J -- CONTRACTOR LOGISTIC SUPPORT FOR SIMULATION NETWORKING (CLS FOR SIMNET) The Government intends to negotiate and award, to AAI Engineering Support Inc., 100 Industry Lane, Cockeysville, MD 21030, a FFP extension to the current contract for Contractor Logistic Support for the Simulation Networking (SIMNET) system. The extension will consist of a three-month basic period and three 3-month options, which will provide a bridge contract, between the current contract (N61339-90-C-0058) and the competitively awarded follow-on contract (N61339-97-R-0011), for Life Cycle Contractor Support (LCCS) for various training devices. The period of performance of the extension will commence on 1 Oct 98. The SIMNET training system is comprised of simulators that replicate combat vehicles, weapon systems, and command/control elements, which are networked together so that fully interactive collective task training in real time, on computer generated terrain, can be conducted. This service contract supports 236 simulators at nine sites and one research facility each in the United States, Germany, and Korea. This effort shall entail site administration, training, and maintenance of SIMNET hardware to ensure a 90% availability rate within a specified turn-around time. There is also a requirement from the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) for using SIMNET in a mandated training program for both armor and infantry officers and non-commissioned officers in accordance with the U.S. Army's Program of Instruction (POI). This training is required for all units prior to attending their annual maneuver training exercises at established training centers. The extension of the current contract will be awarded per the authority at 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements." AAI/ESI has supported the SIMNET program for the past eight years and they alone possess the unique capability to provide the necessary services for continued support of the SIMNET program. Award of any other source would result in substantial duplication of costs to the Government that would not be recovered through competition for such a short period of time. In addition, award to any other source would result in unacceptable delay in fulfilling the Army's requirements. See Numbered Note 22. Posted 07/07/98.

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