite skills, resources, and capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements are invited to respond to this RFI via a submission of an executive summary on 81/2 x 11 in paper, no more than 15 pages in length, using 12-point font describing product summary, complete technical characteristics, and spare parts support capability. All responses must include the following information: Company name, address, email, telephone number, point(s) of contact Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code and DUNS number Size of business pursuant to North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code 334511 White paper providing capabilities and relevant past performance. Please be advised that any proprietary information must be marked as such on a page-by-page basis. The Government will not assume that any of the information provided by a respondent is proprietary unless it is conspicuously marked on a page-by-page basis. Moreover, the Government does not assume any duty to contact a respondent and inquire whether any unmarked information submitted in response to this RFI is proprietary. Please do not submit proposals at this time. The Government is only seeking sources and information for market research to determine the availability of commercial capabilities in the described areas. Acknowledgement of receipt will not be made. Availability of any formal solicitation will be announced separately. Submittals will not be returned to the sender. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. It is the contractor's responsibility to check the System of Award Management (SAM) website at https://sam.gov/ to get additional data. Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to Sheila McCreery, sheila.mccreery@usmc.mil no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time on 7 July 2023 with the subject line - RFI - M67854-23-I-0048. Additionally, Vendors shall provide their company name and cage code with their requests. Telephone replies will not be accepted. Inquiries by telephone will not be accepted.