Aircraft Based Observations (ABO) WVSS Data Buy   2

Background
The National Weather Service (NWS) is issuing this contract to acquire aircraft-based observations, specifically focusing on water vapor data from major commercial airlines.

The mission of the NWS is to provide weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and to enhance the national economy. This acquisition aims to improve the skill of numerical weather prediction (NWP) and other operational applications essential for predicting severe weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, flash floods, and tornadoes.

Work Details
The contractor shall provide all available soundings and en-route data from all Water Vapor Sensor System-II (WVSS-II) equipped aircraft operating in the Continental United States (CONUS) and adjacent regions. This includes:
1. Full disclosure of sensor characteristics, data processing, and sampling techniques.
2. Maintenance of 132 WVSS-II sensors installed on aircraft, ensuring high-quality data delivery with reliability.
3. Data must meet World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and NWS standards.
4. The contractor must demonstrate partnerships with at least two major domestic airlines capable of providing immediate data upon contract start date.
5. The ability to operate water vapor sensors on a fleet of at least 135 aircraft with daily routes in CONUS.
6. Provision of vertical profiles of humidity, wind, and temperature from surface to cruise level over CONUS, with a minimum of 700 vertical profiles per day distributed across major hubs.

Period of Performance
The contract will be performed over a period from March 1, 2025, to February 29, 2028.

Place of Performance
The work will primarily be conducted in the Continental United States (CONUS) and adjacent regions where the aircraft have routes.