Fourth Gen Rocket Motor Semitrailer (RMS4)

Active

Contract Opportunity

AGENCY/ORGANIZATION: Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFNWC/NIMT

WEAPON SYSTEM: Minuteman III (MMIII) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)

IPT: Ground Mechanical

RFI PURPOSE: This RFI provides notice that the RMS4 program team is currently evaluating the availability and manufacturability of a form, fit, and function replacement. The form, fit, function RMS4 replacement must meet the requirements in Attachment 1. General Requirements RMS4.

NOTICE:

This notification is for market research purposes only to identify potential contractors who have the skills, experience, and knowledge required to successfully complete this effort for the RMS4 effort and is not to be construed as a solicitation. The issuance of this RFI and responses thereto do not imply a commitment to release a solicitation. A determination by the Government not to compete any or all portions of the work discussed in this RFI rests solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will not pay for time, effort, materials, or any other costs that arise as a consequence of responding or providing information related to this RFI.

The purpose of this Sources Sought Synopsis is to conduct market research to determine if responsible sources exist and if this effort can be competitive and/or a total Small Business Set-Aside. The proposed North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) Code is intended to be 336212 or 336999 which have a corresponding size standard of 1,000 or fewer employees. The Government will use this information to determine the best acquisition strategy for this procurement. The Government is interested in all small business, to include 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, historically underutilized business zone (Hubzone), and Women-Owned small business concerns.

The Government is actively conducting market research to identify potential Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) or Non-Developmental Item (NDI) solutions for the transport trailers. A key objective of this market research is to determine the feasibility of leveraging existing commercial capabilities to meet the program's requirements. Should viable commercial solutions be identified that fully satisfy the stringent performance, security, safety, and reliability specifications inherent to nuclear weapons operations, it is the Government's intent to pursue a commercially available approach to the maximum extent practicable.

BACKGROUND:

The Air Force’s (AF) fleet of RMS must support the MMIII LGM-30G ICBM until the end of its operational life. However, the existing challenge of parts obsolescence poses a significant obstacle to providing seamless support. Additionally, a scarcity of spare parts, some entirely unobtainable, coupled with substantial engineering updates required by the Technical Data Package (TDP), further complicates the situation. Given these considerations, the AF aims to develop a new design, create a new TDP, and ultimately increase the RMS fleet. Procurement of 16 RMS4, including one to two RMS4 during the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) phase, will be required. During Production, the AF expects to procure the remaining 14 or 15 RMS4 for a total of 16.

RMS DESCRIPTION:

The RMS provides transportation of MMIII Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 solid boosters or select combinations of individual stages, herein referred to as the Boosters, loaded into the Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 Operational Rocket Motor Carriages. The RMS provides a transportation platform that limits excessive shock and vibration to the Boosters. It also provides a temperature-controlled environment designed to keep the Boosters within their required temperature range during transportation. The Environmental Control Unit (ECU) provides the required temperature control by use of an on-board diesel fueled generator and a closed loop Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) unit.

INFORMATION SOUGHT:

1. Contracting
   
   
   
   1. If contractor has received Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) ratings, for the NAICS Code(s) listed or similar, of Marginal or below in the last 5 years explain what has/will be implemented to facilitate Very Good or Exceptional ratings going forward. For each CPAR rating, please provide the associated contract number.
   
   
   2. For contracts your company has performed with the Government for development or design of an item, how did the end of contract value compare to the initial value? Was a cost performance index (CPI) figure available from earned value data? For each contract, please provide the associated contract number.
   
   
   3. IAW DFARS 252.227, please describe the anticipated data rights associated with this effort and explain any rationale for proprietary data.
   
   
   4. Please provide expected usage of sub-contractors (responsibilities of subcontractor(s), expected percentage of work to sub-contractor(s), etc.), as well as, expected usage percentage of small business sub-contractors.
   
   
   5. Please confirm the contractor is able to keep, complete, and make available to the Government, records of its inspections related to contract performance (i.e., manufacturing line inspection, certifications of conformance, etc.).
   
   
   6. How does the contractor identify inefficiencies in personnel (quantity of certified weld inspectors, employee retention, etc.), processes (quality, manufacturing, etc.), or programs? Provide examples.
   
   
   7. How does the contractor identify areas for improvement in manufacturing processes (e.g., SixSigma processes, +QDIP, etc.)? How long does it take to implement the changes? Provide examples.
   
   
   8. Please provide examples of experience with inspection to AS9100 or other quality management standards, Government Mandatory Inspection Points (GMIPs), and periodic & sporadic Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)/government inspections.
   
   
   
   


2. Systems Engineering
   
   
   
   1. Please provide current or previous experience with Air Force engineering and design contracts, as well as Systems Engineering processes. For each contract, please provide the associated contract number.
   
   
   2. Tractors are not incorporated in this RFI (RFI is for Trailer only). Confirm contractor does not object to solely delivery of trailers and the trailer integration with a standard Tractor, as defined in provided requirement document.
   
   
   3. Please provide expected timelines for design, development, testing, and production phases
      
      
      
      1. EMD phase (1 unit vs 2 units) including: design, manufacturing, and testing.
      
      
      2. Production (options for 14 or 15 units, tiered pricing, etc.).
      
      
      
      
   
   
   4. Please provide recommended quantity of EMD / Production units to increase schedule flexibility, reduce test risk, and mature manufacturing risk.
   
   
   
   


3. Technical Documents
   
   
   
   1. Within the last 10 years, please provide current or previous experience (and contract numbers) with
      
      
      
      1. Semitrailer design and construction.
      
      
      2. MMIII / ICBM weapons systems.
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. What is your current process for revision control of technical documents? What do you expect to change (if any) for the RMS4 contract?
   
   
   3. What is your process for validating technical requirements? After allocated baseline is established, what is the process for validating technical changes and documentation for design changes?
   
   
   4. Please provide level of experience using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modeling or equivalent analysis to complete structural analysis on semitrailer design. What software are you proficient with? Provide examples of contracts (with contract number) of previous FEA experience.
   
   
   5. What testing practices has your company implemented on previous semitrailer designs (e.g., shock and vibration, Electromagnetic Interference /Electromagnetic Compatibility/Electromagnetic Pulse, environmental, etc.)? Is it customary for your company to do dry-run testing prior to government customer attending? Does your company have established contracts or previous experiences with test houses that can support test requirements on large assets?
   
   
   6. Please provide information on shop space and manufacturing facilities (90,000 square foot minimum) to provide context regarding adequate availability and space for full production of the RMS4.
   
   
   
   


4. Processes/Standards
   
   
   
   1. Please provide any standards the contractor is compliant to and certified to, including
      
      
      
      1. Quality management system standards
      
      
      2. Quality product standards
      
      
      3. Quality process standards
         
         
         
         1. SAE AS9100
         
         
         2. ISO 14001
         
         
         3. SAE AS6500
         
         
         4. ISO 45001
         
         
         
         
      
      
      4. Weld process and training certifications (steel, aluminum, etc.)
         
         
         
         1. AWS Standards (D1.1, D1.2, D1.17, etc.)
         
         
         2. AWS B5.2
         
         
         
         
      
      
      5. Training process for employees, including retention rates for current personnel and any expectations to increase personnel to support this contract.
      
      
      6. Assembly
      
      
      7. Manufacturing / Design
         
         
         
         1. ASME Y14
         
         
         
         
      
      
      8. Workmanship
      
      
      9. Electrical
         
         
         
         1. IPC J-STD-001
         
         
         2. IPC-A-610J
         
         
         3. IPC/WHMA-A-620E
         
         
         
         
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   

RESPONSES:

Responsible and capable sources may identify their interest by providing a white-paper capability statement (limited to 10 pages) with sufficient information to substantiate that respondents can successfully perform all requirements. Responses shall be submitted using the provided template (RMS4 Response Template) additional information, if required, shall be included after template as appendices. Interested parties should make an earnest effort to thoroughly answer the Government’s questions. Please see the RFI question set. Government will consider responses to one or all purposes depending on company’s capability.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT:

Distribution of the RMS4’s Statement of Work and General Requirements is limited to contractors with a DD 2345 certified by the Defense Logistics Information Service, Joint Certification Program (1-877-352-2255) who have a legitimate business purpose. As such, these Attachments cannot be provided to a contractor without a certification. Contractors who would like to become certified can find the form and instructions at:

https://public.logisticsinformationservice.dla.mil/PublicHome/jcp/default.aspx.

Interested parties are advised that certification of a DD Form 2345 may take time, so completion and submission of that form as soon as possible is highly recommended.

This RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. No funds are available to fund the information requested. The information in this notice is current as of the publication date but is subject to change and is not binding to the Government. Oral submissions of information are not acceptable. For access to the attachments, your responses, and all questions related to the above please email to the following addresses: kyle.andersen@us.af.mil and torrey.boggs.2@us.af.mil

Submit the following information:

• Company Name and Address


• Cage Code


• Unique Identifier


• Company business size by North American Industry Classification (NAIC) code


• Small Business Type (s), if applicable


• Provide a response, including any recommendations and/or comments


• Point of Contact for questions and/or clarification


• Telephone Number and email address


• Web Page URL


• Teaming Partners (if applicable)


• Determination of Adequacy of your accounting system by DCMA and/or DCAA for Cost Type Contracts.

ATTACHMENTS / LINKS:

• Attachment 1. General Requirements RMS4


• RMS4 Response Template


• RMS4 Statement of Work

Attachments/Links