FAA Tower Simulation System E2 - Statement of Objectives
Closed Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- FAA_TSS_E2_SOO
- Agency
-
Headquarters
Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 541512 Computer Systems Design Services
- Place of performance
- District of Columbia, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Notice on January 29, 2026, regarding the Tower Simulation System Enhancement 2 (TSS E2) program. This announcement solicits industry feedback on a Statement of Objectives (SOO) for an initiative to deploy 86 additional Tower Simulation Systems to training sites across the National Airspace System. The FAA intends to modernize air traffic controller training by expanding simulator access and implementing technological innovations, including artificial intelligence capabilities. This is explicitly not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ), but rather a sources-sought announcement inviting comments to refine the requirements. Interested vendors must submit feedback electronically to the Contracting Officer, Manish Patel, at manish.patel@faa.gov by 12:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
The primary objective of TSS E2 is to improve air traffic controller access to high-fidelity simulators and facilitate faster, more efficient training and certification while complying with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 mandate for expanded simulator access by May 2028. The FAA seeks innovative solutions that implement 14 primary objectives, including realistic virtual pilots powered by artificial intelligence to eliminate the need for remote pilot operators, an online digital repository for visual databases and training scenarios, remote instructor capabilities with full supervisory authority, automated student evaluation with performance feedback, and accelerated visual database development and modification timelines. There are no eligibility restrictions stated in the announcement, and all interested parties from the contracting community are welcome to submit constructive comments on the SOO. The FAA emphasizes that this announcement creates no obligation to contract, will not result in payments for responses, and does not constitute an unsolicited proposal opportunity. Following the feedback period, the FAA intends to pursue a formal acquisition based on the refined SOO, with additional details and documentation to be provided at a later date.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for air traffic controller training simulator operation and related services under the Tower Simulation System (TSS) program.
The FAA intends to deploy 86 additional TSSs to training sites around the National Airspace Systems (NAS) to improve controllers’ access to high-fidelity simulators and facilitate faster, more efficient controller training and certification. The FAA is also seeking to improve the capabilities of the TSS and the delivery of TSS services through technological innovation. The FAA has designated this effort “TSS E2.”
As part of TSS E2, the FAA has developed a set of objectives it seeks in an innovative solution. The attached Statement of Objectives (SOO) provides details.
At this juncture, the FAA is looking for any industry comments/feedback on the SOO to help us refine, update, or change any aspect of the requirement. Are the Statement of Objectives clearly stated? Is any content unclear? Are there any improvements you recommend? Please submit any feedback via email to the Contracting Officer, Manish Patel, at manish.patel@faa.gov by 12PM Eastern on Thursday February 5, 2026.
Moving forward, the FAA intends to pursue an acquisition for additional TSSs based on the SOO. Details of an acquisition, the process, and additional documentation will be provided at a later date.
This announcement is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) NOR IS IT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ). The FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. The FAA will not pay for any information received or cost incurred in preparing any response to this announcement. Therefore, any costs associated with the submission of responses are solely at the interested vendor’s expense.
This announcement must not be construed as an obligation on the part of the FAA to acquire these services. Since this is not an RFQ or RFP, no results will be issued to the responding firms. No solicitation for these items exists currently. If a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the SAM.gov website. It is the vendor’s responsibility to monitor the website for release of the solicitation.
The FAA may request that one, some, all, or none of the responders to this announcement provide additional information. No evaluation of vendors will occur based on this additional information, and vendor participation in any informational session is not a promise for future business with the FAA.
All information, except that which qualifies under an exemption, provided in response to this announcement, may be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information considered proprietary or confidential must be clearly marked as such. Any information not identified as proprietary or confidential will be used at the FAA’s discretion and may be publicly released without further FOIA disclosure review by the FAA or respondent(s).
Any amendment(s) issued to this announcement will be published on SAM.gov. It is the interested parties’ responsibility to visit this website frequently to be informed of any changes to this announcement.
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1/30/2026 - Updating this notice to add an attachment for the "TSS System Specification" referenced in the Statement of Objectives. No changes are made to the Statement of Objectives. Due date for any feedback remains 12PM Eastern on 2/5/2026
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2/2/2026 - Updating the Statement of Objectives document by removing the word "Draft". All content in the document remains the same. A new PDF version is uploaded and attached. The version previoulsy labeled "Draft" is removed.
Update #2 ·
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for air traffic controller training simulator operation and related services under the Tower Simulation System (TSS) program.
The FAA intends to deploy 86 additional TSSs to training sites around the National Airspace Systems (NAS) to improve controllers’ access to high-fidelity simulators and facilitate faster, more efficient controller training and certification. The FAA is also seeking to improve the capabilities of the TSS and the delivery of TSS services through technological innovation. The FAA has designated this effort “TSS E2.”
As part of TSS E2, the FAA has developed a set of objectives it seeks in an innovative solution. The attached Statement of Objectives (SOO) provides details.
At this juncture, the FAA is looking for any industry comments/feedback on the SOO to help us refine, update, or change any aspect of the requirement. Are the Statement of Objectives clearly stated? Is any content unclear? Are there any improvements you recommend? Please submit any feedback via email to the Contracting Officer, Manish Patel, at manish.patel@faa.gov by 12PM Eastern on Thursday February 5, 2026.
Moving forward, the FAA intends to pursue an acquisition for additional TSSs based on the SOO. Details of an acquisition, the process, and additional documentation will be provided at a later date.
This announcement is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) NOR IS IT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ). The FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. The FAA will not pay for any information received or cost incurred in preparing any response to this announcement. Therefore, any costs associated with the submission of responses are solely at the interested vendor’s expense.
This announcement must not be construed as an obligation on the part of the FAA to acquire these services. Since this is not an RFQ or RFP, no results will be issued to the responding firms. No solicitation for these items exists currently. If a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the SAM.gov website. It is the vendor’s responsibility to monitor the website for release of the solicitation.
The FAA may request that one, some, all, or none of the responders to this announcement provide additional information. No evaluation of vendors will occur based on this additional information, and vendor participation in any informational session is not a promise for future business with the FAA.
All information, except that which qualifies under an exemption, provided in response to this announcement, may be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information considered proprietary or confidential must be clearly marked as such. Any information not identified as proprietary or confidential will be used at the FAA’s discretion and may be publicly released without further FOIA disclosure review by the FAA or respondent(s).
Any amendment(s) issued to this announcement will be published on SAM.gov. It is the interested parties’ responsibility to visit this website frequently to be informed of any changes to this announcement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/30/2026 - Updating this notice to add an attachment for the "TSS System Specification" referenced in the Statement of Objectives. No changes are made to the Statement of Objectives. Due date for any feedback remains 12PM Eastern on 2/5/2026.
Update #1 ·
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for air traffic controller training simulator operation and related services under the Tower Simulation System (TSS) program.
The FAA intends to deploy 86 additional TSSs to training sites around the National Airspace Systems (NAS) to improve controllers’ access to high-fidelity simulators and facilitate faster, more efficient controller training and certification. The FAA is also seeking to improve the capabilities of the TSS and the delivery of TSS services through technological innovation. The FAA has designated this effort “TSS E2.”
As part of TSS E2, the FAA has developed a set of objectives it seeks in an innovative solution. The attached Statement of Objectives (SOO) provides details.
At this juncture, the FAA is looking for any industry comments/feedback on the SOO to help us refine, update, or change any aspect of the requirement. Are the Statement of Objectives clearly stated? Is any content unclear? Are there any improvements you recommend? Please submit any feedback via email to the Contracting Officer, Manish Patel, at manish.patel@faa.gov by 12PM Eastern on Thursday February 5, 2026.
Moving forward, the FAA intends to pursue an acquisition for additional TSSs based on the SOO. Details of an acquisition, the process, and additional documentation will be provided at a later date.
This announcement is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) NOR IS IT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ). The FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. The FAA will not pay for any information received or cost incurred in preparing any response to this announcement. Therefore, any costs associated with the submission of responses are solely at the interested vendor’s expense.
This announcement must not be construed as an obligation on the part of the FAA to acquire these services. Since this is not an RFQ or RFP, no results will be issued to the responding firms. No solicitation for these items exists currently. If a solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the SAM.gov website. It is the vendor’s responsibility to monitor the website for release of the solicitation.
The FAA may request that one, some, all, or none of the responders to this announcement provide additional information. No evaluation of vendors will occur based on this additional information, and vendor participation in any informational session is not a promise for future business with the FAA.
All information, except that which qualifies under an exemption, provided in response to this announcement, may be subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Information considered proprietary or confidential must be clearly marked as such. Any information not identified as proprietary or confidential will be used at the FAA’s discretion and may be publicly released without further FOIA disclosure review by the FAA or respondent(s).
Any amendment(s) issued to this announcement will be published on SAM.gov. It is the interested parties’ responsibility to visit this website frequently to be informed of any changes to this announcement.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| TSS E2 SOO 260129.pdf | ||
| TSS E2 System Specification 260130.docx | DOCX document | |
| TSS E2 SOO - DRAFT 260129 draft.docx | DOCX document |
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