Sources Sought Notice_Final.pdf

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Sources Sought Notice APY-11 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for NOAA’s C-130J Aircraft

This Sources Sought Notice is not a Request for Proposal and does not constitute a commitment by the Government. The Government is currently conducting market research in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, to identify potential sources to fulfill the requirement and gather information on current capabilities of businesses within the market. All information submitted in response to the Sources Sought Notice is voluntary and the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Proprietary information submitted should be marked appropriately. All submitted information shall remain with the U.S. Government and will not be returned.

The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD), and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), Platform and Infrastructure Acquisition Division (PIAD) in Silver Spring, MD has awarded the production of two C- 130J aircraft, with the potential of up to six aircraft. These will replace the current two Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (LMA) WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter aircraft. The aircraft will be acquired through a three-step process: Production, Modification, and Integration.

The current WP-3D aircraft are equipped with an AN/APY-11 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) System that is essential for the pilots and in-flight scientists to safely navigate dangerous storm environments during the collection of hurricane research and reconnaissance data. The MMR System provides a 360 degree view of weather hazards, as the plane passes through and around heavy weather, allowing visibility of the different layers and internal structure from within the storm. This view is essential to navigating the aircraft, as well as ensuring the safety of the crew and equipment during flight. The AN/APY-11 MMR System serves as an integral part of hurricane surveillance and reconnaissance instrumentation requirements as delegated by various parts of NOAA, such as National Weather Service (NWS), Hurricane Research Division (HRD) and others.

With the introduction of the C-130J aircraft, an AN/APY-11 MMR is crucial to bridge the hurricane missions from the past to the future. The AN/APY-11 MMR is one of the few instruments that will convey between the WP-3D and C- 130J aircraft, providing commonality and consistency between aircraft operations. An AN/APY-11 System is expected to be comprised of the following components:

X-Band Antenna configured for the C-130J Lower Fuselage Antenna Adapter Plate Front End Receiver (X-Band) X-Band Receiver Cold Plate Assembly Transmitter Transmitter Tray Drive Amplifier Unit (DAU) DAU Cold Plate Assembly Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) Lightweight Radar Processor (LRP) LRP Tray Associated components necessary to operate and display the radar data

Response Requirements (Limited to 15 pages total) Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall submit a statement of capabilities, not to exceed 15 pages, encompassing the following information:

(1) Company Profile

a) Company Name;

b) Company Address;

c) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI);

d) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code applicable and corresponding business size for the NAICS Code(s) indicated;

e) Applicable General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) and Schedule Item Numbers (SIN) (include all that apply to this requirement);

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f) Small Business Administration (SBA) certified small business concern status and/or socio-economic status (if applicable); and

g) Primary point of contact information and Secondary point of contact (Name, Title, Phone, and Email).

(2) The Capability Demonstration shall provide a summary of capabilities that displays the following:

a) The ability to provide APY-11 MMR systems, components, software, and spares for NOAA’s future fleet of C- 130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft;

b) The ability to provide MMR Engineering Support Services, as well as completion of potential repairs and/or replacement of equipment when necessary;

c) The ability to deliver at least two APY-11 systems by November 1, 2027 with subsequent deliveries approximately every 6 months; and

d) Proof of authorization to perform the required services herein by the Authorized Distributor for the radar system.

Government Point of Contact Company brochures will not be considered in lieu of a capability statement. Interested firms shall submit their statement of capabilities to Jennifer Peters, Contract Specialist, at Jennifer.peters@noaa.gov and Jana Kolb, Contracting Officer, at Jana.Kolb@noaa.gov by no later than 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Any questions or responses regarding this notice must be submitted to Jennifer Peters via the above email address provided. Information received in response to this notice will be considered solely to conduct informed decisions regarding the potential procurement strategy of this requirement. No telephone requests will be honored. Firms that are interested in subcontracting opportunities related to portions of this requirement should contact potential firms directly.