Sources Sought for Air Cycle Machine Assembly Replacement for the E-6B Aircraft

SYNOPSIS: SOURCES SOUGHT FOR AIR CYCLE MACHINE ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT FOR THE E-6B AIRCRAFT. CURRENT PART NUMBER: 792800-1, CAGE: 73030, NOMENCLATURE: MACHINE ASSEMBLY, AIR CYCLE, SPEC: 204-13027-28. 1.0 U.S. Navy Activity The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Program Executive Officer, Air, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Special Weapons (PEO-A), Airborne Strategic Command, Control and communications Program Office (PMA-271) is seeking sources capable of providing replacement Air Cycle Machine Assemblies used in the E-6B aircraft. 2.0 LEGAL NOTICE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS ISSUED AS MARKET RESEARCH SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES - IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) OR A PROMISE TO ISSUE AN RFP IN THE FUTURE. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT DOES NOT COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BELOW IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE FINAL REQUIREMENT WILL BE DEFINED UNDER A FORMAL RFP. FURTHER, THE NAVY IS NOT AT THIS TIME SEEKING PROPOSALS AND WILL NOT ACCEPT UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS. RESPONDENTS ARE ADVISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY INFORMATION OR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS INCURRED IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOURCE SOUGHT NOTICE. ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH RESPONDING TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT WILL BE SOLELY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INTERESTED PARTY. NOT RESPONDING TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT DOES NOT PRECLUDE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE RFP, IF ISSUED. IF A SOLICITATION IS RELEASED, IT WILL BE SYNOPSIZED ON THE FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES (FBO) WEBSITE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE POTENTIAL OFFERORS TO MONITOR THIS WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THIS REQUIREMENT. 3.0 Background The Air Cycle Machine (ACM) is utilized on the Navy E-6B aircraft. The current Air Cycle Machine is approximately 25 years into its service life. The Navy is looking to replace the current inventory with a minimum procurement of 30 ACMs each with a similar service life of 20 - 25 years. The Navy is also seeking a form, fit and function retrofit candidate with installation procedures that are capable of being performed by Organizational Level (O-Level) maintenance. The offeror should propose their plan to provide engineering and logistics support information that will allow the Navy to maintain (remove, replace, test and troubleshoot) the ACM at the O-Level. 4.0 Air Cycle Machine Assembly operations. 4.1 The current ACM consists of three major subcomponents: a turbine wheel, a compressor wheel, and a ground cooling air fan, all sharing a common turbine-driven shaft. Air entering the compressor is increased in pressure and temperature. After exiting the compressor, the air is cooled by the secondary half of the heat exchanger. The air is then directed to the ACM turbine where further cooling occurs by expansion. This expansion is a loss of pressure which generates shaft power to drive the compressor and the ground cooling air fan. The fan draws air in through a fan inlet and exhausts it through diffuser housing into the ram air header duct. This airflow is used to cool the heat exchanger while the aircraft is on the ground. 4.2 The primary/secondary heat exchanger is a two element air-to-air heat transfer unit. In flight, the heat exchanger is cooled by ram air. While the aircraft is on the ground, the cooling airflow is generated by the ACM ground cooling air fan. The primary portion of the heat exchanger cools the bleed air entering the pack from the flow control valve. The secondary portion of the heat exchanger cools the ACM compressor discharge air. 5.0 Eligibility The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 336413 with a Small Business Size standard of 1,000 employees. The Product Service Code (PSC) is 1660. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify their business size. 6.0 Requested Information 6.1 Respondent Description 1. An UNCLASSIFIED description of the respondent's general capabilities to support this effort to include any existing licensing agreements with OEM which may allow access to technical data required to fulfill the requirements. 2. CAGE code, Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S Number), and mailing address. 3. Business size: Companies responding to this request should indicate whether they are a large or small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned business, HUBZONE small business and/or service disabled veteran-owned small business. Please inform us if your company intends to perform the work as the prime contractor or if you desire to subcontract with a prime contractor. Ensure your response contains your company's name, street address, point of contact with phone number and email address, company web page URL. 6.2 Information Sought NAVAIR expects to receive from each respondent an UNCLASSIFIED Full Response with their capability/concept summary, which contains a description of technical data defining the proposed Air Cycle Machine redesign concept. The concept summary shall be written from a system solution perspective showing how the concept and development methodology could satisfy the following requirements within 45 days from the RFI posting: 1. Description of the proposed ACM solution. 2. Description of the required electrical interface to the proposed ACM. 3. A detailed list of anticipated end product physical and performance characteristics/ technical data. 4. Reliability, maintainability and affordability characteristics. 5. Platform and support equipment integration/interface concepts. 6. Integration/interface methodology. 7. Any technology insertion opportunities. 8. An assessment of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposed product to include key subsystems and a description of the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL). 9. Options for life-cycle sustainment support utilizing existing commercial and/or Government Department of Defense (DOD) infrastructure. 10. Identify how depot level repair will be provided. 11. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) costs for Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) to include design, development, test and integration. Recurring costs to include 30 kits. 12. Prospective offerors MUST address any existing licensing/agreements and their planned approach for integration of the proposed solution in cooperation with Industry Partners.