Global 6500 Pilot Training for Junior Aviators

Department of the Army

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

1. Contracting Activity: Army Contracting Command – Intelligence and Security Command (ACC-INSCOM), 8825 Beulah Street, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060

2. Description of Action: ACC-INSCOM intends support at sole source, Firm-Fixed Price Contract to support Global 6500 Pilot Training requirements. Training will consist of academic, simulator, and live flight-training hours.

INSCOM will be supporting Global Force Management Allocation Plan (GFMAP) requirements utilizing the contractor owned contractor operated (COCO) Global Express 6500 starting in FY24 through FY27 as a bridging strategy. The end state for the Army's modernization strategy, High Accuracy Detection Exploitation System (HADES) Program of Record (PoR), will begin fielding the Global 6500 Jet in FY29. In order to be prepared for this bridging strategy and fielding, by the end of FY27, it is critical to obtain a minimum of 200 qualified aviation pilots Global Express 6500 operation. This requires pilots to train and ensure readiness to support the mission.

All courses will be funded using Fiscal Year 2024 / 2025 Operations and Maintenance – Army (OMA) funds, as appropriate.

3. Description of the Supply or Service Purchased: Support a new contract with a 12-month base and 2 twelve month options.  The overall contract value is projected to be $25,000,000.  The contractor shall provide classroom academics, simulation, and required check ride to support training requirements for the Global 6500 Jet Aircraft, as described above. The objective Period of Performance (PoP) is 30 September 2024 though 29 September 2027.

• Pre-Requisite Global 6500 Pilot Training for Junior Aviators.
• Global 6500 Pilot Initial Qualification Pilot Training
• Global 6500 Pilot Refresher/Recurrent Courses
• Contractor Instructor Assessment

The current contract is with CAE Simuflite, Inc. 2929 West Airfield Dr. Dallas, TX 75261-9119. Cage Code: 0FYM4, IEU:

4. Authority Cited:  FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: As discussed below under Market Research, CAE Simulflite is the only vendor with the Global 6500 simulator, therefore, the only vendor that can support this requirement. In October 2019, the Army published a new modernization strategy aimed at transforming the Army to conduct operations which are intended to address the current and future actions of near-peer competitors by 2035. The goal is for Army’s G2 Intelligence, Surveillance, and the Reconnaissance Task Force (ISR TF) to optimize intelligence capabilities and gain the ability to seamlessly and rapidly scale global threats as they emerge. Initially, the Army will deliver technologies though COCO platforms with onboard capabilities allowing Soldier Touch Points. Through these technology efforts, the ISR TF will test, refine, and support future operating concepts, and deliver decision(s) throughout our campaign of learning in current training and deployed operational requirements. These contracted technologies will accelerate modernization decision making across the entire spectrum of conflict and enable joint-force operations in contested or denied area.  

Since 2020, INSCOM has/is conducting operational employment of multi-disciplined Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Technologies in support Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) EXORD 215-20 and HQDA 189-21 in support of Combatant Commands, as directed. INSCOM Aviators are tasked to operate the current provided COCO platforms to perform demonstrations/mission in numerous theaters to evaluate capability in numerous altitudes and assess global positioning.

Starting in FY24, as stated in paragraph 2 above, INSCOM will be supporting GFMAP requirements utilizing the COCO Global Express 6500 starting in FY24 through FY27 with its bridging strategy, and have soldiers prepared for fielding with the initial Army Program of Record platform, projected for FY29.

6.  Market Research:  In accordance with (IAW) FAR part 10, market research conducted under North American Industrial Classification System Code 611512, “Flight Training," determined that the pilot training could be procured as commercial items using procedures outlined in FAR Part 12. G3 AISR, the Requiring Activity (RA) conducted market research via internet search using google and vendor discussions. The results revealed CAE Simuflite,Inc is the only vendor capable of supporting Global 6500 jet training.

In an attempt to increase competition, the Contract Specialist posted a Request for Information (RFI) to SAM.gov in April 2024, June 2023 and November 2022. The results confirmed there is only one vendor who has the simulator for the Global Express 6500 and is capable of fulfilling the Global Express 6500 pilot training requirement. In order to meet mission timelines with continuous training in a cost-effective manner, updating / extending the current contract with CAE Simuflite, Inc. is recommended.

7. Other Facts: Not Applicable.

8.  Actions to Increase Competition: Over the next few years, as the immediate need of this training ramps down, more actions to increase competition will be sought.  As the Army moves to Global, more business will follow suite.