Department of the Treasury, DY, U.S. Customs Service, Procurement Division, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 4.2-E, Washington, DC 20229

J -- AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE, LOGISTICS AND EDP SUPPORT SERVICES POC Sharon Graves, Contracting Officer, (202) 927-0518 REQUEST FOR COMMENT (RFC). This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposal. The U. S. Customs Service (USCS) is pursuing innovative methods for providing program management, aircraft maintenance, total logistics and Electronic Data Processing (EDP) support services for the USCS aircraft fleet. The purpose of the RFC is to afford industry an opportunity to offer suggestions and comment on the acquisition approach and to allow the Government to receive the benefit of industry comments. The Government believes industry feedback is important and is receptive to ideas from industry which would result in a more efficient, effective and economical contract. Any comments provided should not be reviewed as a vehicle for presenting a specific approach intended to be proposed but as an opportunity to improve a forthcoming solicitation package. USCS has a highly diversified quick-reaction air fleet of approximately 152 aircraft consisting of a variety of military and commercial fixed and rotary wing, single and multi-engine aircraft designed to detect, interdict, track and apprehend aircraft, marine and land vehicles attempting to smuggle contraband into the United States. The program also provides air support to other Government and law enforcement agencies upon request. Customs aircraft are assigned on a permanent and temporary basis to ten Aviation Branches and ten Aviation Units strategically located at military airbases, civilian air facilities and alternate sites in the United States and foreign locations. The contractor will provide program management, aircraft maintenance, logistics, and EDP support necessary to ensure that USCS has the numbers, types, and properly configured aircraft available where and when required to meet the USCS aviation operational commitments. The flying hours will consist of opertional/support flights, training flights, function check flights and maintenance test flights. Contractor personnel frequently required to perform official travel to temporary duty sites within and outside the United States. The Contractor may be required to provide maintenance and parts support to foreign government-owned aircraft and aircraft owned by other U. S. agencies and departments as authorized. Comments are solicited on the following: (1) ten year contract with a base year and nine option years which the Government could exercise unilaterally; (2) contract type (firm fixed price vs. cost reimbursement); (3) cost incentive; (4) performance incentive. Comments whether supportive or critical, are earnestly solicited regarding every aspect of the proposed initiative. Replies will be separated from, and have no bearing on, subsequent evaluation of proposals submitted in response to any resulting formal Request for Proposals. The use of comments received from industry to complete the final statement of work and solicitation documents will be at the discretion of the Government. Any subsequent solicitation will be synopsized prior to release. Eligibility in participating in future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice. Comments should not be used for contractors to market their services. The Government will not pay for the information solicited and will not be obligated for any cost associated with any response to this RFC. Proprietary information is not solicited. Responses to this synopsis must be submitted in writing with an original and one copy to the Contracting Officer at the following address no later than 2:00 p.m. on February 22, 1998: Sharon Graves, Contracting Officer, Procurement Division, U. S. Customs Service, Suite 4.2-E, 1300 Pennsylvani Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229. FAX responses to this RFC will be accepted at (202)927-1812. (0016)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0045 19980121\J-0010.SOL)