Division offers up small business opportunity for critical AF work Published Oct. 14, 2016 By Capt. Frank Schiavone and Leslie Forrester Shared Early Warning System Program Office PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division is bolstering opportunities for small businesses through its request for proposal under the Shared Early Warning System prime contract re-compete. A five-year small business set-aside, single-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity RFP was released in alignment with Department of Defense goals on Sept. 23, 2016. The contract, valued at $93 million, will provide operations, maintenance, support and sustainment of the Shared Early Warning System. “SEWS provides critical near-real-time early warning information of ballistic missile launches, not only to the U.S. but to NATO and foreign partner-nations,” said Col. Todd Wiest, Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division senior materiel leader. “It also helps to foster and promote positive foreign relationships through the State Department.” SEWS currently operates within three geographic combatant command areas of responsibility in support of the Department of State, United States Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command missions. It also provides situational awareness information to each partner-nation and its associated United States combatant command. After evaluating proposals through a competitive, best-value source selection process, the Air Force intends to award a prime contract in early summer 2017. “We are very pleased to release this request for proposal for the SEWS sustainment effort,” said Wiest. “And we’re even more excited to provide this opportunity to a small business.”