USDA Intent to Award NextGen Airtanker Contracts announced

U.S. Forest Service issues notice of intent to award “Next Generation” airtanker contracts

WASHINGTON, May 6,  2013 — U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced  today that the Forest Service has issued a notice of intent to award contracts  to five companies to provide a total of seven Next Generation airtankers for  wildfire suppression.

“We are moving ahead to modernize our fleet as part  of our overall strategy to secure the best, safest airtankers available for  fighting wildfires across the country in the years to come,” said  Tidwell.  “It is critical that we complete the Next Generation airtanker  contracting effort as quickly as possible as we face the prospect of another  challenging wildfire season with a dwindling legacy airtanker fleet.”

 

The U.S. Forest Service intends to award exclusive  use contracts for Next Generation airtankers to:

• Minden Air Corporation; Minden, Nev., for 1  BAe-146
• Aero Air, LLC; Hillsboro, Ore., for 2 MD87s
• Aero Flite, Inc.; Kingman, Ariz., for 2 Avro  RJ85s
• Coulson Aircrane (USA), Inc.; Portland, Ore., for  1 C130Q
• 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC; Adelanto, Calif.,  for 1 DC-10

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These  companies were selected because their proposals were determined to offer the  best value to the government based on a technical evaluation of their airtanker  concept, organizational experience and past performance, combined with pricing.  The contracts are for a base period of five years with five one-year options (a  total of 10 years if all contract options are exercised).

The  Forest Service is transitioning to the Next Generation airtankers to replace  its aging airtanker fleet. “Legacy” aircraft are those that have been used as  part of the Forest Service aviation program for years, and in some cases,  decades. All of the Next Generation airtankers are turbine powered, can carry a  minimum of 3,000 gallons of retardant and have a cruise speed of at least 300  knots when fully loaded. The companies that are providing them are required to  comply with stringent safety requirements in their contracts.

The agency is working to bring all seven Next  Generation airtankers into service over the next year. The contracts allow  these companies to provide additional Next Generation airtankers in future  years, contingent on funding and other circumstances, to reach the total of 18  to 28 recommended in the Large Airtanker Modernization Strategy that the Forest  Service submitted to Congress in February 2012.

 

The Forest Service issued an initial notice of  intent to award contracts for Next Generation airtankers in June 2012.   However, protests that challenged the announced awards were filed with the  Government Accountability Office and consequently those contracts were not  awarded. The list of intended awardees announced today differs from last year’s  intended awardees because each company was given the opportunity to submit  revised proposals, and the Forest Service based its “best value” determination  on those revised proposals.

Large airtankers acquired through legacy  exclusive-use contracts will continue to be part of the Forest Service’s  strategy to maintain capability and response until there are adequate numbers  of Next Generation large airtankers.  The agency  recently awarded legacy exclusive-use contracts for airtankers to Minden Air  Corporation for one P2V and to Neptune Aviation Services, Inc., of Missoula,  Mont., for six P2Vs and one BAe-146.

 

In 2013, the Forest Service expects to have  available for wildfire suppression up to 26 airtankers, including seven Next  Generation airtankers, eight Legacy aircraft, up to three Very Large Airtankers  through contracts and eight airtankers through an agreement with the Department  of Defense. The agency will also have up to three water scoopers, dozens of  single-engine airtankers and hundreds of helicopters.

Fire activity during the 2012 wildfire season  resulted in about 9.3 million acres of private, state and federal land burned  nationwide, the third highest amount since at least 1960, the earliest date  with reliable records. Significant fire potential is predicted to be above  normal in 2013 in much of the West, including almost all of Arizona, New  Mexico, California, Oregon and Idaho, as well as parts of Colorado, Utah and  Washington.#

 

NOTE: For more information click on Bill Gabbert’s FIRE AVIATION link under HOT STUFF on our home page.