Purchase of C-40C Aircraft

TITLE: Purchase of C-40C Aircraft This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS), no solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an Invitation for Bid (IFB), nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the US Government to form a binding contract. Companies that respond will not be paid for the information submitted. The Air Force is hereby soliciting capability statements from interested sources that may possess the capability to provide C-40C aircraft to the United States Air Force (USAF). The USAF will be the operators of this aircraft, providing domestic and worldwide team and VIP transportation. PURPOSE: This SSS is to gather comments and potential sources for purchasing a C-40C aircraft. BACKGROUND: The USAF currently supports six (6)each C-40C type aircraft that are operated and maintained by the Air National Guard (ANG) and the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). These aircraft are converted 737-700IGW/BBJ's (Increased Cross Weight / Boeing Business Jets). KEY PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS/MINIMUM CAPABILITIES: The key performance parameters for this procurement are listed below: The United States Air Force provides worldwide air transportation for the Executive Branch, Congressional Members/Delegations (CODEL), Department of Defense (DoD) officials, high-ranking U.S. and foreign dignitaries, and United States Air Force (USAF) inspection team travel. At any given time, world events may require the nation's military or civilian leaders to be dispatched to anywhere in the world on matters of national security. Mission requirements could dictate operation into civil as well as military airfields both during peace and war. Commercial, non-developmental item (CaNDI), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified intercontinental range, commercial passenger transports are required. Avionics systems shall be compatible with the most current FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for airborne Communication, Navigation and Surveillance - Air Traffic Management (CNS-ATM) functions. The team travel aspect of the Air Force's mission is to provide support to United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) via the Joint Operational Support Airlift Center (JOSAC). The aircraft will have a variety of missions with durations from just a few hours for local flights to extended overseas missions that could last for up to a week. The aircraft must meet all the following required capabilities: The aircraft must be an FAA certified 737-700IGW-BBJ. The aircraft must have no more than one thousand (1,000) flight hours and five hundred (500) flight cycles in operation since new. Additionally, the aircraft must have at least 75% life remaining on all Life Limited Parts (Landing Gears, Engine Disks & components). The aircraft must be capable of Category III/IIIa approaches. The aircraft must be certified in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25 (airworthiness standards), Part 34 (pollution), and Part 36 (noise), and certified for 180 minutes of extended twin engine operation (ETOPS). The aircraft must comply with FAR Part 121 for navigation, non-precision/precision approach and over water requirements. The use of Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) equipment to the maximum extent possible for appropriate systems and subsystems is required. The expected usage of each of the aircraft is around nine hundred (900) hours per year per aircraft. Interior Configuration 2: (STC 01440SE). This configuration consists of a 40-passenger working office environment (including a staff work area) and seven (7) crew. STC Configuration: The aircraft must be configured with the following Service Bulletins (SB's) and Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modifications installed. ST00936NY-D (Auxiliary Fuel Tanks) ST01716NY-D (Auxiliary Fuel Tanks) ST00830SE (Winglets) ST00405LA-D (Cargo Fire Detection) ST01440SE (Interior Reconfiguration) ST00007MC (FDAM / Flight Deck Avionics Modification) SB # 737-23-1266 rev 02 (Iridium Antenna Installation) SB # 737-11-1140 rev 03 (C-40C VIP Paint) Range. The aircraft shall be capable of an un-refueled, no wind range of 4,250 nautical miles in passenger configuration 2 above. Flight Characteristics. Normal cruise speed 0.78 Mach minimum. The aircraft shall be capable of achieving Flight Level (FL) 310 within 30 minutes after a maximum gross weight takeoff. The aircraft must be able to operate from a 5,000-foot runway in passenger configuration 2 and fly five (5) hours at normal cruise altitude under International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) conditions with fuel reserves. FAR landing distance shall not be greater than 5,000 feet at maximum landing weight. Payload Capabilities. Maximum payload requirements to determine range calculations shall consist of a flyaway kit of 500 pounds (227.3 kilograms) and assume a weight allowance of 275 pounds (125 kilograms) per person for individual body and baggage. Flight Deck. The flight deck will be equipped with at least one observer position that shall have access to crew oxygen, intercom, and all command communications systems. Electrical System. The electrical power subsystem must be capable of supplying sufficient alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) electrical power (quantity and quality) to support mission requirements. All passengers shall have access to a power supply capable of supporting a laptop computer (one outlet for each set of seats). At least two 110-115V 50-60 Hz (minimum 15 amp) electrical outlets should be available on the flight deck and additional 110-115V 50-60 Hz electrical outlets should be located in the galley area. Aircraft electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems shall be self-contained and operate independently of Aerospace Ground Equipment. Each aircraft shall be equipped with an AC/DC connection to an external power cart. Aircraft Interior Configuration. The cabin shall be in accordance with STC ST01440SE and be capable of being divided into distinct areas through the use of curtains and or panels. All seating must be certified for takeoff and landing. Office Environment. The office environment (configuration 2) shall be configured with 2 tables each with 4 business class seats. This work area shall be designed for handling sensitive materials, that is, segregated from the general seating area and the flight deck by movable partitions and/or curtains. Space and appropriate structural provisions must be provided for a contractor supplied security container (safe) that is certified for unattended, on aircraft storage of up to and including TOP SECRET and NATO TOP SECRET (TS). General Seating Area. The general seating area must be reconfigurable with either business or coach class seating dependent on the particular mission being flown. The general seating area shall have the capability to be divided by moveable partitions. Crew Seating/Rest Area. A crew rest area separated from passenger seating is required (achieved with standard divider acceptable). Lavatories. Sufficient lavatories to accommodate all passenger configurations. Neither crewmembers from the flight deck, nor passengers from the general seating area shall traverse the staff seating/work area to get to a lavatory, handicapped access excepted. Galley(s). Commercial galley areas with sinks and hot/cold running water, coffee, and beverage dispensers are required. At least one galley shall be of sufficient size and space to allow preparation of 2 meals per person/per sortie, two sorties per day for 4 days for passenger configuration 2. For galley and food preparation purposes a typical sortie will last 8hrs. Galley must allow for the preparation of meals (drinks and food) from groceries (i.e., not limited to pre-made, pre-packaged heat and serve meals) for passenger configuration 2. The ovens must be commercially available with two racks and be capable of cooking meals in-flight. One of the galleys must include a microwave of at least 1.5-ft3 space. The galley shall contain provisions for both freezer and refrigerator space. Two ice drawers in each galley area are required. Each drawer shall drain overboard and be able to hold 75 lbs of wet ice. The galley shall include double sink. The beverage service area of each galley area shall contain two coffee makers. Five beverage jugs, two hot and three cold are required. Hot jugs will have related electrical outlets in a usable location. Each section of the galley will be provided with a minimum of four duplex outlets, two 60Hz and two 400Hz, 115V, with a minimum of 20 amps EACH to allow for the simultaneous operation of two heating element driven appliances at once. Communications: Terrestrial Aeronautical Radiotelephone System (TARS) (4 channel) and a 5-channel Aero-H International Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT) available for passenger communications. The TARS system provides direct link to ground telephone services if the aircraft is over the CONUS. When the aircraft flies out of coverage calls are still supported via the 5-channel INMARSAT and 1-channel of flight deck data Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). All passengers have access to handsets. Flight Management System (FMS). Dual, independent, commercial flight management systems (FMS) are required. The flight management system, by design, must not limit the aircraft from worldwide military and civil flight operations. The system shall be compatible with or upgradeable to the most current FAA and ICAO standards for airborne communication, navigation, and surveillance functions (CNS-ATM). The system shall allow for growth to meet future global navigation requirements. Dual inertial navigation systems (INS) are required. The INS must be integrated into the multi-sensor navigation system solution. The INSs must have automatic radio navigation updating position through the FMS. Radio navigation aid capabilities must be integrated into the multi-sensor navigation system solution. Technical Service Order (TSO) C-129a class A1, B1, or C1 and N-8110.60 compliant GPS sensors must be integrated into the FMS. Tactical Navigation (TACAN). The aircraft must be capable of navigating and flying a non precision approach using an X and Y channel TACAN. Ultra-High Frequency (UHF)/Amplitude Modulation (AM) Radio. A UHF/AM radio is required and shall be operable with aircraft battery power for up to 30 minutes. UHF/AM radio equipment shall be compatible with VINSON (wideband secure) and Line-Of-Sight (LOS) non-secure and secure voice operations (Secure voice capability not required in cockpit). The UHF/AM equipment shall be capable of continuous monitoring of UHF Guard frequency. Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-directional Range (VOR). Aircraft must be capable of navigating and flying non-precision approaches using VOR. Dual VOR receivers are required. The VOR receivers must be immune to frequency modulation (FM) broadcast emissions, as defined in ICAO Annex 10, Volume I. Integration with the flight management system is required. High Frequency (HF). Dual HF with Selected Call (SELCAL) and High Frequency Data Link (HFDL) capability required. Terrain Avoidance and Warning System (TAWS). Newest generation ground proximity warning system with a look-ahead capability based on a terrain database and a terrain display is required. Because these aircraft will only operate in non-combat situations, the contractor only needs to supply the data necessary to support commercial operations. Digital Radar/Wind-Shear Warning. Per Secretary of Defense direction for installing NavSafety equipment on all passenger carrying aircraft, the wind-shear detection warning and escape guidance will meet appropriate FAA directives. State-of-the-art multicolor digital radar with predictive wind-shear is required. Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). TCAS II (latest version) is required. The TCAS system must meet ICAO ACAS II Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). Reduced Vertical Separation Minimal (RVSM). The aircraft shall be certified for flight operations in RVSM airspace worldwide. Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). A cockpit voice recorder that satisfies current civil requirements is required. Flight Data Recorder (FDR). A flight data recorder that satisfies current civil requirements is required. Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). The aircraft must be equipped with an ELT that operates simultaneous at 121.5 MHz (for line of sight detection) and 406 MHz (for satellite detection). The ELT shall comply with the most current version of FAA TSO C-126. Global Positioning System (GPS). Dual integrated GPS systems with standard positioning service (SPS) and precise positioning service (PPS) functionality are required. The SPS GPS system shall provide receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) in accordance with TSO-C129a and fault detection and exclusion (FDE) in accordance with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) DO-229C (or latest version). The SPS GPS function shall provide a growth path to comply with RTCA DO-229 for interoperability with the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) and or interoperability with the local area augmentation system (LAAS) in accordance with RTCA DO-253 if available. The GPS avionics system shall allow switching between SPS and PPS without zeroing the GPS Keys and without the loss of the GPS navigation solution. Global Air Traffic Management (GATM). Aircraft shall be capable of worldwide flight operations at all flight levels. Very High Frequency (VHF). The aircraft shall have dual 8.33 kHz VHF voice capability in accordance with ICAO SARPs Annex 10 or later, and maintain the ability to utilize 25 kHz channel spacing. It must also have VHF digital link mode 2, with a clear upgrade path for future line-of-sight Air Traffic Control (ATC) data link communications (VHF Digital Link (VDL) Modes 3 and 4). The instrument landing system (ILS) receivers shall be immune to frequency modulation (FM) broadcast emissions, as defined in ICAO Annex 10, Volume I. Passenger Information System. A commercial passenger information system able to provide aircraft route, time until destination, safety briefings, and other general passenger information is required. The ability to view video in flight and listen to the audio via personal seat headphones is required. High Frequency (HF). HF radios to the passenger compartment for use by the passengers through the communications system is required. This system must be capable of simultaneous operations with the cockpit radios (separate HF antenna) and be compatible with the flight deck HF command resources. Aircraft External Configuration. Paint. The aircraft paint scheme and color shall be in accordance with a paint scheme agreed to by the Air Force. Exterior Lighting. Commercial standard exterior lighting is required. Physical Security. Provisions to protect aircraft against unauthorized entry are required. Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health (ESOH) and Other System Characteristics. The aircraft must meet the appropriate commercial system requirements for ESOH and safety. Electromagnetic Compatibility. Electronic equipment added to the aircraft shall consider Electromagnetic Environmental Effects. Each system shall operate in its intended operational electromagnetic environment without suffering or causing unacceptable performance degradation due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other equipment in the same environment. Fly-Away Tow Bar. Aircraft shall be equipped with flyaway tow bar. Life Support Equipment. All passenger and crew life support equipment shall be FAA certified. It is anticipated that this will be a firm-fixed price procurement. The Government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this sources sought. If after reviewing this information, you desire to participate by responding to this sources sought, you should provide documentation that supports your company's ability to deliver the aircraft that meets the specified requirement. Failure to provide adequate documentation will inhibit the Government's assessment of your capabilities. This is intended to be a single award solicitation. This acquisition will utilize commercial practices to the greatest extent possible in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 12. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS: Please submit two copies of your response to the Sources Sought Synopsis in an executive summary format not to exceed five (5) pages no later than 4 March 2011 to Beth McDonald at beth.mcdonald@wpafb.af.mil. No faxes, mail or phone calls will be accepted. If your response includes information you consider proprietary, please mark the information in accordance with regulatory guidance. Please do not include company brochures or other marketing information.