Deployable air traffic control system acquisition strategy set

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Following an April 27 acquisition strategy decision, the Electronic Systems Center is now looking at a late-August request for proposal seeking bidders to develop a new deployable air traffic control system.

A draft RFP for industry comment on the Deployable Radar Approach Control, or D-RAPCON, program is currently scheduled for release in June, according to program manager Diane McElligott, who added that the comment period would last 30 days. The final RFP is expected to mandate a 45-day turn-around for all proposals.

Assuming approval of budget submissions, the program office anticipates contract award by June 2012. Total contract value is estimated at $340 million.

The system would be used primarily at forward operating locations, including remote, austere locations. It will meet both warfighting and contingency response requirements.

"We're expecting minimal infrastructure to be there," said Ms. McElligott. "The system will come with its own back-up power and the stand-alone equipment needed so that it can function in just about any situation."

D-RAPCON is composed of two subsystems - air surveillance radar and operations - and the requirement is for each to be separately deployable, if necessary. This means that if the radar at a site becomes inoperable but the control tower is fine, or vice versa, the required D-RAPCON subsystem could be deployed to fill the need.

During acquisition strategy deliberations, some thought had been devoted to separating the two main components and holding separate competitions for each. However, the program management team agreed in the end that the holistic approach held more advantage, Ms. McElligott said.

The acquisition strategy decision also dictates that the entire "single-increment" procurement be conducted as a full and open competition.

The Air Force plans to buy 19 D-RAPCON systems, 10 of which will reside in the Air National Guard, seven at active-duty Air Force Space Command units, one for the service's air traffic control school and another for depot maintenance activities.

The original plan was to purchase two pre-production units and 17 production units, but now that split has been amended to three and 16.

"Having a third pre-production unit will allow us to accelerate testing, since we'll have more units available," Ms. McElligott said. "That in turn should help us maintain a more aggressive fielding schedule."

Once fielded, the system will replace aging systems that have become harder and far costlier to maintain. Most of those aging systems have been in the inventory for four decades or more.

In addition to solving those maintenance headaches, the new system will significantly improve radar accuracy and reliability. While the legacy systems rely on analog technology, D-RAPCON will process radar signals digitally. It will also operate in both military and civilian radar bands.

The system will provide sequencing, separation of aircraft, navigation assistance and airspace control services, all with the modern accuracy and other state-of-the-art features, according to Col. Jimmie Schuman, senior materiel leader of the Aerospace Management Division.

The goal is to field a system that is deployable within 48 hours and can be carried by up to four C-130 cargo haulers. Once fielded, the system can be set up in less than 24 hours. In contrast, it generally takes about three months to put up a fixed-based system.

Aside from its combat and contingency use, the system could also provide rapid back-up for failed military or even civil fixed-base systems, Ms. McElligott said.