E-6B Subsystems Sustained Mission Readiness (SMR)

INTRODUCTION

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Navy Airborne Strategic Command, Control, and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) has a requirement for the Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE), repair/replacement procedure development, and upgrade/installations for subsystems, structural corrosion, and structural fatigue in support of Sustained Mission Readiness and E-6B end of life (EOL).

The E-6B aircraft is a heavily modified and militarized variant of Boeing’s 707 commercial aircraft. The E-6B Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission is to provide survivable, reliable, and endurable communications between the President and the nation’s nuclear forces. The Boeing Company is the original designer, developer, and manufacturer of the 707 aircraft, and is the original integrator of the subsystems components throughout the aircraft and has all of the proprietary technical data required to ensure that subsystems components are properly integrated with other subsystems throughout the aircraft.  

Other interested parties may submit a capability statement  no later than the response date provided in this notice.

The anticipated period of performance of the effort herein is five (5) years starting in first quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2027.

The anticipated place of performance is at the Contractor facility and Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

DISCLAIMER

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.

BACKGROUND

The United States Navy (USN) has defined a need to operate the E-6B beyond the original design of a 27,000-hour service life of the Boeing 707 airframe, based on Fatigue Life Expended (FLE). The updated operational goal is 45,000 flight hours. To accomplish this goal, the E-6B aircraft subsystems must be assessed against their true operational environment via a Subsystems Service Life Assessment Program (SSLAP),  followed by a Subsystem Service Life Extension Program (SSLEP). In addition, there is a need for a Damage Tolerance Analysis (DTA) to assess the E-6B airframe to part failure in order to provide a holistic view of the risk to mission readiness resulting from an aging airframe.

REQUIREMENTS

Interested parties may submit a capability statement in which they identify their interest and capability to fulfil these requirements. Only capability statements received on or before the response date indicated in this notice will be considered by the Government.

Interested parties must be able to demonstrate their ability to provide the necessary personnel, facilities, technical data and equipment to perform the tasks identified below.

The Contractor will be required to conduct a SSLAP, to include, but is not limited to the following tasks:

• Evaluate service life drivers impacting the operation of an aging E-6B subsystems, such as:
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Corrosion
  • Wear
  • Fatigue
  • Thermal Cycles
  • Maintenance
• Perform a life assessment to define an integrated plan to manage the impacted subsystems of the E-6B to End of Life (EOL).
• Identify areas where modifications will be required to extend the service life of the subsystem to satisfy EOL.
• Provide ranking of dispositions for resolution of impacted subsystems requiring modifications to achieve EOL.

The Contractor will be required to conduct a SSLEP, to include, but is not limited to the following tasks:

• Develop and provide kits, procedures, and/or installation services for repair, overhaul, maintenance, and/or replacement, as applicable, of subsystems components, as required.
• Deliver an assessment of the new-service life of each subsystem component achieved after disposition of the SSLAP recommendation.

The Contractor will be required to conduct a DTA, to include, but is not limited to the following tasks:

• Assess external repeated loads assumptions
• Assess current fleet usage
• Identify critical locations for evaluation
• Evaluate internal loads/stresses
• Update inspection program to reflect the results of the DTA
• Update fleet tracking and monitoring procedures to ensure that the fleet is operating as assumed

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor will be required to obtain technical data from respective Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of the subsystem components and the airframe (The Boeing Company).

ELIGIBILITY

The contemplated NAICS code for this requirement is 488190 (Other Support Activities for Air Transportation) with a Small Business Size Standard of $40 million. The contemplated Product Service Code (PSC) is J016 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment – Aircraft Components and Accessories).

All vendors must be registered in Systems for award Management (SAM Database) with its DUNs number and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code in order to conduct business with the Department of Defense.

SUBMISSION CONTENT

The capability statement should include at a minimum:

1. Company profile: Include number of employees, annual revenue history, office location(s), DUNS number, major and primary customer base, and a statement regarding current small/large business status. Respondents to this notice must indicate whether they qualify as a Small, Small Disadvantaged, Small Disadvantaged Veteran Owned Small Business, Women-Owned, 8(a), Hub Zone or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern. If claiming small business status, provide an explanation of your company's ability to perform at least 50% of the work itself in terms of cost of performance.
2. Experience: Description of the company’s past experience and performance on similar contracts conducting Service Life Assessment and Extension Programs for large, fixed wing aircraft and completion of Damage Tolerance Analysis for fatigue limits.  Include whether Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) ratings are available.  This description should address current and prior experiences within five (5) years from the date of this notice.  If no similar experiences exist, please address future capabilities, including a schedule detailing when the company will have the ability to perform the requirements defined herein. 

Specific Sources Sought Information Requested

Interested respondents should provide a capability statement that addresses how they plan to satisfy the requirements defined herein and should at a minimum include the following:

1. Proposed approach to meet the Government’s complete requirements described under Requirements and Special Requirements above;
2. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) price for the performance of the efforts described under Requirements and Special Requirements above; and
3. If there will be a teaming agreement with other companies, the capability statement should discuss how the work efforts would be divided and should explain the corporate relationship between the parties (i.e. teaming arrangement, prime-subcontractor, joint venture, etc.)

Any other specific and pertinent information that would enhance the Government’s ability to determine whether the respondent has the ability to meet the Government’s needs.

Respondents are advised against submitting a Capability Statement that merely mimics information within this notice or provides brochure-like information or general marketing information.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Means of Delivery: All capability statements shall be sent via email to Randolph Putnam at  randolph.a.putnam.civ@us.navy.mil and Lisa Troccoli at lisa.j.troccoli.civ@us.navy.mil with the subject “[CONTRACTOR NAME] E-6B Subsystems SMR.”  Large files (>5MB) may not be receivable due to the Navy Marine Corps Intranet security.

Media: Responses shall be in Microsoft Work and/or Microsoft Excel format, or Portable Document Format (PDF).  Microsoft Office versions older than 2016 may not be accessible for NAVAIR.

Page Limit: Responses shall be no more than 10 pages single-spaced, 8.5 x 11-inch pages using 12-point Times New Roman font minimum.

Marking: If the material provided contains proprietary information, please mark accordingly, and provide disposition instruction (submitted data will not be returned).  The response must include a statement which clearly allows for the information to be disclosed with covered Government support contractors. All responses must be unclassified.

The Government is under no obligation to provide responses or comments to the information received from interested persons but may request additional information following review. 

Questions regarding this notice must be emailed to the Government points of contact identified within this notice. 

Submissions must be received by the Government points of contact listed on this Notice no later than the Response Date indicated on this Notice.