SMW_UH-60A_Q_and_A_Reponses.docx

Government Responses to Industry Draft Solicitation Questions Afghanistan Special Mission Wing (SMW) UH-60A Flight Training Devices (FTD) Solicitation: W900KK-18-R-0004

Question 1: Are configuration drawings available of the Afghanistan UH-60A configuration or will they be made available prior to RFP? The system Specification, paragrapgh, 3.1 General, states “The UH-60A FTDs shall have the unique Afghanistan aircraft configuration that matches the UH-60A aircraft in use by the AAF.” In order to accurately respond to this solicitation the following information is requested: Detailed Cockpit Layout of the unique AAF configuration to include instrument panels, overhead panels, pedestal layout, panels, etc. Cockpit equipment list (i.e. instruments, radios, sensors, etc.) with simulation fidelity descriptions (i.e. full fidelity, system test only, graphical representation, etc.). In order to properly reply to the RFP, the RFP needs to sufficiently describe the Afghan aircraft configuration - specifically the avionics if different from the basic UH-60A aircraft.

Recommendation: Describe the unique Afghanistan aircraft configuration - especially all of the avionics.

A: The configuration is based on changes to the standard “Green” UH-60A hybrid cockpit. A bidder’s library containing what technical documentation the Government possesses with respect to the most current UH-60A-10 design and Afghan-unique configuration will be provided to each Offeror. One caveat to the current Afghan configuration. Due to the expedited need to ensure these training devices are fielded and utilized prior to the actual aircraft delivery, the final cockpit instrument panel layout may change. The anticipated finalization of this layout is expected by the end of the FY18 fiscal year. Other than a potential layout change, no other instrument additions or cockpit equipment changes are foreseeable. As such, Offeror’s are expected to bid to the most current system specifications/configuration provided as part of the solicitation and, if a change occurs which warrant modification to the contract, a negotiated, bilateral modification will be executed. The Afghan UH-60A configuration will include:

1. (Qty 1) AN/ARC-186 VHF-FM radio

2. (Qty 1) - control head, Qty 2 - RTs) Cobham C/RT-5000 VHF/UHF AM/FM Multi-band radios

3. (Qty 1) AN/ARC-220 HF radio (exportable variant)

4. (Qty 1) AN/APX-100 (No KIT-1C or A)

5. (Qty 1) Afghan National Tracking System (Shout NANO device)

6. (Qty 2) Garmin GTN 750 navigation units (GPS) installed in the instrument panel. This will drive a change to the current instrument panel and possibly the lower console as some of the current items installed in the instrument panel may be displaced to make room for the Garmin units. There is no Flight Management System (FMS) planned for the Afghan-unique aircraft.

Question 2: Since actual FAA certification is not required, how does PEO-STRI plan on evaluating if FAA Level 6 or 7 standard have been met? Will a MQTG/QTG be required? If a MQTG/QTG is not required either, what methodology will PEO-STRI use to verify that the objective standards and data of Level 6 or 7 as required will have been met?

A: For pre-award regarding ensuring compliance to the Level 6 standard, please refer to L.5.1.1. and M.5.1.1.1. MQTG/QTG will not be required. Post award, PEOSTRI will test the FAA Level 6 FTD requirements by either Inspection, Demonstration, Test, and/or Analysis; as outlined in the contractor's (approved by the Government) Acceptance Test Procedures. Additionally, the Government has removed the FAA Level 7 FTD Objective requirement.

Question 3: Will the flight data for the UH-60A be Government Furnished Information (GFI) or will the contractor need to perform a flight test to gather the data required to meet Level 6 or 7 FAA certification standards?

A: Contractor is not required to perform flight tests to gather the flight data. Contractor shall provide flight model derived from class of helicopter, accounting for typical forces, moments, and velocities. The flight model will be validated against the class of helicopter data package through analysis. Additionally, the Government has removed the FAA Level 7 FTD Objective requirement.

Question 4: Will the Government accept a proposal that includes pricing for both the Level 6 Threshold and Level 7 Objective? We have produced both levels of device and there is both a qualitative and cost difference due to the effort and extent of the flight modeling required for Level 7. How will PEO-STRI evaluate a proposal for a Level 7 that does not unduly penalize the proposal as a result of a higher price for meeting the Objective requirement for FAA Level 7?

A: The Government has removed the FAA Level 7 FTD Objective requirement.

Question 5: Can you please clarify the phrase “separate effects shall be provided to simulate brownout due to either blowing sand or blowing dust in the OTW or NVG scene.” Does the IG need to have distinct effects and IOS controls for sand and dust?

A: No distinct effects are required. FTDs are required to simulate brownout. Brownout will correspond to underlying terrain properties. Partially to completely obscure crew scene from 50 AGL to 0 AGL over appropriate terrain areas, dependent on terrain type.

Question 6: Can you provide detail on the extent/range of the 4 areas of HR training areas? For instance, a 25 nm range around w, x, y, and z.

A: The Geo-specific visual database high detail areas shall consist of a minimum a 10 Nautical Mile (NM) radius from center of the High Resolution Area.

Question 7: Will PEO-STRI accept other, more realistic methods of achieving cockpit vibration? These are COTS products on FAA qualified Level 6 and 7 Helicopter FTDs.

A: Contractor may propose alternate methods of cockpit vibration.

Question 8: Is there sufficient space available at on-site facility to support a non-collimated dome size with 180x60 FOV to meet Level 6 or Level 7 parallax requirements? Will 3-phase power be available? If so, what voltages and configurations are expected? Can the Government provide information about the facility in which the Flight Training Devices will be located?

There is no information in the draft Solicitation regarding the facility in Afghanistan to house the FTD’s:

Will there be office space and storage for the spares to support the CLS requirements in the FTD facility or will it be in a separate location?

The Afghanistan National Security Forces shall provide controlled environment facilities for the FTD. Is the offeror responsible for the civil work/modifications required for installation?

A: Contractor shall provide the Trainer Facilities Report (TFR) that outlines FTD operation and facility requirements. Government has the responsibility to provide a facility that meets the UH-60A FTD TFR requirements. No, the contractor’s will not be responsible for any civil work/mods to the facility. Additionally, the Government has removed the FAA Level 7 FTD Objective requirement.

Question 9: Can PEO-STRI provide justification of some of the features/requirements on the NVG projection system? There are systems on FAA approved Level 6 Helicopter FTDs that are fully approved for NVG training credits per FAA AC10-01. These systems do not have independent control over visible/IR nor real time balancing of color and brightness and do not need it to meet FAA approval for NVG training per AC10-01 (which is soon to be codified under 14 CFR Part 60). This can be a significant cost-driver when other alternatives are readily available and approved (COTS) on FAA qualified helicopter FTDs with little, if any, impact to NVG training capabilities of the FTD.

A: The FTD cockpit shall be NVG compatible. The UH-60A FTD scene shall provide for NVG stimulation. No independent control over visible/IR is required.

Question 10: Under Section 3 of the General Requirements in the System Specifications Document, we see no reference to the need of a motion platform for this system. All that is referenced are vibration systems for the chairs in Section 3.9, page 10. Are we to assume that a motion platform is not a requirement for the FTDs?

A: No - motion platform is not a requirement for this system; only the vibration systems are required as mentioned in Section 3.9 of the System Specification.

Question 11: The system Specification, paragraph, 3.7.2 Simulator Capabilities states “The FTDs shall have Operation Mission Capabilities to include: Sling Load operations The FTD shall have the capability to hook and carry a sling load.”

Please clarify the level of fidelity required for the FTD Sling Load capability. Is this training to be conducted as a virtual capability between the pilots/copilot trainees and the Instructor Operator, or, is full simulation of the sling operation by an additional crew member required?

A: The UH-60A FTD shall have "virtual capability" for sling loads, that is, no additional crew member station is required. The UH-60A FTD shall have the capability to hook and carry a sling load. High-fidelity model of sling load interaction to include sling load drag, instability, crash computations, weight, Center of Gravity (CG), and balance effects.

Question 12: Can the Government provide copies with all current changes of the aircraft specific documents referenced in the Statement of Work?

SOW para 2.0 Applicable Documents, and the System Specification, para 3.1 General Requirements, state that "The UH-60A FTDs shall have the unique Afghanistan aircraft configuration that matches the UH-60A aircraft in use by the AAF.” The operator and maintenance guides listed in 2.2.1 Specifications, Standards, and Handbooks appear to be for the standard MH-60A model helicopter. Will the unique configuration items operator and maintenance manuals be available prior to RFP solicitation? It is recommended that the unique equipment operators and maintenance manual be provided with the RFP for proper cost estimating.

A: As stated in the Government response to Question 1, the configuration is based on changes to the standard “Green” UH-60A hybrid cockpit. A bidder’s library containing what technical documentation the Government possesses with respect to the most current UH-60A-10 design and Afghan-unique configuration will be provided to each Offeror. One caveat to the current Afghan configuration. Due to the expedited need to ensure these training devices are fielded and utilized prior to the actual aircraft delivery, the final cockpit instrument panel layout may change. The anticipated finalization of this layout is expected by the end of the FY18 fiscal year. Other than a potential layout change, no other instrument additions or cockpit equipment changes are foreseeable. As such, Offeror’s are expected to bid to the most current system specifications/configuration provided as part of the solicitation and, if a change occurs which warrant modification to the contract, a negotiated, bilateral modification will be executed. The Afghan UH-60A configuration will include:

1. (Qty 1) AN/ARC-186 VHF-FM radio

2. (Qty 1) - control head, Qty 2 - RTs) Cobham C/RT-5000 VHF/UHF AM/FM Multi-band radios

3. (Qty 1) AN/ARC-220 HF radio (exportable variant)

4. (Qty 1) AN/APX-100 (No KIT-1C or A)

5. (Qty 1) Afghan National Tracking System (Shout NANO device)

6. (Qty 2) Garmin GTN 750 navigation units (GPS) installed in the instrument panel. This will drive a change to the current instrument panel and possibly the lower console as some of the current items installed in the instrument panel may be displaced to make room for the Garmin units. There is no Flight Management System (FMS) planned for the Afghan-unique aircraft.

A bidder’s library containing pictures and manuals will be provided to each Offeror.

Question 13: Distributed interactive simulation (DIS) is referenced in this section and High Level Architecture IEEE documents are referenced in section 2.3. Is there a preference of one of these standards over the other? The Systems Specification lists in 3.3 Interconnectivity and Interoperability “The co-located FTDs Simulators shall have interconnectivity and interoperability to allow distributed interactive simulation for collective training, formation flying, and mission rehearsal. This statement would seem to indicate that the Distributive Interactive Simulation protocol IEEE 1278 would be specified. However stated in 2.3 Non-Government documents, the High Level Architecture (HLA) IEEE P1516 is listed as the networking protocol specification. On many of the previous US Army simulators, the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) IEEE 1278 is used as the networking protocol. To simplify operations and reduce costs to the program it is recommended that the Distributive Interactive Simulation protocol IEEE 1278 protocol be used instead of the HLA P1516 protocol listed.

A: No preference, as long as the UH-60A FTDs meet Interconnectivity and Interoperability requirements outlined in the System Specification Document. System Specification Document removed High Level Architecture (HLA) references.

Question 14: Does the IOS display need to be NVG compatible?

A: No, as long as it doesn’t interfere with NVG training.

Question 15: We do not believe the contract warrants to be SECRET based on the information provided.

All of the above is UNCLASSIFIED.

If a portion such as avionics is classified, then the classification and level of classification for the specific item should be isolated appropriately.

A classification adds extra unneeded cost. We understand that the personnel installing the devices might need a clearance for base access.

Recommendation: eliminate the contract classification (Section L.1.14) due to UH-60A being available to the public and is UNCLASSIFED. Also there are significant additional costs associated with a classification.

A: The entire Afghan UH-60A FTD is deemed UNCLASSIFIED.

Below are program general questions:

Question 16: Para 3.3.5.6 (page 9), is attendance at the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) government funded labor and travel reimbursed?

A: CRC attendance is mandatory. Proposal shall include CRC attendance labor and travel costs.

Question 17: Para 3.13.1 (page 17) and 3.13.2 (page 18), how many courses and need to be taught and to what/how many students? Are they for the foreign nationals and are they provided regularly over the course of the two years of CLS?

A: It is the Government’s intent that these courses coincide with the Ready For Training (RFT) of the FTD(s). Please see Section B (CLINs 0002 and 0010).

Question 18: Will installation and operations be located on base or in the city?

A: Both are military installations - 2 FTDs will be installed at the Kandahar AFB, optional 1 FTD will be installed at Kabul Military Special Mission Wing hanger.

Question 19: Are the eight hours of operation per day eight continuous hours or will the hours be broken up based on training requirements?

A: The government expects the contractor to coordinate with the in-country representative responsible for the SMW training schedules so that operational availability can meet training expectations. Any training time that is requested which falls outside what constitutes a normal workday/week (IAW SOW 3.3.2) shall be coordinated in advance and approved by the cognizant ACC-ORL PCO prior to any commitment/action by the contractor.

Question 20: How soon will the schedule be available to the Field Engineers? Will the schedule come 1 day prior to training, 1 week prior to training, or will the scheduled hours be set for the entire year?

A: Training schedule and FTD operational hours will be based upon SMW training plans.

Question 21: Will Instructor / student availability have an effect on scheduled hours? If an instructor or student isn’t available will the training window be extended to accommodate, either with a longer training day or added days during the week?

A: As stated in the Government’s response to Question 19, the government expects the contractor to coordinate with the in-country representative responsible for the SMW training schedules so that operational availability can meet training expectations. Any training time that is requested which falls outside what constitutes a normal workday/week (IAW SOW 3.3.2) shall be coordinated in advance and approved by the cognizant ACC-ORL PCO prior to any commitment/action by the contractor.

Question 22: Will added training time be at the Field Engineer’s discretion or obligatory?

A: See the response to Questions 19 and 21 above.

Question 23: Will Field Engineers have access to Military Dining Facilities?

A: Yes.

Question 24: Is this sponsored by CENTCOM or does this cost need to be added to the cost of Line Items 0005, 0006 and 0011?

A: CENTCOM sponsored and does not require costing by the contractor.

Question 25: Will Field Engineers have permanent lodging similar to deployed military?

A: Yes.

Question 26: Will the contractor need to procure trailer style lodging for FE?

A: No.

Question 27: Is this sponsored by CENTCOM or does this cost need to be added to the cost of Line Items 0005, 0006 and 0011?

A: CENTCOM sponsored and does not require costing by the contractor.

Question 28: Draft Solicitation Item No 0002: Is the contractor responsible for travel from CRC to KAF for installation personnel and Field Engineers if Item No 0005, 0006, and/or 0011 is optioned?

A: Contractors will be provided travel from CRC to Afghanistan. All travel is coordinated at CRC.

Question 29: What clearance level is required for CRC access, for the Base if necessary?

A: CRC does not require an active security clearance level.

Question 30: Is General Order Number 1 in affect?

A: Yes.

Question 31: Are contractors subject to it?

A: Yes. All personnel will sign sworn statements provided in the CRC training package.

Question 32: Will contractors have a POC in the AOR or only in CONUS?

A: Both; PEO STRI has a COR in country.

Question 33: SOW No. SOW-2017-053 – 3.3.1 Logistics Support: This section states that Logistics Support shall be provided, but the solicitation shows Contractor Logistical Support as an Option. Is this provision mandatory or optional?

A: Currently an option. See CLIN structure to assist in understanding CLS requirement.

Question 34: Will site visits be allowed by program managers to validate inventory and configuration management, and ensure compliance by FE?

A: That is dependent upon the Offeror’s proposed solution.

Question 35: Since the synopsis on FedBizOpps indicates that this opportunity will be set-aside for small businesses, we assume that FAR 52.219.14 Limitations on Subcontracts will be added to Section I.

Please confirm.

Further guidance is requested on how PEO STRI will apply the SBA rules regarding utilization of “similarly situated” small businesses. The FAR provision requires that 50% of the work must be performed by the “Small Business Concern”; SBA guidance indicates that at the discretion of the Contracting Officer the “Small Business Concern” can include the Prime as well as first tier Subcontractors who are “similarly situated” for completion of the 50% of work contracted to the Prime.

Can the Prime and its first tier subcontractor’s efforts be combined to reach the 50% performance requirements in FAR 52.219.14?

A: Your assumption is correct. The subject clause will be incorporated. Yes, the Contracting Officer will allow for the leveraging of similarly situated small business entities to satisfy the limitations clause.