Responses to SOO Questions.docx
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- Solicitation number
- FAA_TSS_E2_ChBA
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This document is a Q&A response set addressing 33 inquiries submitted regarding the Tower Simulation System E2 (TSS E2) Statement of Objectives. The responses clarify the FAA's position on various technical, operational, and implementation considerations for the upcoming Challenge Based Acquisition. Key clarifications include: the FAA will not pursue bridging capability solutions or proof-of-concept implementations prior to award; the SOO represents the FAA's end-state objectives with flexibility for innovative approaches; all sites will receive adequate bandwidth without airgap implementations; the TSS E2 vendor is not responsible for facility infrastructure modifications including HVAC and power; the FAA will provide on-site contractor support space; and solutions should support human-in-the-loop modes for complex scenarios with potential RPO workload reduction through automation where technically practical. Regarding data and security, the FAA retains data ownership rights, requires FISMA low-impact system compliance, mandates FedRAMP requirements for cloud-based solutions, and expects implementation of FAA Identity, Credential, and Access Management and Zero Trust standards. The FAA is open to industry-standard visual databases and software APIs provided they are vendor-agnostic; mil-spec components are acceptable if advantageous; and human performance tracking measures have not been considered or engaged with bargaining units to date.
The document addresses implementation logistics including site sizing (small, medium, and large installations based on operational need), flexibility in physical hardware dimensions, and timeline considerations based on airport complexity. The FAA anticipates a contract award in late FY26 (subject to change) with implementation milestones targeted for completion by May 2028. Several responses defer to other referenced documents including the TSS E2 System Specification, Concept of Operations, Request for Concept Papers Section 3.3.2, and the TSS E2 Site List for additional technical requirements and site prioritization details. Throughout the responses, the FAA emphasizes openness to innovative solutions that meet the SOO objectives, with evaluations occurring during a future demonstration phase.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| TSS E2 ChBA Questions and Answers.pdf | ||
| TSS E2 Request for Concept Paper March 2026.pdf | ||
| TSS E2 SOO Amendment 1 March 2026.pdf | ||
| TSS E2 SOO - Feb 2026.docx | DOCX document | |
| TSS E2 Request for Concept Papers Feb 2026.docx | DOCX document |
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Responses to Questions on TSS E2 Statement of Objectives
| Q1: | Given the sense of urgency for increased ATC training capability and capacity, does the FAA have any interest in systems that could provide bridging capability between now and the TSS E2 award process, in an effort to lessen existing training impacts at particular sites? Specifically, would the FAA be interested in a proof of concept (POC) at a smaller subset of level 4 – 9 air traffic control towers? |
| A1: | No. |
| Q2: | What are near-term, operationally mature objectives vs advanced or emerging capabilities? |
| A2: | The Statement of Objectives (SOO) represents the FAA’s end state objectives for TSS E2. |
| Q3: | As the FAA transitions to the Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS), are there any specific console, headset, surveillance, weather and air traffic displays that need to be emulated above and beyond what exists in current tower cabs? |
| A3: | See SOO Objective 6. Future FAA systems, services, infrastructure, and programs are to be determined. |
| Q4: | Do all sites have the Telecommunications capability and bandwidth required for high-speed connectivity during live training events that will potentially be spread across multiple geographic locations, or does the FAA foresee using an airgap approach for sites with limited bandwidth? |
| A4: | The FAA will ensure bandwidth availability. An airgap approach is not desired. |
| Q5: | Will the FAA be willing to use mil-spec components if they can provide advantages in cost, delivery schedule, or system performance? |
| A5: | The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q6: | Will the government be able to provide the heating, cooling, ventilation and power specifications of all sites to allow for an appropriate scaling of these systems on the TSS E2 systems prior to delivery? |
| A6: | The TSS E2 vendor is not responsible for heating, cooling, ventilation and power modifications. |
| Q7: | Will the FAA provide space for on-site contractor support employees? |
| A7: | Yes. |
| Q8: | Is there an openness to allowing a HITL mode as a fallback for more complex, non-standard scenarios? |
| A8: | The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q9: | Is the intent to fully replace human RPOs for all training scenarios, or an incremental reduction of RPO workload through automation, with human oversight retained for complex scenarios? |
| A9: | See SOO Objective 2. The FAA is open to replacing human RPOs to the extent practical based on the technology's demonstrated capabilities. |
| Q10: | What are the expected accuracy thresholds for speech recognition and command execution? Considerations for accents, speech variability, operational stress conditions? Are phased maturity levels anticipated? |
| A10: | The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. Offeror solutions will be evaluated during a future demonstration phase. |
| Q11: | Is the FAA open to implementing a fully cloud-based enterprise digital repository, while allowing on-premise artifacts to support specific site use cases within a cloud-hybrid framework? |
| A11: | The Statement of Objectives (SOO) represents the FAA’s end state objectives for TSS E2 and proposed solutions will be evaluated on the extent to which they meet the SOO. |
| Q12: | What are the expectations for version control, configuration management, and validation authority for VDBs and scenarios stored in the repository? |
| A12: | The Statement of Objectives (SOO) represents the FAA’s end state objectives for TSS E2 and proposed solutions will be evaluated on the extent to which they meet the SOO. |
| Q13: | Can the FAA specify desired performance areas for automated feedback regarding student performance during training scenarios? |
| A13: | See TSS E2 System Specification for current system requirements. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q14: | Has the FAA considered human performance measures to the system to further quantify training effectiveness? (ex: eye tracker and wrist tracker) |
| A14: | The FAA has not considered human performance tracking to date and has not engaged the bargaining unit on their use. |
| Q15: | Will evaluation be based on procedural compliance and rules-based metrics, statistical comparison against expert baselines, or a combination of quantitative metrics and instructor validation? |
| A15: | See TSS E2 System Specification for current system requirements. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q16: | Will the FAA furnish evaluation criteria? |
| A16: | See the Request for Concept Paper. |
| Q17: | Does automated scoring supplement or replace instructor judgement? |
| A17: | The FAA is open to automated scoring to supplement and validate instructor judgement. |
| Q18: | Does the FAA have a preferred open standard for visual databases, or would the use of existing industry standards taken from the simulation and gaming industry be acceptable? |
| A18: | Industry standards are acceptable but must be in a format that can be used by any vendor. |
| Q19: | Are there any specific open systems standards desired for software components and Application Program Interfaces (APIs)? |
| A19: | The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q20: | Is it anticipated that based on physical constraints at ATCT facilities there may need to be flexibility in the physical hardware and dimensions of individual TSS systems, or is it intended that they all be identical? |
| A20: | See TSS E2 Site List. Sites are identified as small, medium, or large TSS installations based on operational need. |
| Q21: | What is the technical scope for integrating with “future FAA systems,” and does this represent new, unpriced requirements? |
| A21: | See SOO Objective 6. Future FAA systems, services, infrastructure, and programs are to be determined. |
| Q22: | What are the high-level assumptions or references to applicable FAA security frameworks? Expected hosting models? Authority to operation centralized repositories? Cybersecurity monitoring and incident response responsibilities? |
| A22: | Solutions should meet the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) security controls for a low-impact system. Cloud-based solutions must follow FedRAMP requirements. In addition, solutions should implement FAA Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) and Zero Trust standards. |
| Q23: | Is the intent that any TSS E2 activity at any site be monitored real-time from any location, or will only specific FAA offices need to have full time monitoring and evaluation capability? |
| A23: | This has not been determined. The FAA is open to solutions. |
| Q24: | Clarify whether performance reporting is intended primarily for: utilization and capacity planning, training effectiveness analysis, contract performance monitoring, or broader workforce planning initiatives. |
| A24: | See TSS E2 System Specification and TSS E2 Concept of Operations. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q25: | What are the expectations for data ownership and retention? Access controls and user roles? |
| A25: | See TSS E2 System Specification and TSS E2 Concept of Operations. The FAA retains data ownership rights. |
| Q26: | Will analytics be used for operational oversight, training improvement, or both? |
| A26: | See TSS E2 System Specification and TSS E2 Concept of Operations. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q27: | Will the FAA specify the hours of operation for the Help Desk? |
| A27: | The FAA is open to suggested hours. |
| Q28: | Is there any desire for an ability to do software maintenance directly on premise in the event of a network outage? |
| A28: | See TSS E2 System Specification and TSS E2 Concept of Operations. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q29: | Does the FAA have interest in deriving scenarios from real-world traffic situations taken from recorded flight activity in US airspace? |
| A29: | See TSS E2 System Specification and TSS E2 Concept of Operations. The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. |
| Q30: | What does “minimize” mean to the FAA? What is a practical reduction? What is the baseline? |
| A30: | The FAA is open to innovative solutions that meet the SOO. Offerors will be assessed on their approach. |
| Q31: | Are there anticipated milestone dates for each phase of the installation? Are there critical locations that should be prioritized? Proposed milestones could include TSS design completion, VDB and training scenario development, TSS production completion, TSS site installation, and final completion of all TSS E2 solution elements by May 2028. |
| A31: | See Request for Concept Paper Section 3.3.2 Implementation Approach and TSS E2 Site List. |
| Q32: | Is there flexibility in timelines due to airport complexity, data availability, and required fidelity level? Could these be tiered based on size/complexity? |
| A32: | See Request for Concept Paper Section 3.3.2 Implementation Approach and TSS E2 Site List. Sites are identified as small, medium, or large TSS installations based on operational need. |
| Q33: | Can the FAA provide an expected contract award date or a “days from award” metric? |
| A33: | We anticipate an award date in late FY26, but is subject to change. |
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