Air Operations Support Contract

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is conducting market research through a sources sought notice regarding Air Operations Support services, with responses due October 19, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET. This is not a binding solicitation and does not commit FEMA to contract.

FEMA seeks two identically configured Challenger 650 aircraft to provide fleet redundancy and concurrent operating capability for emergency response missions. The first aircraft must be available within three weeks after contract award; the second by early December 2026. Aircraft must comply with Part 91/Public Aircraft Operations standards and maintain 24/7/365 on-call readiness across CONUS and OCONUS, including U.S. territories and commonwealths such as Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii, with primary basing in the National Capital Region including Washington-Manassas Airport.

Technical requirements include Sensor Miniaturization and Hybrid Payloads with MX-20 integration and multispectral infrared/electro-optical cameras for rapid damage assessment and survivor search. Aircraft must support secure communications including SATCOM, cryptographic security, and FIPS compliance, along with onboard edge computing for processing sensor data mid-flight with Starlink/Starshield connectivity capability. Payload accommodation includes passengers, baggage, fuel, and mission equipment.

Responses must be submitted to Contracting Officer Kimberly Coakley at Kimberly.Coakley@fema.dhs.gov in Microsoft Word or searchable PDF format (maximum 10 pages). Respondents must provide company ownership structure, GSA or government-wide contract history, aircraft inventory, cost proposals covering fixed aircraft/readiness service, flight hour utilization, communications and sensor support, GFE integration, positioning, fuel, airport charges, and deployment travel. Respondents must be SAM-registered with accounting and property management system certifications, NAICS codes, and business size classification.