A02 - BLU-136 JA_Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification and Approval for Other Than Full and Open Competition document submitted by the Army Contracting Command – Rock Island for procurement of the BLU-136/B 2,000lb High Fragmenting Bomb Assembly and CNU-417/E Shipping and Storage Container. The procurement is justified under 10 U.S.C. Section 3204(a)(3) and FAR 6.302-3, citing industrial mobilization and engineering/research capability requirements. The document was prepared by Contract Specialist Jonathon Compton and approved by Contracting Officer Stephanie Migawa on September 9, 2024. The justification addresses the need to restrict competition to domestic sources to maintain critical warfighting capability for the U.S. Air Force, ensure surge production capacity, and preserve the domestic industrial base for munitions manufacturing.

The BLU-136/B is a Next Generation Area Attack Weapon that achieved Operational Use and Final Certification for use on USAF aircraft on April 16, 2021, paired with the JDAM guidance kit KMU-557 and other components. The CNU-417/E container is used for storage and transport of both the 2,000lb penetrators and BLU-136/B bombs. Procurement history shows two existing contracts awarded October 1, 2019, to Faxon Machining Inc. (FA8681-20-D-0001) and Major Tool and Machine Inc. (FA8681-20-D-0002), both under SBSA authority with expiration dates of September 29, 2026. The justification emphasizes that awarding contracts to non-domestic manufacturers would pose unacceptable risks to national security due to the U.S. Government's ownership of the technical data package (Distribution Statement D) and the inability to guarantee deliveries from foreign sources. The document indicates future procurement actions will continue to seek additional viable producers within the U.S. or its outlying areas through SAM.gov postings.