Aging Aircraft Related Engineering Services for Fixed Wing Special Operations Forces (SOF) Structural Support and Engineering Services (SSES)

   SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS AGING-AIRCRAFT-RELATED ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR FIXED WING SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOF) STRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND ENGINEERING SERVICES (SSES) CAUTION:  This market survey is being conducted to identify potential engineering sources that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and qualification to establish, evaluate, study, and substantiate the structural integrity of all Special Operations Forces (SOF)/Personnel Recovery (PR) C-130 aircraft. Existing structural aircraft models and usage databases will be updated and improved to reflect the current mission profiles, hardware configurations, and usage. This requirement also encompasses the collection and analysis of avionics related data to further establish, evaluate, study, and substantiate the integrity of avionics on all SOF/PR C-130 aircraft. Existing aircraft avionics models and usage databases will be updated and improved to reflect the current mission profiles, hardware/software configurations, and

usage. This program will also include short notice/emergency reviews referred to as "Quick Look" studies to respond to issues which will have an immediate impact on mission readiness. The "quick looks" shall provide for the study and analysis of other as yet unknown engineering issues found during routine maintenance and operations of SOF/PR C-130 aircraft and systems. The result of this effort will include solutions to extend and maintain the aircraft throughout its service life. The contract period of performance (PoP) is planned for a basic PoP of 12 months with four 12-month optional PoP. No solicitation document exists and a formal solicitation may or may not be issued by the Government as a result of the responses to this survey. The interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey. INSTRUCTIONS:Attached to this document is a draft of the Performance Based Work Statement (PWS). The PWS contains a description of the engineering services required to fulfill this requirement. Additionally there is a Contractor Capability Survey, which allows those interested to provide a description of your company's capability as it relates to this inquiry. If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company's capability in meeting these requirements. Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities.  If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.)Identify any areas of work that your organization believes should be broken out exclusively for Small Business.Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research.  Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged.Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), Ms. Lindsay Gooding by email at lindsay.gooding@us.af.mil, Phone: 478-926-7270 or alternately the Contracting Specialist, Mr. Pat Virgilio at patrick.virgilio@us.af.mil, Phone: 478-222-0442.  PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification to provide essential engineering services in support of the SOF/PR C-130 aircraft. Specifically, the government is looking for companies with current experience/capability in the sustainment of the Avionics Integrity Program (AVIP) and the Mechanical Equipment Subsystem Integrity Program (MECSIP) as well as extensive knowledge of the military aviation environment. The contractor shall support the SOF fixed wing engineers at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC/WIUAE) in the performance and maintenance of SSES for SOF/PR C-130 aircraft. These efforts shall include the following:  Ø  Provide analytical engineering studies and structural analysis for SOF aircraftØ  Study SOF-specific problems in various SOF C-130 aircraft due to SOF-specific equipment, configurations, and mission profiles Ø  Identify and study specific structural issues due to age, increased mission density/intensity/profile of SOF C-130 missions Ø  Provide detailed monthly status reports to include contract financial data Ø  Develop a closeout status report summarizing and coordinating services performed during the PoP Ø  Schedule and host Technical Interchange Meetings (TIM)Ø  Develop and manage an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Ø  Travel, as required, to accomplish the tasks in the PWS and provide detailed trip reports covering all activities during travel Ø  Perform engineering and technical data services to support SOF C-130 airframes Ø  Determine stress and loads of specific detailed areas of the airframes Ø  Identify those areas resulting in the lowest margins of safety for fatigue crack growth, stress corrosion cracking, or other lifecycle structural degradation issues Ø  Identify and analyze fatigue-critical, corrosion prone, and/or highly stressed areas and summarize these areas in engineering reports Ø  Perform damage tolerance analyses for each of these aforementioned programsØ  Provide engineering and/or conceptual drawings of concepts, prototypes, repair items, etc., specifically excluding items for submission to the Joint Engineering Data Management Information and Control System (JEDMICS) database. Ø  Accomplish site surveys of actual damaged aircraft Ø  Accomplish data acquisition as required by task or government direction Ø  Perform independent technical studies Ø  Reverse engineer items in which the data does not formally exist and build and/or test the prototype articles manufactured from this process Ø  Build and/or test prototype articles Ø  Produce prototype drawings  See attached Performance Based Work Statement (PWS) and Sources Sought Synopsis with Contractor Capability Survey for additional information.