RFI_Uncontrolled_General.pdf

Capability Assessment Report / Request for Information

Hypobaric Altitude Chambers

13 July 2026

Prepared By:

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)

PAE Training Directorate

Simulators Division

2300 D Street, Building 32

Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Program Description

2.2 Capability Required

3. BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Business Information

3.2 Capability Assessment/RFI Response

3.3 General Information

3.4 Capability Information

3.4.1 Hypobaric Altitude Chambers Training System Capability Information

1. INTRODUCTION

The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.

Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

Responses to this notice are neither offers nor proposals and cannot be accepted by the

Government to form a binding contract. Only United States companies will be considered for contract award.

Companies responding to this request are advised that participation does not ensure involvement in future solicitations or contract awards. The Government will not reimburse any company or individual for any expenses associated with preparation or participation in this RFI/sources sought. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this

RFI/sources sought.

The Government anticipates a RFO Part 16 acquisition for the Altitude Chambers Contractor

Logistics Support (CLS) Contract follow-on program.

The acquisition strategies have not yet been determined. Capability Assessment results will assist the Air Force in determining whether these requirements will be unrestricted competition or a small business set-aside task order under TSA IV.

The Government is assessing the capability of companies, within both industry and the TSA IV

Small Business Pool that may possess the expertise to competently and competitively respond to the following requirements for the Altitude Chambers Contractor Logistics Support (CLS)

Contract follow-on program to provide:

• Contractor Logistics Support

• Upgrades and Modifications

• Testing and Other Support

2. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Program Description

The Altitude Chambers are required to support physiological training for the following: all pilot and combat systems officer undergraduate flying training pipelines, U-2 full pressure suit (FTU and refresher) physiological training, Air Battle Manager, Career Enlisted Aviator, non-rated specialties with 9D Aviation Service Codes and Aeromedical Specialty formal courses such as those for flight surgeons, aeromedical evacuation team members, and aerospace physiology personnel.

This acquisition is a follow-on services acquisition to the current Altitude Chambers contract, which is managed by the Simulators Division (AFLCMC/WNS), Wright-

Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The requirement for the Altitude Chambers program consists of Contractor Logistics

Support (CLS) and future Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) of 12 Chambers. The training devices are located at Andrews AFB, MD; Beale AFB, CA; Columbus AFB, MS; Lackland AFB, FL; Langley AFB, VA; Laughlin AFB, TX; Peterson AFB, CO;

JBSA Randolph, TX; Sheppard AFB, TX; Vance AFB, OK; and Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. CLS operations include unscheduled maintenance, scheduled maintenance, maintaining a help desk, Recompetition Support Package (RSP) management (consisting of government owned spares, support equipment, and technical documentation), configuration management, and management/recommendation of Diminishing

Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortage (DMSMS) issues. This effort will also include Program Management and Travel. All subsequent references to “CLS” refer to the total effort as described above.

Table 1 - Chamber Locations

Location Model #

Andrews AFB, MD 20M331 (Guardite)

Beale AFB, CA 20M491 (Guardite) /

6M331-B (Guardite) (Parasite Chamber)

Columbus, MS 10006 (CGS Scientific)

Lackland AFB, FL 20M6321 (John Mohr & Sons)

Langley AFB, VA 10006 (CGS Scientific)

JBSA Laughlin, TX 20M331 (Guardite)

Peterson AFB, CO 20M331 (Guardite)

JBSA Randolph, TX 20M331 (Guardite)

Sheppard AFB, TX 20M331 (Guardite)

Vance AFB, OK 20M331(Guardite)

Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 20M331 (Guardite) (2 units)

2.2 Capability Required

Hypobaric Altitude Chambers (Solicitation #FA862126RB022)

The Program Requirements can be summarized from the list below:

• Contractor Logistics Support (CLS), Mods, Upgrades, Testing, and other support for 12 chambers at 11 geographically separated sites.

• Financial Improvement Audit Readiness (FIAR) and Contractor Inventory Control Point

(C-ICP) Management.

• Quality Assurance and Safety Management.

More detail for this list of requirements is provided below:

Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) & Help Desk

As part of the Hypobaric Altitude Chambers Program, the contractor must possess the capability to provide comprehensive operations, maintenance, and sustainment (OM&S) support capabilities. This includes CLS services, centralized Help Desk services, and the ability to evaluate, plan, develop, implement, install, and provide modifications/upgrades for the

Chambers Program.

The contractor will be required to provide logistics support (e.g., personnel and spare parts) to maintain and support the Altitude Chambers across all USAF sites. Subordinate activities include, but are not limited to:

• Establishing and operating a centralized Help Desk to receive, log, and isolate chamber maintenance discrepancies.

• Inventory storage and control, including Recompetition Support Package (RSP) management.

• Acquisition of all replenishment or replacement assets and asset repairs.

• Proactive identification and management of Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and

Material Shortages (DMSMS) issues in accordance with the SD-22 Guidebook.

• Development, validation, and management of technical publications, configuration management, and engineering data via a secure Web-based Integrated Data Environment.

The following definitions and strict resolution timelines will be used to assign priorities to hypobaric chamber discrepancies. Note: Unresolved Category 1 and 2 discrepancies require emergency field service repair within 3 business days of initial notification.

Discrepancy

Category

Timeline for Correction Description

Category 1 5 business days If not corrected, the discrepancy may cause death, severe injury, occupational illness, major system damage, or loss.

The discrepancy must be corrected before training can resume.

Category 2 5 business days Discrepancy prevents training from occurring. The discrepancy must be corrected before training can resume.

Category 3 Calendar Days determined by AETC and Program

Office

All other discrepancies. The lead command, Air Education and Training

Command (AETC) and the Program

Office will determine when these discrepancies will be corrected.

Financial Improvement Audit Readiness (FIAR) & Property Management

The Altitude Chambers Training System is a Contractor Supported Weapons System (CSWS).

The contractor must be capable of acting as the Supply Chain Manager (SCM) and Contractor

Inventory Control Point (C-ICP). The contractor will be required to provide stringent property accountability and control of Government Furnished Property (GFP/GFM) through the Air Force designated Accountable Property System of Record (APSR), such as the Enterprise Logistics

Management System (ELMS) and DAAS Transaction Services. This includes performing

General Equipment Valuation (GEV) and executing Item Unique Identification (IUID) marking plans in accordance with MIL-STD-130N.

Quality Assurance & Safety Management

Due to the critical life-support environment of hypobaric chamber training, the contractor must develop and maintain an ASI 9001 (or equivalent) compliant Quality Management System.

Furthermore, the contractor must be capable of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating all

Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) risks in accordance with MIL-STD-882E criteria and OSHA standards.

Modifications and Upgrades

The contractor will be required to establish a process to integrate all technical disciplines

(including engineering, configuration management, logistics, and test) to upgrade the training system, spares, and support equipment to ensure training is available to support these changes in the training system.

Testing

The contractor shall have the ability to develop and execute comprehensive Acceptance Test

Procedures (ATP) for all Chamber devices and modification/sustainment efforts.

Contract Specifications

The contract will commence on or about the 3rd Quarter of CY28. The Government anticipates the contract period of performance to be a 1-year base period with five (5) 1-year option periods.

3. BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Business Information

In response to this RFI/sources sought, please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:

• Company/Institute Name:

• Address:

• Point of Contact:

• Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code:

• Phone Number:

• E-mail Address:

• Web Page URL:

Firms responding to this announcement should indicate whether they are an other than small business, small business, small disadvantaged business (SDB), woman-owned small business

(WOSB), economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB), 8(a)-certified business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), veteran-owned small business (VOSB), or Historically Underutilized Business Zone small business (HUBZone). The

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this action is 541330, size standard of $25.5M. All prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract.

3.2 Capability Assessment/RFI Response

The Government is assessing TSA IV’s small business industry to determine the Government’s ability to set this acquisition aside for the Small Business. The results of this assessment will allow the Government to decide as to whether these efforts will be set aside for the Small

Business Pool or issued under the Unrestricted Pool. It is advised that your company provide a sufficient response to all capability questions to allow the Government to appropriately assess your company’s capabilities.

If there is demonstrated interest and capability sufficiently identified among the small business prime contractors, then a Small Business Set-Aside will be considered. A key factor in determining if an acquisition will be a Small Business Set-Aside is that two or more potential small business prime contractors must be capable of performing at least 50% of the effort.

3.3 General Information

The Government is soliciting responses from both the small business industry and TSA IV small business contractors. If you are a TSA IV contractor, only one response is necessary.

In your response, please provide the following general information for your company/institution and for any teaming partners:

1. If subcontracts or teaming are anticipated to be used, provide a reasonable expectation for both small and other than small business utilization as a percent of total task order value. Provide specific details on how your company will comply with RFO clause 52.219-14, Limitations to Subcontracting. Delineate the small business utilization percentage and provide rationale for the recommended percentage. Teaming and/or subcontracting arrangements should be clearly stated, and previous experience in teaming must be provided.

2. What data do you require of the Government in order to assemble a proposal for this effort?

Direct and concise responses are preferred. Marketing material is considered an insufficient response to this Capability Assessment/RFI. Please limit responses to electronic submissions no more than 10 8.5”x11” pages, using Microsoft Word or PDF format. This includes all graphs and charts. A point of contact that can represent your company should be identified to answer further Government inquiries and provide explanations that might be needed with regard to the information provided. Respondents should indicate which portions, if any, of their response are proprietary and should mark them accordingly.

Formal responses should be e-mailed to pamela.randall.1@us.af.mil, and john.bowers.7@us.af.mil. Responses are due NLT 11:59 PM EST Wednesday 12 August

2026. The Government may converse with respondents regarding this RFI. Such conversations are intended to clarify potential capability to perform the requirements. Technical questions regarding this RFI should be submitted in writing to the following as appropriate:

• Technical questions may be addressed to Mr. John Bowers, Chambers Program Manager, john.bowers.7@us.af.mil.

• Contractual questions may be addressed to Ms. Pamela K. Randall, Chambers

Contracting Officer, pamela.randall.1@us.af.mil.

3.4 Capability Information

In response to this RFI, please provide the following specific information for your company. If a responding company is capable of some, but not all, please provide a response that explains the requirements for which you are capable.

3.4.1 Hypobaric Altitude Chambers Training System Capability Information

In response to this Capability Assessment/RFI, please provide the following capability information specific to the Hypobaric Altitude Chambers requirements. Please note that any capabilities or experiences discussed in your answers that do not correlate to the Chambers

Program devices may not be considered in our analysis.

1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your company and the nature of the goods and/or services you provide.

2. Describe your company’s technical competencies and experience in sustaining Hypobaric

Altitude Chambers devices. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, the company’s role (whether prime or subcontractor), period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual points of contact (Contracting Officers or

Program Managers). Provide no more than 5 examples.

3. Describe your specific capabilities to sustain a Hypobaric Altitude Chamber systems. Be sure to include any information relevant to your experience with attaining system availability, identifying and resolving obsolescence issues, and maintaining a

Recompetition Support Package.

4. Describe your document maintenance process and your modification development, test, distribution, and installation processes.

5. What experience do you have maintaining training device technical data and engineering drawings? What is your expertise in successfully obtaining and working with COTS items containing limited or restricted rights, and/or third-party proprietary data?

mailto:pamela.randall.1@us.af.mil mailto:john.bowers.7@us.af.mil mailto:john.bowers.7@us.af.mil https://usaf.dps.mil/teams/SimsCAG/SYCC/AOP/SiteCollectionDocuments/003%20-%20Chambers%20CY28%20Re-compete%20docs/Market%20Research/RFI/pamela.randall.1@us.af.mil

6. What experience do you have modifying and maintaining Hypobaric Altitude Chambers devices?

7. Assuming a contract award in third quarter fiscal year 2028, how soon could your company ramp up to support the Hypobaric Altitude Chamber program? What, if any, specialized personnel or outside resources need to be obtained before ramp up?

8. Describe the major risks you foresee in executing an effort of this scope. What steps will you likely take to mitigate these risks?

9. Offerors will be required to comply with 13 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 121.406, which requires offerors to either be the manufacturer or producer of ECP end items, or comply with an exception as a non-manufacturer, a kit assembler, or a supplier under

Simplified Acquisition Procedures. For ECP Modifications and Upgrades, please describe in detail how you will either comply with 13 CFR 121.406(a)(1) or qualify under 13 CFR 121.406(a)(2) for one of the exceptions under 13 CFR 121.406(b), (c) or

(d).

10. As the effort for this proposed set-aside is considered by the Government to be one for

Services, offerors will be required to comply with subparagraph (c)(1) of RFO 52.219-14, which requires that "[a]t least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern." Please describe in detail how you will satisfy the requirements of RFO 52.219-14(c)(2) and for this effort.

11. If you intend to subcontract part of this requirement, explain how you will comply with

13 CFR. § 121.103, which has affiliation and ostensible subcontractor restrictions, requiring the prime contractor to fulfil primary and vital requirements of this contract.

12. PWS requires stringent Financial Improvement Audit Readiness (FIAR) compliance.

Describe your experience acting as a Contractor Inventory Control Point (C-ICP) and managing Government Furnished Property (GFP/GFM) within DoD Accountable

Property Systems of Record (APSR), such as the Enterprise Logistics Management

System (ELMS) or DAAS Transaction Services.

13. Describe your experience performing General Equipment Valuation (GEV) and executing Item Unique Identification (IUID) marking plans (MIL-STD-130N) for

Government Property.

14. Hypobaric chambers involve significant Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health

(ESOH) risks. Describe your experience managing safety programs in accordance with

MIL-STD-882E and OSHA standards. Do you currently maintain an ISO 9001 (or ISO

9001) compliant Quality Management System?

15. The government requires Category 1 and 2 discrepancies to be resolved within 5 business days across 11 geographically separated locations. Describe your capability to manage a centralized Help Desk, triage maintenance tickets, and deploy emergency field service representatives to meet these strict timelines.

16. Aside from general obsolescence resolution, describe your experience utilizing the SD-22

DMSMS Guidebook to establish a predictive and proactive Diminishing Manufacturing

Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) program.

17. Describe your capability to host and manage a secure, Web-based Integrated Data

Environment (IDE) to provide the Government with continuous access to Configuration

Status Accounting (CSA) records, technical data, and Contract Data Requirements Lists

(CDRLs).