The Air Force Materiel Command awarded a $266,116 firm fixed-price purchase order to Collins Aerospace Government Systems (a division of Rockwell Collins, Inc.) on September 16, 2025, for a High Frequency Radio System. This sole-source procurement, with a completion date of September 15, 2026, encompasses the delivery of specialized military communication equipment based on the HF-9500 product line, including one receiver-transmitter radio unit, one pressurized coupler, one radio set control unit, and two isolated mounting systems. The Air Force Research Laboratory determined through market research that Rockwell Collins' HF-9500 was the only commercially available radio capable of meeting the government's stringent technical requirements, which include single sideband capabilities, independent sideband data, automatic link establishment, embedded SIMOP filtering, 400-watt power amplifier, and software-defined radio architecture compatible with various military communication systems.
The contract does not utilize any small business set-aside designation and is being performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Collins Aerospace maintains its primary operations for advanced aerospace and defense technologies. Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, has established itself as a key defense industry partner with extensive experience delivering critical avionics and communications systems to military customers. The company's track record includes multiple federal contract awards from the Naval Supply Systems Command, Naval Air Warfare Center, Defense Logistics Agency, and Air Force Materiel Command, demonstrating its capability to support complex defense and government technological requirements.