Notice of Contract Action for a Sole Source Procurement SUBJECT: NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT FOR the purchase of Flight Hours and Flight Hours support services required to fly the Proteus Target Board System (PTBS) aboard the Proteus Aircraft. DESC: INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT WITH Scaled Composites, LLC. The Air Force, Edwards Air Force Base, CA intends to award a Sole Source Cost-Plus Fixed-Fee contract to Scaled Composites, LLC, 1624 Flight Line, Mojave, CA 93501-1663. The Sole Source purchase will be for the following non-commercial services. Scaled Composites will provide flight hours and flight services to fly the PTBS. The Proteus aircraft will carry the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Lincoln Lab (MIT/LL) PTBS with associated subsystems, which will be used to collect Airborne Laser (ABL) target data. Scaled Composites will perform the following actions as part of the flight hours and associated flight service support tasks required for this effort. · Provide the Proteus aircraft and all flight and maintenance crews. · Perform ferry operations to support target board transportation to and from locations supporting flight tests and target board maintenance. · Functionally check and calibrate the applicable instrumentation prior to commencing flights. · Provide ground support for pre-flight checkout of the aircraft, target board and associated systems at the Scaled Composites facility and deployed locations. The ABL test program requires access to various test targets to characterize, verify, or demonstrate inherent weapon system capabilities such as target acquisition, tracking and pointing. These tests will be accomplished, over the course of the next four years at various test ranges. These include: Edwards AFB, Hanscom AFB, Vandenberg AFB, White Sands Missile Range, Holloman AFB, Ft Biggs, and Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA. During this time period, it is not anticipated that another vehicle capable of carrying the test bed will be developed and built. The Proteus aircraft is a manned twin turbofan high altitude multi-mission aircraft powered by Williams International FJ44-2E engines leased and operated by Scaled Composites, LLC, Mojave, CA. The aircraft is designed to support long duration high altitude operations carrying a variety of “customer specific” payloads. Specifically, it is designed to carry payloads in the 2000-pound class to altitudes above 60,000 feet and remain on station up to 14 hours. The ABL program office has selected the Proteus aircraft to carry the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)/Lincoln Lab (LL) target board in support of the ABL test program requirements. The Proteus aircraft is the only aircraft capable of carrying the target board. It was specifically designed and built to carry the target board. This J&A addresses the Proteus flying and engineering hours in direct support of ABL test program requirements. It is important to note that the specific ABL payload, the PTBS, which will be carried by Proteus, is the responsibility of the MIT/LL. MIT/LL is responsible for the target board design, fabrication, integration, and characterization as required to support ABL program requirements. Scaled Composites is currently contracted by MIT/LL. Since the ABL program office has selected the Proteus aircraft, which has been specifically leased to Scaled Composites, to carry the MIT/LL target board, the proposed contractor is the only contractor that is authorized to supply and support the Proteus aircraft. To immediately support testing, Scaled Composites has personnel that meet or exceed the qualifications needed to support testing, as well as unique detailed knowledge of the PTBS. Scaled Composite has locally operated offices with the required expertise readily available to the AFFTC, and supporting bases, and personnel with a demonstrated background in the following areas: · Personnel proficient in the technical theory and testing of the PTBS and Proteus aircraft. · Personnel proficient with the operation and maintenance of general and special test equipment and their application. · Personnel familiar with the operation, resources, equipment, proper handling, care, loading and unloading of the PTBS. · Personnel with a demonstrated understanding of the operations, characteristics, limitations and capabilities of the Proteus aircraft and PTBS. Scaled Composites also meets the requirements to store and secure the target board. They have a secured area able to accommodate the storage and special handling of the target board due to its unique environmental requirements. Scaled Composites will continue to provide to MIT/LL the design, engineering, and development support for the PTBS and provide flight services for the Proteus to fly the target body. Scaled Composites, LLC is the only known source that can satisfy the requirements of the Government at this time. Please note that this is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all interested parties who believe they can meet the requirements are invited to submit in writing complete information describing their ability to provide the Flight Hours and Flight Hours support services. Responses may be sent via e-mail to
[email protected] or mailed to 412 TW/PKDB, 5 South Wolfe Ave, Edwards AFB, CA 93524-1185, Attention: Philip Cheng. Fax Number: 661-275-7827. Information received as a result of this notice will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Air Force not to open the requirement to open competition, based on response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Air Force. If the office has not received any affirmative written responses by Close of Business (COB), 23 Jan 06, a Sole Source contract award will be pursued with Scaled Composites, LLC, 1624 Flight Line, Mojave, CA 93501-1663.