Since 1974, Army fixed wing aircraft have primarily been commercial derivative aircraft (CDA) that have been militarized in support of unit/customer missions such as operational support airlift; priority air transport; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); testing; training; and quick reaction capability (QRC). The CDA systems currently in use include Beechcraft, DeHavilland, Shorts, Gulfstream, Cessna, Metroliner, and Fokker lines of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products and are categorized as small, large, and heavy in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) class size standards. The Army Fixed Wing Project office is seeking information regarding services to provide worldwide support to the Army's fixed wing fleet of Special Electronic Mission Aircraft and Transport Aircraft missions. These services include programmatic, business, technical, and logistical functional support to the fleet. There is no solicitation package available at this time. All interested parties should send company and/or descriptive literature along with responses to the following questions and any comments or questions to Ms. Carol Matthews, email:
[email protected] or address: PEO Aviation, Attn: SFAE-AV-FW/Matthews, 650 Discovery Drive, Huntsville, AL 35806. All responses should be received no later than COB 25 July 2013. All questions and comments must be in writing (electronic email responses are acceptable), no telephone calls. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this request, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any costs incurred in developing the information provided to the Government. 1. Does your company currently provide field and heavy maintenance support to commercial customers? a. If yes, please provide specific examples. b. Does your company currently meet the requirements of, or compliant with, Army Regulation AR 95-20? 2. The Government is interested in understanding the best commercial practices associated with acquiring FAA-certified pilot services on an quote mark as needed quote mark basis worldwide. Describe your company's commercial processes associated with acquiring/providing these types of services. 3. Describe the methodology your company would employ to accomplish aircraft integration of uniquely militarized systems? 4. Describe the methodology your company would use to provide engineering services on an quote mark as needed quote mark basis. In your response, please address sustainment engineering services separately from the systems engineering services. 5. What type of programmatic metrics does your company recommend as a performance incentive relative to the areas of logistics, technical, and business? 6. The Government is interested in understanding industry's equivalent of a standard data collection system that is available to support sustainment of commercial aircraft as it relates to maintenance actions, supply actions, configuration control, status control, etc. Please identify and describe in detail your company's recommended data collection system. 7. Identify critical issues associated with the performance of these types of services and provide rationale as to why it is considered critical. 8. Describe the methodology used to acquire these types of services in the private sector. 9. Identify and rank (from highest to lowest cost) the top five cost drivers for providing these types of services. Provide the basis or explanation for the ranking. 10. What is the optimal contract period of performance (state in number of months)? a. What is the impact to costs if there is a longer contract period of performance? b. What is the impact to costs if there is a shorter contract period of performance? 11. What are the advantages and disadvantages to industry of a longer contract period of performance? Please address individually the three timeframes below. a. 3 years? b. 5 years? c. 7 years? 12. What is the optimal phase-in period (state in number of days)? a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a longer phase-in period? b. How does a longer phase-in period affect cost? 13. Please provide your company's Cage Code with your response. 14. Provide any other comments related to CDA services provided to support military missions. This is market research and is not a solicitation for requests for proposal. No reimbursement shall be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow up information requests. Nothing shall be construed herein or through this market research process to commit or obligate the Government to further action as a result of this research. Contracting Office Address: ACC-RSA (Aviation) ATTN: CCAM-AR, Building 5303, Martin Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898-5280 Point of Contact(s): Ms. Carol Matthews, email:
[email protected], PEO Aviation, SFAE-AV-FW/Matthews, 650 Discovery Drive, Huntsville, AL 35806