Sources Sought Synopsis - B-2 Bomber

Disclaimer: This SSS is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal or Request for Quotations) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future release. Purpose: The purpose of this Sources Sought Synopsis (SSS) is to identify potential sources and if this effort can be competitive or a Small Business Set-Aside. This is a SSS for Market Research purposes ONLY. The Air Force Sustainment Center or LCMC at Tinker AFB is requesting information for the procurement of sustainment of the B-2 Bomber to determine available sources for the items listed below under "Pending/Tentative Program Requirements". NO solicitation is available at this time. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This SSS is open to all types of businesses including small businesses. The information in this notice is based on current information available to date. This information is subject to change and is not binding to the Government. Any updated information will be provided in future announcements, if applicable and posted electronically on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov. Contractors not responding to this Sources Sought will not be precluded from participation in any future solicitation, if issued. The proposed North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) Code is 336411, Aircraft Manufacturing, which has a corresponding Size Standard of 1,500 employees. The Government will use this information to determine the best acquisition strategy for this procurement. The Government is interested in all businesses to include, Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses 8(a)s, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Hubzone Businesses, and Women-Owned Small Businesses. The Government requests that interested parties respond to this notice, if applicable, and identify your small business status to the identified NAICS code. Pending/Tentative Program Requirements: The United States Air Force, Air Force Material Command, Life Cycle Management Center, B-2 Sustainment Branch has a requirement to sustain the B-2 Bomber with an effort that will focus on a broad spectrum of support, to include, but not limited to; Sustaining Engineering (SE), Engineering Tracking and Analysis System (ETAS), Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS), Special Test Equipment (STE) modernization, Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM), Interim Contractor Support (ICS), Contractor Inventory Control Point (C-ICP) B-2 specific supply, B-2 Operational Software updates, Low Cost Modifications, on-site operational support of ACS (Adaptable Communications Suite) and Technical Order maintenance. This is not a Request for Proposal. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this synopsis. The Air Force will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this synopsis. Telephone or facsimile inquiries and/or responses will not be accepted. The B-2 Bomber is a Special Access Program (SAP) Special Access Required (SAR) platform requiring prospective contractors to provide personnel with specific knowledge and skills who are also able to obtain B-2 program access. Specific tasks will require Secret and/or Top Secret security clearances and additional program specific, special access. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess B-2 specific engineering knowledge to fulfill SE needs. The contractor needs to have B-2 proprietary and manufacturing rights, as well as, operational software knowledge and expertise to perform and manage sustainment of multiple major B-2 systems. This includes hardware, software, and repair programs and all related integration activities without unacceptable delays to program schedule and unnecessary duplication of development costs. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess B-2 specific technical knowledge critical for managing and sustaining overall aircraft configuration as mandated by the B-2 Chief Engineer, in support of ongoing sustainment programs; systems engineers able to perform hardware/software analysis related to the unique B-2 "fly by wire" design and computer integration. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess B-2 Specialized Test Equipment (STE) proprietary rights for software, engineering, and technical data or other documentation in order to develop, design, and integrate STE improvements and/or enhancements. The task requires the ability to complete a STE upgrade, maintain and account for the system configuration of each piece of equipment, and coordinate configuration changes with the configuration and control manager, as mandated by the B-2 Chief Engineer. The Air Force also requires prospective contractors that possess capability to perform all aspects of ETAS located at Tinker and Whiteman Air Force Bases, to include: system administration, database administration, and security administration; maintain deployable ETAS units to ensure readiness and compatibility; provide CompTIA Security+ training to their system administration personnel and ensure those personnel have obtained the appropriate accreditation; maintain an offsite Development Lab that is representative of ETAS production versions; perform a review at each ETAS Software Block upgrade of recommended changes and determine the impacts to the current version of software; upon approval of the modification(s), the Contractor will recommend a schedule and identify any cost impacts of the modification(s); perform an abbreviated software development cycle following a standardized software development process to implement the modification(s), which includes updating all required documents. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess that can ensure all program released, Contractor controlled engineering drawings and associated lists maintained in CITIS are complete, accurate, and made available, in Electronic Format, no more than five business days after program release. This includes all temporary modification engineering and associated data lists. The Contractor must ensure provided data has been through the required configuration and data management process and reflects the baseline of the end item. The Contractor must respond to requests for review/approval of drawings and documents, review/approve unclassified data on classified systems to be migrated into unclassified CITIS. The Contractor must perform image and metadata extraction, translation and transfer as required. In addition, the Air Force also requires prospective contractors that possess proprietary knowledge and expertise to perform all depot level B-2 maintenance which includes, but is not limited to; sufficient capability to perform PDM with provisions for manpower, equipment, facilities, business support systems, security, material, support infrastructure, induction/delivery schedules, test requirements; ROM labor and material impacts; and drop-in aircraft maintenance plan for PDM performance for the fleet of twenty aircraft. In addition, a contractor must be able to: remove and replace B-2 Low Observable (LO) material; perform main fuel tank inspections; make required Outer Mold Line repairs; conduct pre and post-depot LO analysis; perform Hardness Maintenance/Hardness Surveillance tasks; perform Egress item replacements; conduct Analytical Condition Inspections; maintain B-2 pilot flight proficiency to perform the required post-depot Customer Acceptance Test; complete Time Compliance Technical Order inspections as required; remove and replace landing gear; remove and replace blade seals; and provide depot/organizational level maintenance assistance team to Whiteman Air Force Base to assist with the maintenance back-log. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess theproprietary rights to perform ICS repair of B-2 aircraft subcomponents; report results; perform Diminishing Manufacturing Sources/Material Shortages (DMS/MS) and obsolescence monitoring for the same components; initiate End-of-Life Buys to mitigate obsolescence; compile Line Replaceable Unit Bill of Materials to support Depot Activation part forecasting; comply with Quality Deficiency Reporting requirements; repair Weapon System Support Center ground test facility assets. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess the ability to perform duties of a C-ICP. The C-ICP Contractor must have proprietary access to systems, hardware, formulations, specifications, drawings, documents and processes for the successful procurement and sustainment integration of B-2 unique parts and materials. The contractor must be able to maximize B-2 aircraft availability through flexible sustainment of critical B-2 specific parts and materials. The Air Force requires proactive response to diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages; identification and qualification of alternate sources; review and update of proprietary system technical orders, drawings, and specifications; part and material deficiency investigation using B-2 responsible engineers; and identification of aging aircraft trends. Further, the sustainment effort includes integration of technical issues associated with part and material procurements and bringing together supplier, supplier quality, engineering, procurement and program management to resolve the issue. The Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess B-2 specific technical knowledge and proprietary rights critical for managing and sustaining overall aircraft software configurations. The sustaining effort includes Software System Trouble Reports (SSTR) problem analysis and scoring; SSTR System design analysis/impact evaluations; system design reviews to establish the system design objectives for requirements; flight and laboratory hardware/software; supplier software; manage supplier software efforts for Stores Management, Threat Emitter Locator System, Radar Subsystem, and Data Entry Panel and develop/certify flight software for use on the B-2 Bomber. Furthermore, the Air Force requires prospective contractors that possess proprietary rights necessary to manage a Low Cost Modification program that corrects minor product quality deficiencies within the scope of an item's established functional baseline. The programs focus is on minor improvements, safety modifications, technical data changes, and obsolescence. The Air Force requires prospective contractors to support tasks for the Adaptable Communications Suite (ACS) T1 modification which requires contractor personnel experienced in providing organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance to support the B-2's ACS, support the proprietary software used by ACS and BLOS (Beyond Line of Sight) communication capabilities, provide logistics support for the non-integrated ACS system components, and provide system management and operations support for airborne and ground stations at Whiteman AFB and deployed locations. Personnel will be required to perform operational support tasks at Whiteman AFB and in forward deployed areas as required for training and operational tasks. Operational tasks include, but are not limited to, system operation and administration and initiating satellite access requests. Contractor personnel will work directly on the flight line, in operations centers, back shops and logistic support/staging facilities providing on and off aircraft maintenance and technical assistance to Air Force maintenance personnel and provide configuration management of ACS hardware for aircraft and ground station hardware. The Air Force requires a contractor that can provide the following additional ACS system management and operations support functions; install initial and maintain configuration control of ACS mission software; complete Satellite Access Request and schedule critical satellite time to complete required training and operational missions; oversee and provide beyond the line of sight (BLOS) Link-16 training; build aircrew training scenarios; execute operational BLOS scenarios and update BLOS network in support of contingency operations; provide software orientation, and consultation to Air Force operations and maintenance personnel, to include the aircrew; provide communications and computer security for networks and computer systems; perform real-time and post mission analysis of ACS operations; operate data link systems; link monitoring systems; use other Tactical Data-Link (TADL) tools and direct and/or support oversight of the operational use of TADL systems. The Air Force also requires prospective contractors that shall perform specific ACS logistics system sustainment activities which include: provide data management and inventory tracking in the Logistics Information & Collaborative Network (LICNET); Information Awareness Officer (IAO) support; meeting support; arrange transportation of parts; provide program management support; write/update program operating instructions (OI), as required; document Engineering Support Requests (ESR), deficiency reports (DR), and AFTO 22s in LICNET; load mission software and operate test bench and bench test LRUs/parts. In addition, the Air Force requires a contractor that shall maintain Classified Aircraft Component Support (CACS) task which involves purging/extracting of classified data/software from the aircraft line and shop replaceable units (LRU, SRU) at Whiteman AFB and at Tinker AFB in the WSSC's (Weapon System Support Facility) Ground Test Facility (GTF). The prospective contractor must have appropriately experienced and program accessed personnel to perform; Classified Data Purge (CDP) activities; manage the Special Purpose Recoverables Authorized Maintenance (SPRAM) account for CDP; document CDP procedures; perform periodic and unscheduled repairs on CDP test equipment; perform Information System Security Representative (ISSR) duties associated with the CDP and manage the Top Secret Control Officer (TSCO) account for CDP; coordinate shipping/receiving instructions; inspect incoming/outgoing classified LRUs; receive, store and ship unserviceable LRUs in support of depot level repairs operations; provide 24-hour CDP extraction or loading in support of aircraft incident, test, or additional tasking specified by the 509th Bomb Wing (BW); provide movement of classified LRUs from Whiteman AFB to Tinker AFB when critical components are required to meet 509th BW demands (transport requires two people). The Air Force requires a contractor that has/or can acquire the proprietary rights necessary to perform all actions required to incorporate Class II changes, Design Change Notices (DCNs)/Requests for Critical Information (RCIs), and 863B drawing change activities into affected B-2 Technical Orders. The Contractor shall make the necessary changes/revisions to affected Technical Orders in accordance with the Technical Manual Contract Requirements (TMCR) modification program provisions, and in conjunction with the Government Technical Content Manager (TCM). The Contractor shall deliver a Direct Image Master (DIM) or electronic file IAW the TMCR. The Air Force requires a contractor that shall conduct engineering reviews to ensure sustainment engineering changes (to include Tech Order AFTO 252s requests) which do not meet original specification (form, fit, function, and interface) are reviewed and approved through established B-2 Program Office Configuration Management and System Safety processes prior to installation on the air vehicle or added as formal Technical Order changes. The contractor will review development of required design changes to resolve Logistic issues, introduction of new material, provisioning requirements, and processes and procedures updates to standard repairs. The technical order requirement also includes all necessary efforts associated with Technical Order (TO) acquisition, changes, and revisions in support of Government-initiated AFTO Form 252 Technical Order Changes and Government-directed 863B drawing change activities. The Contractor shall provide business management support, including contract administration, scheduling, pricing, finance, and cost control. This will include providing support for proposal efforts, rough-order-magnitude (ROM) estimates, analyses, and business modeling activities. This SSS is seeking to identify any sources with the capability to provide the aforementioned requirements and have the existing capability to perform all of the stated requirements commencing 1 January 2015. Request interested sources that have in-depth knowledge of the B-2 aircraft design submit the following information to the Government for evaluation: (a) Description of existing weapon system experience relative to flexible acquisition and sustainment support activities to include an outline of previous work performed; (b) Description of capability to design, develop, integrate, fabricate, test, install and support improvements to weapon systems. This description shall include the contractor's capability to provide for the security of classified and unclassified hardware/software and storage/handling of documentation up to the TOP SECRET SPECIAL ACCESS REQUIRED (SAR) Level. Minimum personnel security clearance requirements for this effort are SECRET; (c) Qualifications of lead management and engineering personnel projected to work on this contract (to include education, background, accomplishments, and other pertinent information relevant to the tasks outlined above); (d) Organizational structure, with emphasis on how this program fits into the company's overall weapon system acquisition and sustainment processes; (e) Information on existing plant, laboratory, test, and production facilities needed to accomplish these requirements including TEMPEST facilities needed to develop and test hardware and software; (f) Any deficiencies in capabilities and a proposed fix to those deficiencies; (g) If subcontractors are to be utilized, similar information as requested above for the prime contractor is required for each identified subcontractor. The capabilities package should be brief and concise, yet clearly demonstrate an ability to meet the stated requirements. Recent, relevant experience in all areas should be provided. Teaming and/or subcontracting arrangements should be clearly delineated and previous experience in teaming must be provided. Firms responding to this announcement should indicate whether they are a large business, small business, small disadvantaged business (SDB), women-owned small business (WOSB), 8(a) certified business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), veteran-owned small business (VOSB), or Historically Underutilized Business small business (HUBZone). The National American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this action is 336411, Aircraft Manufacturing. Interested sources shall include their company size and CAGE code in the information provided. All prospective contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database to be awarded a DoD contract. Interested firms should submit sufficient information to permit Government evaluation in writing or electronically to AFLCMC/WWKKA, Attn: Ms. Peggy Cowan, BLDG 1083, 7180 Reserve Rd, Tinker AFB, OK 73145 or e-mail address: peggy.cowan@us.af.mil, within 30 calendar days from the date of this announcement. Disclaimer: This SSS is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal or Request for Quotations) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future release.