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

This document is a Justification and Approval (J&A) for restricting competition on an Air Force acquisition under the "only one responsible source" authority pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 3204(c)(1). The acquisition is valued under $10 million and concerns a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) modification to contract FA4890-21-C-0001 for RC-135 Aircrew Training (CAT)/Courseware Development (CWD) services at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The contracting activity is the Acquisition Management Integration Center (AMIC) under Air Combat Command (ACC).

The Government seeks a six-month bridge extension (1 November 2026 – 30 April 2027) to maintain RC-135 CAT/CWD training support continuity while conducting a re-compete source selection expected to conclude by 1 February 2027. The current contract, initially awarded to the incumbent contractor (name redacted) in February 2021 as a commercial, service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside under NAIC 611512, consists of a two-month phase-in period and ten base months plus four one-year option periods, with total performance running from 1 March 2021 through 30 April 2026. The justification cites operational delays caused by a government shutdown (October–November 2025) and Department of Defense (DoD) guidance requiring requirement scrutiny, which collectively postponed the competitive re-compete award timeline. The Government determined that awarding the six-month extension to the current contractor avoids substantial cost duplication, unacceptable operational delays, and mission disruption while allowing adequate time for competitive bridge milestone completion. Market research identified approximately fourteen qualified GSA vendors under NAIC 611512; however, the Government issued an RFI on 9 September 2026 (closing 18 September 2026) and received three responses, concluding that only the incumbent contractor possesses full staffing, specialized knowledge, and readiness to provide uninterrupted service without experiencing substantial cost duplication or learning curve delays during the compressed six-month period.