USNTPS OH-58C REPLACEMENT

UPDATE (17 April 2025) - The response date for capability packages has been extended from 18 April 2025 to 30 May 2025.

The Naval Aviation Systems Command (NAVAIR) Adversary and Specialized Aircraft Program Office (PMA-226) is seeking information regarding industry’s ability to provide an aircraft replacement for the autorotational and high risk testing trainer role including full spectrum logistical support (i.e. maintenance, training, publications, etc.) on site in Government provided facilities to be used as a key tool for future Test pilot and Flight Test Engineer training at the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS). The Helicopter Autorotational / high risk Testing Trainer (HATT) is considered a graduate-level trainer and should be able to fulfill the requirements set forth in the USNTPS rotary-wing syllabus, which includes on-deck and airborne handling qualities, flying qualities, and performance. Primarily the aircraft should be capable of safe, repeatable autorotations from a variety of initial flight conditions with throttle / engines at idle (limited to no power contribution) to touchdown on a hard or soft prepared surface such as, but not limited to, runways or helipads of concrete, asphalt, non-skid coated metal, grass, or compacted earth that are reasonably, but not perfectly, flat and level over the distance of the ground run. This is to allow the training of test techniques and pilot skill set for autorotational assessment of best profiles, Height – Velocity (H-V) diagram development, and other power loss emergencies. It is additionally desired that the aircraft be suitable for training of test techniques for performance and flying qualities to include hover low airspeed control response and critical azimuth determination. A control system which is, or in normal operation can be, safely degraded to an unaugmented state is desired (No action of inner or outer loop stability and/or control augmentation).

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to determine potential platforms that could meet the HATT requirement. In general, a minimum of five, fully mission capable (FMC) aircraft will be required daily to support a total of 500+ flight hours per fiscal year.  The aircraft manufacturer would be required to provide on-site maintenance, supply support and training certification for a period of one year after delivery of the aircraft to the USNTPS, Patuxent River, MD.  Training certification would be required to get the current maintenance contractor introduced to the new platform and the initial factory maintenance logs and records.

REQUIRED/DESIRED CAPABILITIES

The HATT initial capabilities and attributes to be considered for feasibility, estimated cost, and schedule are listed in Attachment 1. Interested parties who have a feasible solution outside of the capabilities and attributes listed below are highly encouraged to provide capability packages for the Government’s consideration.

ELIGIBILITY

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 336411 Aircraft Manufacturing. The Small Business size standard for this NAICS code is 1,500 employees. The Product Service Code (PSC) is 1520 Aircraft, Rotary Wing.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Capability statements in response to this RFI must be electronically submitted in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF) via email to Brad Dioguardo, bradley.dioguardo.civ@us.navy.mil and Catrina Farrell, catrina.m.farrell.civ@us.navy.mil. The deadline for capability statement submission is 18 April 2025 at 2:00PM EDT. It is requested that interested, capable and qualified vendors submit a capability statement (no more than 50 pages in length, single spaced, and 12-point font minimum). The statement must address, at a minimum, the stated requirements described above.

1. Briefly identify your company’s design and development experience and production capability and capacity to deliver requirements set forth in this RFI.
2. Respondents to this notice must also indicate whether they are a large business or qualify as a Small Business concern, Veteran-owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concern or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Concern.
3. If your company intends to team with a qualified subcontractor, please provide an explanation of your company’s ability to perform at least 50% of the of the contract performance. Please note that under a Small-Business Set-Aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14 Class Deviation 2021- 00008, the Offeror/Contractor agrees in performance of the contract in the case of a contract for Services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities.
4. What specific technical skills does your company possess which ensures capability to perform the tasks?
5. Provide a description of potential technical/system solutions and Rough Orders of Magnitude to address the required and desired capabilities.

All data received in response to this RFI that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be protected from any release outside the Government. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI.

DISCLAIMER

THIS RFI IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.