The military said in contract documents released Wednesday
that the Western Range requires the capability to obtain aircraft flight
services to support Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30) operations. Assigned
to Space Systems Command and headquartered at Vandenberg, SLD 30
is responsible for all space launch operations from the U.S. West Coast.
The contractor will arrange for and provide an instrumented
weather surveillance aircraft capable of operating under all weather conditions
during day or night to an altitude of 32,000 feet (service ceiling), be able to
attain speeds of 250 knots, and be able to descend to a hard deck of 3,000 feet
MSL. The contractor will also have the capability to provide a second aircraft
at the stand-by location as a backup to the primary aircraft.
The crew aboard the aircraft will provide weather
observation data (e.g., cloud type, cloud base/height/ thickness/location,
temperature, wind, turbulence, status of precipitation, lightning observations,
etc.) to the Launch Weather Officer and/or Frontier Control for up to
four hours.
Under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), the contract will
run from April 8, 2025, to April 7, 2028. The 30th Contracting Squadron (30
CONS) is managing the contract.
“The government will award one or more BPAs to the offeror(s)
who provide prices that are deemed fair and reasonable,” the 30 CONS said in
documents. Companies interested in providing the support are invited to respond
with a quote by March 25.
