Summary: CUI - Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition

This is a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (CUI) document submitted by the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), 28 Contracting Squadron, seeking approval to procure specialized aircraft maintenance equipment on a single-source basis rather than through full and open competition.

The 28 Maintenance Squadron's Aircraft Structural Maintenance shop requires procurement of two each of the following brand-name items: G689 CherryLock pneumatic-hydraulic riveter guns, H9055-3, H9055-4, H9055-5, and H9055-6 Cherry Pulling Heads, and two each of 680B46 straight adapters. These items are necessary to support B-1B weapon system platform aircraft structural maintenance repair and refurbishment. The justification restricts this procurement to Cherry Aerospace brand based on three critical factors: (1) strict compliance with Technical Orders 1-1A-8 and 1B-1B-2-55G5, which mandate exact application of specific NAS and MS series rivets and require the CherryLock G689 system that is specifically engineered, tested, and approved for these aerospace-grade fasteners; (2) seamless system compatibility, as the Cherry components operate as a highly calibrated, closed system that interfaces with the 680B46 adapters and H9055/H681 pulling heads, and introducing alternative manufacturer equipment would break this compatibility and render the system useless; and (3) avoidance of unacceptable delays and cost duplication, as qualifying alternative tooling would require extensive engineering evaluation and safety testing, causing significant mission delays and aircraft downtime with unrecoverable costs. The statutory authority cited is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), invoking the "Only One Source Reasonably Available" exception. No response dates, award dates, or pricing information is provided in this justification document.