Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source

INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE: This notice announces the intent by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) in support of the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) Flight System Division to procure a license seat from CATI Inc. to operate in conjunction with NUH-60 and CAPTE-VCS modules on the Fort Rucker, Alabama virtual simulation database without competition as prescribed in FAR 13.501(a)(1)(i). Specifically, the Government will procure this software manufactured by CATI Inc. The software can only be purchased from CATI Inc.; the company has no authorized licensed resellers. The Flight System Branch of USAARL is responsible for collaborating with various research groups within U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) on flight simulation research. The Flight System Division at Fort Rucker, Alabama utilizes a virtual simulation database, which operates in conjunction with NUH-60 and CAPTE-VCS modules. These modules consist of simulation devices that use X-IG Image Generation System as an operating system. All existing and future database procurements must be compliant with the X-IG runtime format operating system. USAARL would like to procure a perpetual license from CATI. The license would provide an X-IG runtime format operating system for previously purchased NUH.60 and CAPTE-VCS modules. A perpetual license would facilitate future enhancements allowing the database to be adapted for helicopter flight profiles for current and historical research protocols rendered from l2009-2020 1M imagery. In addition, the Technical Reports and Memorandums from these protocols can be utilized for future vertical life science and technology research. Essential requirements are: Database must be compiled with X-IG runtime format. Database extents will be a rectangular area approximately bounded by Lat/Long: Lower left of N30, W87, upper right of N33, W84. Database will consist of not less than 100,210 km2 of 1m resolution image. The database must provide 10 high-resolution airfields at not less than 40cm imagery. The airfields represented are: KOZR, Cairns AAF KHEY, Hanchey AAF KLOR, Lowe AHP KFHK, Knox AAF KCEW, Crestview-Bob Sikes AF KMGH, Dannelly Field-Montgomery Regional KDHN, Dothan Regional KECP, NW FL Beaches International KTOI, Troy Municipal KLSF, Lawson AAF Database must be able to compile C7L SAF database and correlated to work with OTBSAF. Airfield lighting controls on the host must be operational in the database. The database must render both a Day and Night scene. CATI, Inc. is the only company capable of compiling a visual database from any source into the X-IG runtime format compatible with both the NUH-60 and CAPTE simulators. Only CATI, Inc. offers the Rucker Database compatible with the IGS already operating on the NUH-60 Black Hawk and CAPT-E Black Hawk simulators. CATI is the OEM for the Image Generation System on both the NUH-60 and CAPTE simulators. The Fort Rucker database is already in a runtime compatible with existing simulators and requires no additional development costs. In addition to the base cost of the database, all commercially available databases offered by any other vendor would require additional cost to build and compile into X-IG runtime format. Use of any other visual system database in the human factor research would have detrimental effects. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541512 and FSC 7K20. Proposed solicitation number: W81XWH-22-Q-0059. This announcement fulfills the synopsis requirements under FAR 5.102(a)(6) and 5.203(a). USAMRAA intends to publish a solicitation no sooner than 15 days after publishing this synopsis. This Special Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotes. Information received in response to this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether a competitive procurement is in the best interest of the Government. If no written responses are received by the date listed below, which reflects at least fifteen (15) days after the publication of this notice, the solicitation will be issued as sole source. All questions and responses concerning this notice shall be emailed to Jeff Flook at jeffrey.l.flook.civ@mail.mil. Interested concerns must identify their capability in writing to the email address listed above no later than 10:00 AM EST, 14 April 2022.