Large Caliber Penetrator - Phase 1B RFI.pdf

Title: Large Caliber Penetrator Agency: Department of the Air Force Office: Air Force Material Command Location: AFLCMC/EBDA – Eglin Air Force Base

Notice Type: Request for Information NAICS Code: 334511 - Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing

1. Disclosure:

This is a Request for Information (RFI) for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute an invitation for bid (IFB) or request for proposal (RFP), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. There is no bid package or solicitation document with this announcement. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and will not affect any potential offeror’s ability to submit an offer if a solicitation is released. The Government shall not be held liable or incur any debt for the information solicited. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges will arise resulting from preparation of submissions in response to this RFI or the Government's use of the information provided. The Government is not liable for any costs incurred by any respondent to prepare

2. General and Background Information:

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Armament Directorate, Attack Division (AFLCMC/EBD) is conducting market research for an industry analysis of capabilities. AFLCMC/EBD seeks to better characterize the technological, manufacturing, and business capabilities of the industrial base to develop and produce a materiel solution to address this operational objective. AFLCMC/EBD will use this information to inform its trade space analysis of industry capabilities that can potentially meet technology demonstration needs for a Large Caliber Penetrator requirement.

Additional system attribute details for this RFI are contained in a controlled document containing Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Distribution F. Therefore, it is not available for general release via this announcement. To request the controlled system attributes document, please contact Capt Cameron Newton, Contracting Officer cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil, Capt. Mandi Johnson, Contracting Officer, mandi.johnson.3@us.af.mil and Christy Cross, Contract Specialist, christy.cross.2@us.af.mil.

Please enter the reason for requesting access along with your CAGE code. Once approved you will be granted permission to access the controlled document. You may request access to the controlled document until 21 Nov 2025. Controlled documents will be delivered encrypted via DoD Safe, (https://safe.apps.mil/).

3. Requirements:

The United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking to identify capable vendors for maturing the tailkit (TK) design, development, and flight test of a prototype capable of demonstrating system accuracy.

AFLCMC/EBD requests white papers on notional TK, integration, and test capabilities from the industrial base to address necessary performance requirements identified in the following sections:

mailto:cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil mailto:mandi.johnson.3@us.af.mil mailto:christy.cross.2@us.af.mil

1.1 Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC)

1.1.1 Specification

a. Navigation System capable of accuracy in a GPS degraded/denied environment to hold representative Hard and Deeply Buried Targets (HDBT) at risk.

1.1.2 Capabilities

a. Given a TK system Technical Data Package (TDP) Level 2 Computer Aided Design

(CAD), describe vendors’ ability to develop and provide a TK system Critical Design Review (CDR) TDP Level 3 deliverable.

b. Describe vendors’ ability to produce 3 to 5 full-scale TK system prototypes suitable for flight tests.

c. Describe vendors' ability to develop the TK system software for these prototypes.

1.2 Integration

1.2.1 Capabilities

a. Describe vendors’ ability to integrate the TK system onto a Government-supplied Large Caliber Penetrator warhead (WH).

1.3 Test

1.3.1 Capabilities

a. Describe the vendors ability to plan, organize, and conduct flight tests without utilizing a Government aircraft to demonstrate TK performance.

b. Describe vendor’s ability to analyze the flight test data for accuracy.

1.4 Cost and Schedule

1.4.1 Capabilities

a. Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for this effort: software development, hardware procurement, and flight tests

b. The Government desires a 9-12-month Period of Performance (PoP). Provide notional schedule.

4. Submission Details:

Respondents may submit whitepapers according to the following instructions:

For TK submissions:

If respondent has the capability to meet the needs of the GNC section, provide a white paper containing a prospective GNC approach that details TK prototype procurement (hardware) and OFP development (software). Please limit your response to no more than 10 single spaced, 10-point font typed pages.

Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .docx, .xlsx documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

For Test submissions:

If respondents have the capability to meet the needs of the Integration and Test sections, provide a white paper containing a prospective integration and test approach that details the integration of the TK system onto a Government-provided WH, the integration of the AUR onto a non-Government testing platform, and flight test. Please limit your response to no more than 10 single spaced, 10-point font typed pages.

Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .docx, .xlsx documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

For All-Inclusive submissions:

If a respondent has the capability to meet the needs of both the TK and test sections of this RFI, the respondent may submit an additional All-Inclusive submission white paper detailing prospective TK development and flight tests. Respondents shall respond to the All-Inclusive submission by submitting BOTH white papers for the TK and flight test requirements, as specified above (but only 15 pages combined), AND a separate white paper detailing their All-Inclusive approach to the requirement. In addition to the two separate sections for TK and flight test, please include no more than 5 single spaced, 10-point font typed pages detailing your All-Inclusive approach. Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .docx, .xlsx documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

Small businesses are encouraged to submit a Statement of Capabilities demonstrating their ability to manufacture a portion of the requirement, even if they do not possess the capabilities to manufacture the entire requirement.

All interested vendors should submit a response demonstrating their capability to provide these items/perform this effort to the Point of Contact listed below. Proposals are not being requested or accepted at this time. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No solicitation (Request for Proposal) exists currently; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The decision to solicit a contract shall be solely within the Government’s discretion.

The NAICS Code assigned to this acquisition is 334511 - Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing. Respondents should indicate their size in relation to this size standard and indicate socio-economic status (i.e. SB, 8(a), HUBZone, EDWOSB, WOSB, or SDVOSB). Respondents are further requested to indicate their status as a Foreign-owned/Foreign-controlled firm and any contemplated use of foreign national employees on this effort.

The Government reserves the right to consider a small business set-aside based upon responses hereto for any subsequent action. All prospective vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database to be awarded a DoD contract. No set-aside decision has been made.

Interested parties should provide a company profile to include the following:

a. Company name.

b. Vendor Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.

c. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

d. Point of contact with telephone, email, and address contact information.

e. Indicate your company’s category (e.g., a US company, large or small business, and if a small business, whether they are a small business, 8(a) concern, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned business, HUB Zone small business, small disadvantaged business, or women-owned small business as defined by the planned NAICS code listed.

f. Your intentions to compete on any resulting RFP as a prime or as a sub vendor. Would your company partner with other firms and, if so, who? Specify which firms are US-owned and which are foreign owned.

g. Indicate what risks or concerns you see with this envisioned acquisition, and what your suggested mitigation strategies are.

h. Identify your technology readiness level for your proposed solution. The Government will use this information to determine if there are interested and qualified sources. Those desiring to do business with the Air Force must be registered in the Government's System for Award Management system located at https://www.sam.gov.

Information submitted regarding this effort shall be provided at the unclassified level. If respondents wish to restrict distribution of Capability Statements, they must be marked and distributed appropriately.

Interested parties should mark all responses accordingly prior to submission. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information.

Respondents are responsible for protecting and marking proprietary information at the appropriate level.

Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.

5. Government Advisors:

Respondents to this RFI are advised that proprietary, confidential, or privileged commercial data submitted as part of your response may be released to non-Government advisors supporting the Government in this acquisition. Although the Government's contracts with these advisors require non-disclosure agreements, please indicate in your response to this synopsis if your firm has objections to the use of these advisors. These advisors are employed by HX5, COLSA, Quantitech or Odyssey Systems.

Specify the specific basis of the objection, and the specific portions that the respondent objects to disclosure to non-Government advisors.

6. Other Information:

All responsible sources may submit information that shall be considered by the agency. If late information is received, it may be considered, depending on agency time constraints. All routine communications regarding the announcement should be directed to the contractual point of contact listed in this posting. The Government may or may not use any responses to the RFI as a basis for a subsequent project/requirement. Any project/requirement developed from the RFI responses may be the subject of a subsequent acquisition; any such subsequent acquisition will be posted in Sam.gov separately. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to the respondents with respect to any of the information submitted under the RFI. No requests for a bid package or solicitation will be accepted; a bid package or solicitation does not exist at this time.

7. RFI Questions:

Questions must be received no later than 1500 CST Thursday, 21 November 2025. Questions are to be submitted to Capt Cameron Newton, Contracting Officer cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil, Capt. Mandi Johnson, Contracting Officer, mandi.johnson.3@us.af.mil and Christy Cross, Contract Specialist, christy.cross.2@us.af.mil. All questions should be email only to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion. All correspondence sent via email shall contain a subject line that reads “Large Caliber Penetrator” If this subject line is not included, the e-mail may not get through e-mail filters at Eglin AFB.

Filters are designed to delete emails without a subject or with a suspicious subject or attachment.

Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xsls, or .xls documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

https://www.sam.gov/ mailto:cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil

8. RFI Response Due Date Responses are due no later than 2:00 P.M. (CST), 12 December 2025. Responses are to be submitted to Capt Cameron Newton, Contracting Officer cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil, Capt. Mandi Johnson, Contracting Officer, mandi.johnson.3@us.af.mil and Christy Cross, Contract Specialist, christy.cross.2@us.af.mil. All correspondence sent via email shall contain a subject line that reads “Large Caliber Penetrator” If this subject line is not included, the e-mail may not get through e-mail filters at Eglin AFB. Filters are designed to delete emails without a subject or with a suspicious subject or attachment. Attachments with files ending in .zip or .exe are not allowable and will be deleted. Ensure only .pdf, .docx, .xlsx documents are attached to your email. All other attachments may be deleted.

mailto:cameron.newton.2@us.af.mil