SURTASS-E Option Exercise Sources Sought

The Military Sealift Command (MSC), an agency of the Department of the Navy, is seeking a long-term time charter of a US-flagged vessel to support SURTASS-E (Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System - Enhanced) acoustic array towing operations for the U.S. Navy. The vessel must be capable of worldwide operations, including Arctic and Antarctic waters, and must accommodate 30 embarked personnel with berthing located within the ship's hull. Key requirements include IACS classification, US flagging, USCG Certificate of Inspection, open ocean manned operations certification, and a minimum sustained transit speed of 10 knots with mission load, along with 60-day at-sea endurance capability. The vessel must maintain heading stability within 5 degrees in sea state 5 conditions while towing the passive acoustic system at 4-6 knots for up to 45 days continuously, and the operator must be a US citizen with deck officers holding US SECRET security clearance. Technical specifications include a 5-ton deck crane, 150 kW of 480VAC 3-phase power, deck cargo capacity of 615 lb/ft², and minimum 190 long tons deck load capacity, with compliance required for ABS underwater noise requirements for research vessels. Interested parties must submit their responses, including company information, vessel specifications, availability dates, daily charter rates, modification costs, and ABS approval timelines, by 1300 Eastern Time on April 21, 2026.

This procurement is issued with no set-aside designation and represents the exercise of two option periods: Option 3 covering 365 days from May 22, 2026 to May 21, 2027, and Option 4 covering 335 days from May 22, 2027 to April 22, 2028, with vessel layday commencing May 22, 2026 in Norfolk, Virginia. No incumbent contractor or specific award value is identified in this Pre-Solicitation Notice; however, the government expects detailed pricing information from vendors for both firm and option periods to support future evaluation. The vessel must support extended mission operations with capability to provide high-bandwidth communication (4 Mbps download/2 Mbps upload), maintain hull cleanliness within 30 days of delivery and annually thereafter, and accommodate approximately 390 T-joint welds for welding of government equipment to deck. The sources sought notice indicates this is a competitive procurement designed to identify qualified vessel operators capable of meeting demanding operational and technical requirements for extended periods at sea.