Lockheed Martin is to continue training US Air Force special operations forces after winning a hard-fought competition for the 10-year Aircrew Training and Rehearsal Support (ATARS) II contract, valued at $1.07 billion.
The contract covers courseware and instructors for all special operations forces and combat search-and-rescue schoolhouse training, and is a follow-on to work the company has performed for the past 19 years.
Changes from the existing ATARS contract include "a performance-based statement of work more focused on understanding the training effect", says Lorraine Martin, vice-president, flight solutions.
Lockheed's team includes CAE, making it possible the CE/CDB common database standard developed by the company for US Army special-operations helicopter simulators could be read across. "We just might bring in CE/CDB," says Martin. "It will be up to the air force."
The ATARS II competition was "long and hard-fought", says Martin, with cost being a major factor. "It is tough when you are the incumbent. We got a very strong report card from the customer, but had to challenge everything we did on cost."
Other bidders for ATARS II included L-3 Communications, FlightSafety International and Camber. Lockheed and L-3 are locked in lawsuits over three former Lockheed managers who moved to L-3 during the competition.
Lockheed, meanwhile, is preparing to compete to supply the USAF with up to 34 F-16 simulators. The pending competition follows a decision by Congress to outlaw fee-for-service contracts under which contractors own the simulators and charge for training.
The new simulators will be procured by the USAF to replace F-16 mission training centres operated by Lockheed. Boeing, with Lockheed as a subcontractor, was awarded a $6 million contract in May to continue operating the three mission training centres, each with four networked simulators, for up to five years until they are replaced.
Source: Flight International
