Ball and Socket JA Redacted.pdf

This is a Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (CUI document) supporting a sole-source contract award.

The United States Air Force, through AFSC OL-H/ZPACB located at Hill AFB in Utah, is awarding a C-type contract on a sole-source basis to Goodrich Corporation for PTO ball and socket housing spares in support of the B-1B weapon system. The acquisition is classified as less than $10 million in total dollar value and is being pursued on an individual basis rather than as part of a larger program. The contract is a new non-commercial Firm Fixed Price (FFP) spare parts contract. The estimated unit costs and quantities are shown in the CLIN structure table, with one line item for Ball Socket Housing (CLIN 0001, 199 units) and associated data requirements (CLINs 0002-0003). The total estimated cost incorporates a 4.0% annual inflation rate applied to current market research knowledge and will utilize 4930 CSAG-S Working Capital funds. The contracting activity certification and technical personnel certification were signed on 06 May 2026.

The justification cites 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as the statutory authority, asserting that only one responsible source exists and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The rationale emphasizes that the B-1 PTO Ball and Socket Housing contains proprietary technologies owned solely by Goodrich Corporation, with highly specialized design, manufacturing, engineering, and production capabilities that are extremely difficult to replicate. The Government lacks the proprietary technical data required and does not possess rights to develop alternate sources. An attempt to purchase data via email on 04 May 2026 was unsuccessful, as Goodrich refused to sell the data. The 419 SCMS conducted extensive market research including searches of Google, Federal Databases, ESCAPE, CIDS, and contact with 19 SMEs, yielding no qualified alternate sources. A Sources Sought Synopsis posted on SAM.gov from 11 March 2026 to 27 March 2026 received one response from BHPE, which was unable to complete the requirement due to lack of IP rights and proprietary data. The document establishes that reverse engineering the B-1 PTO Ball and Socket Housing would cost approximately $2,976,000 and require a minimum of three years, producing an unacceptable negative return on investment and delays in fulfilling Air Force requirements.