F-22 CRR RFI.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

FOR

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE (USAF)

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND, AFLCMC/EBHK

RFI Number: FA821326R3049

Notice Type: Request for Information

Title: Cartridge Activated Devices/Propellant Activated Devices (CAD/PAD) Second Sourcing

Disclaimer:

1. NOTICE: This is not a solicitation but rather a Request for Information (RFI) to determine potential sources and is for information and planning purposes only. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or any obligation on behalf of the Government. The responses to this RFI are not an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No contract award will be made on the basis of this RFI. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this RFI, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information. Vendor participation is not a promise of future business with the Government.

2. PURPOSE: The purpose of this RFI is in support of market research being conducted by the United States Air Force (USAF) to determine if responsible sources possessing the engineering, and/or testing, and/or manufacturing expertise required to perform one of the following:

a. Reverse engineer, qualify, and manufacture replacement parts

b. Reverse engineer and provide a producible Technical Data Package (TDP)

c. Redesign, qualify, and manufacture a form/fit/function replacement

d. Redesign and provide a producible Technical Data Package (TDP)

The information will also assist in determining if this effort can be competitive and/or a total Small Business Set-Aside. The government believes this effort will fall under one of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 325920 / Explosive Manufacturing, which has a corresponding size standard of 750. The Government is interested in all small businesses to include 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone, and Women-Owned small business concerns. The government requests that interested parties respond to this notice if applicable and identify your small business status to the identified NAICS code. The Government will use this information to determine the best acquisition strategy for this procurement. Additionally, please provide a description of similar services offered to the Government and to commercial customers for the past three years. Any responses involving teaming agreements should delineate between the work that will be accomplished by the prime and the work accomplished by the teaming partners.

If after reading this RFI, the interested party no longer intends to make a proposal; any feedback responses as to why that determination was made would be greatly appreciated.

3. PROGRAM DETAILS & BACKGROUND: The Department of the Air Force is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to conduct market research and identify potential sources capable of serving as a second source for the F-22 Canopy Rocket Motor. The F-22 Raptor program currently faces critical supply chain, obsolescence, and readiness risks due to its sole-source reliance on a single manufacturer for the Canopy Rocket Motor—a life-critical emergency egress component. Mounted to the front of the canopy with the manifold forward, the assembly utilizes dual cast solid rocket motors oriented in the same plane at an included angle slightly greater than 90 degrees to direct thrust downward and outward, ensuring clean canopy separation during pilot ejection. To eliminate this single point of failure in the energetic industrial base and ensure uninterrupted fleet support, the Government requires the qualification of a capable second source through either complete reverse engineering of the legacy baseline or a validated Form, Fit, and Function redesign.

4. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: Contractors that are Interested may provide a succinct response addressing the below areas:

a. Preface: Company Information

b. Section I: Requested Information (5 page max per item of interest)

This is a Request for Information announcement, for market research information only to be used for preliminary planning purposes. This market research is being conducted to identify potential sources possessing the engineering, testing, and manufacturing expertise required to Reverse engineer, qualify, and optionally manufacture replacement parts, alternately, Reverse engineer and provide a producible Technical Data Package (TDP), alternately Redesign, qualify, and manufacture a replacement for the following Cartridge Actuated Devices / Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD). No proposal is requested or accepted from this request. This is not a solicitation for proposal and no contract shall be awarded from this request. The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command, AFLCMC/EBHK, Hill AFB is conducting a market survey for the following items:

TABLE 2: Second Source Opportunities Item Nomenclature Part Number Stock Number

1 F-22 Canopy Remover Rocket (JM35) 12351100-4 1377015153489

To assist industry in evaluating the production scale and viability of this effort, the Government projects an estimated requirement of units over a five-year period following the successful qualification of an alternate source. Please be advised that these figures are strictly preliminary estimates provided for market research and planning purposes only. These quantities are estimated figures subject to change; the final quantities will only be confirmed upon the official release of the Request for Proposal. Final, authoritative production quantities will only be established and confirmed upon the official release of a Request for Offer (RFO).

TABLE 3: Estimated Production Quantities Item Nomenclature FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30 FY31 Total

1 F-22 Canopy Remover Rocket

80 65 40 30 30 245

INSTRUCTION

1. Provide relevant experience to include performing engineering, manufacturing, inspection, technical capability to manufacture/repair and test the above stated item or similar assets over the last 5 years.

2. Company Profile will include the following:

Part A: Company Profile

• Number of employees.

• Office Location

• CAGE Code

• Unique Entity Identifier Number (UEIN)

• Small Business designation/status claimed

Part B: Reverse Engineering/Re-design & Technical Capabilities

• Methodology: Describe your company's processes for developing or reverse engineering explosive/energetic devices. Include your capability to perform destructive/non-destructive testing, to include; teardowns, metallurgical analysis, chemical/propellant characterization, radiographic imaging, and dimensional tolerancing.

• Qualification & Testing: Describe your experience developing and executing qualification test plans for CAD/PAD or similar energetic items (e.g., environmental, functional, and aging).

• Teaming/Subcontracting: Detail any planned teaming or joint-venture arrangements. Clearly delineate which portions of the second sourcing or reverse engineering, testing, and manufacturing would be performed by the prime versus the teaming partner.

• Provide the top-level risks associated with CAD/PAD second source qualification efforts including design, development, manufacture, test, repair, fielding, training. Identify which areas pose the greatest risk with justification.

• Provide manpower resources anticipated for this effort including a top-level breakdown of types of support (e.g. Program Management, Engineering, Fabrication, supply etc.).

• Is there a product currently being produced that could possibly be modified or used for the efforts identified in this application, please describe.

• If the contractor designs, develops, and manufactures new components, the government assumes all data would be delivered without encumbrance. Describe costs associated with obtaining or generating data for existing designs or modifications of existing designs including complete drawing package, government purpose rights etc.

• If applicable, how much development would be required for a new design? Cost, Schedule, TRL/MRL maturation.

• If applicable, how much testing and qualification would be anticipated for a new design (like item analysis to full hazard classification qualification efforts).

• For the proposed solution, provide a top-level schedule illustrating timelines for design, development, testing, and manufacturing with output capability for up to the requirements in table 2.

• Identify any critical manufacturing risks.

• Provide Rough Order of Magnitude.

• Provide suggestions to reduce unit cost, and if response includes manufacturing, provide best value to the government during production to include production quantity break points per (year/quarter or other).

• If a new design is proposed, verify intent to provide process and repair/maintenance recommendations, and test processes.

3. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow-up information requests. The U.S. Government does not own the technical data rights required to manufacture these devices and possesses very limited technical data. Due to the critical flight safety nature and complex energetics of the F-22 Canopy Remover Rocket (JM35), the Government recognizes the unique technical challenges inherent in reverse engineering or create an alternate design for this specific component. To facilitate a successful alternate source development effort and mitigate technical risk, the Government may provide a dedicated team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and specialized Government engineers to assist the selected contractor. If provided, this engineering team would be available to offer technical guidance, collaborate on design and energetic material selection, and support the development and execution of the First Article Testing (FAT) and qualification processes (depending on proposed solution).

The objective of this effort is to develop an alternate source of supply. The successful source would be responsible for conducting a complete alternate design or reverse engineering effort (including energetic material selection and energetic output analysis). Interested offerors shall respond to this Source Sought Synopsis no later than 2:00PM MST 02-October-2026.

4. Questions regarding this market survey should be addressed to Britney Eggett 801-586-4479 or e-mail: Britney.Eggett@us.af.mil