National Guard may outsource its aviation surveillance duties
The Domestic Operations Directorate of the National Guard has requested private aviation companies to provide information about how they might instead provide aircraft, pilots and crew for 4,000 to 6,000 flight hours per year, for a period of three to five years.
These aircraft would help the National Guard carry out its aviation-related missions involving national special security events (such as a presidential inauguration or the Super Bowl), domestic response, counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism in the 50 states as well as U.S. territories in the Caribbean area.
"The Government desires information for a turnkey solution utilizing Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technology to include aircrew, maintenance and aircraft," said a sources sought notice posted by the National Guard on March 27.
The aircraft supplied by the commercial vendor should possess the following capabilities:
• Full motion video, with infrared, daylight and low light TV sensors;
• A line-of-sight datalink that can transmit full motion video more than 50 nautical miles at an altitude of 10,000 feet;
• High resolution, wide area still digital photography;
• VHF-FM, VHF-AM and UHF communications;
• Ability to call a phone from the aircraft.
"Government representative should be able to walk-away from the jet with recorded video, digital images and other required information in-hand," explained the National Guard’s notice.
The aircraft supplying these services should be based within a two-hour flight time of all major population centers within the continental U.S.
In addition, the National Guard wants the availability of another three to four aircraft, based in one or two locations, that can provide the following special capabilities during a specific 10-60 day period:
• Maritime patrol radar;
• Ground penetration radar;
• Foliage penetration sensors;
• Multi-spectral sensors;
• Cell phone relay communications;
• Voice and data satellite communications supporting e-mail, mIRC relay chat or Instant Messenger.
Interested vendors can e-mail questions to , contracting officer, until April 14.
Formal responses, which are limited to 30 pages, should be submitted by June 1.
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