Next Generation Penetrator Tail kit_Phase 1B RFI_23 Feb 2026.pdf

Title: Next Generation Penetrator Tail Kit Development 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 and/or submit its response to this RFI or subsequent submittals of information. All costs associated with responding to this RFI are solely at the responding parties’ expense. This notice DOES NOT in any way restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. The Government encourages all responsible businesses, including small businesses, to respond to this RFI. Respondents to this RFI may be requested to provide additional information/details based on their initial submittals. Any submittals will not be returned to the sender.

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 the Next Generation Penetrator Tail Kit Development.

Additional system attribute details for this RFI are contained in a controlled document containing Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Distribution F. To receive the controlled system attributes document, interested parties must submit a request with a valid DD Form 2345 to Mandi Johnson at mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil, Christy Cross at christy.cross.2@us.af.mil, and Christalyn Springs at christalyn.springs.3@us.af.mil. The controlled system attributes document will be sent to interested vendors with a valid DD2345 via DOD Safe. If the controlled system attributes document has to be distributed to a subcontractor, the Offeror shall request permission from the Point of contracts listed above. You may request access to the controlled document until 3 March 2026.

mailto:mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil mailto:christy.cross.2@us.af.mil mailto:christalyn.springs.3@us.af.mil

3. Requirements:

The United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking to identify capable vendors for maturing a Government supplied technical data package (TDP) (not supplied at this time, will be available if/when an RFP is released) of a Weapon Open System Architecture (WOSA) designed tail kit (TK) that is at preliminary design review (PDR) level in addition to developing operational flight program (OFP) software for the provided tail kit. Furthermore, the USAF is seeking to identify capable vendors for supplying assets for flight testing and aircraft integration.

AFLCMC/EBD requests white papers on TK design maturation, OFP software development and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test capabilities, hardware production and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test capabilities. AFLCMC/EBD also requests information on the vendor’s production capability to provide flight worthy test assets to be used in developmental flight testing and aircraft integration in an optional follow-on effort. The following sections identify the necessary performance requirements:

3.1. Software

• Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) capable of impact accuracy in a Global

Positioning System (GPS) degraded/denied environment to hold representative Hard and Deeply Buried Targets (HDBT) at risk.

• Describe the vendor’s approach for planning, organizing, and conducting SIL testing on TK system using MIL-STD-1553C bus interface and MIL-STD-1760 to demonstrate performance.

• Describe vendor’s approach for analyzing the SIL test data for impact accuracy.

• Describe vendor’s approach for developing and integrating the OFP software to Universal

Armament Interface (UAI) and/or non-UAI platform interfaces using the MIL-STD-1553C bus interface and MIL-STD-1760.

3.2. Hardware

• Describe the vendor’s approach for planning, organizing, and conducting HIL testing on TK system using MIL-STD-1553C bus interface and MIL-STD-1760 to demonstrate performance.

• Describe vendor’s approach for analyzing the HIL test data for functionality.

• Given a TK system Technical Data Package (TDP) Level 2 Computer Aided Design (CAD), describe vendor’s approach for developing and providing a TK system Critical Design Review (CDR) TDP Level 3.

• Describe vendor’s approach for producing 3 to 5 functioning full-scale TK systems.

3.3. Cost and Schedule

• Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for this effort: software development, hardware procurement, and HIL/SIL testing. Additionally, provide a ROM for Section 3.4.

• The Government requests a 9-12-month Period of Performance (PoP) for Sections 3.1 and

3.2. Provide notional schedule that includes procurement of hardware components. If beyond 12 months, provide justification. Additionally, provide a notional schedule for Section 3.4, which may be an optional follow-on effort.

3.4. Flight Testing/Integration

• Describe vendor’s approach for building tail kits to support developmental test series for a notional 18-21 flight tests, with Government-provided warhead cases.

• Describe vendor’s approach for providing support and data analysis of test results.

• Describe vendor’s approach for aircraft integration to achieve flight certification.

4. Submission Details:

Respondents may submit white papers according to the following instructions:

For Software submissions:

If respondent has the capability to meet the needs of the software section of this RFI, provide a white paper containing a prospective software approach that details OFP development, with cost and schedule items detailed in Section 3.3. 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 Hardware submissions:

If respondents have the capability to meet the needs of the hardware section of this RFI, provide a white paper containing a prospective hardware approach of this RFI, with cost and schedule items detailed in Section 3.3. 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 Flight Test/Integration submissions:

If respondents have the capability to meet the needs of the flight test/integration section of this RFI, provide a white paper containing a prospective flight test and aircraft integration approach, with cost and schedule items detailed in Section 3.3. 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 Software and Hardware submissions:

If a respondent has the capability to meet the needs of both the software and hardware sections of this RFI, the respondent may submit a Software and Hardware submission white paper detailing both prospective software and hardware approaches. Please include no more than 15 single spaced, 10-point font typed pages detailing your Software and Hardware 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.

For All-Inclusive submissions:

If a respondent has the capability to meet the needs of the software, hardware, and flight test/integration sections of this RFI, the respondent may submit an All-Inclusive submission white paper detailing prospective software, hardware, and flight test/integration approaches. Please include no more than 20 single spaced, 10-point font type 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.

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/

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 nondisclosure 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, Astrion, TWAC, Booz Allen, SERCO or Aerospace. 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 1200 (CDT) Monday, 9 March 2026. Questions are to be submitted to all of the following: Mandi Johnson, Contracting Officer, at mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil, Christy Cross, Contract Specialist at christy.cross.2@us.af.mil, and Christalyn Springs, Contract Specialist, at christalyn.springs.3@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 “Next Generation Penetrator Tail kit Development.” 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.

8. RFI Response Due Date Responses are due no later than 1400 (CDT) Monday, 23 March 2026. Responses are to be submitted to all of the following: Mandi Johnson, Contracting Officer, at mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil, Christy Cross, Contract Specialist at christy.cross.2@us.af.mil, and Christalyn Springs, Contract Specialist, at christalyn.springs.3@us.af.mil. All correspondence sent via email shall contain a subject line that reads “Next Generation Penetrator Tail kit Development.” 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:mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil mailto:christy.cross.2@us.af.mil mailto:christalyn.springs.3@us.af.mil mailto:mandi.johnson.4@us.af.mil mailto:christy.cross.2@us.af.mil mailto:christalyn.springs.3@us.af.mil