RFI for Follow-on FA853922D0002.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

B-52 APQ-166 Magnetron/Electron Tube

The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the repair data, expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to purchase the B-52 APQ-166 Magnetron/Electron Tube. The National Stock Numbers (NSN) and Part Numbers (PN) are as follows: NSN 5960-01-318-0987, PN VMX-1849.

The APQ-166 is currently repaired by CPI (88236) under contract FA8539-22-D-0002. The RMC/RMSC code for the APQ-166 is R3/R. This service has been performed multiple times by CPI, which is the original manufacturer of the APQ-166. The technical data required to organically repair or complete the repair is not owned by the Government and is uneconomical to acquire the data by purchase or to reverse engineer the item. No samples are available for potential suppliers to evaluate.

Contractor shall furnish all material, support equipment, tools, test equipment, and services. The contractor is responsible for providing, maintaining, and calibrating all support equipment required at their facility or a subcontractor’s facility. Contractor furnished material or parts used for replacement shall equal or exceed the quality of the original material or parts.

CPI is the manufacturer of the B-52 APQ-166 and the known sole source contractor for repair of this item. Contractors/Institutions responding to this market research are placed on notice that participation in this survey may not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards.

The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. The document(s) below contains a description of the APQ-166 repair requirements and a Contractor Capability Survey. The Survey allows Contractors to provide their company’s capability.

2. If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company’s capability in meeting these requirements. Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.)

a. Identify any areas of work that your organization believes should be broken out exclusively for Small Business.

3. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research.

Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged.

4. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to Brenden Collins, Program Manager, via email at brenden.collins@us.af.mil.

PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to provide depot-level test and repair of the B-52 APQ-166 Magnetron/Electron Tube. The National Stock Numbers (NSN) and Part Numbers (PN) are as follows: NSN 5960-01-318-0987, PN VMX-1849.

The Magnetron, A3V1, is a Shop Replaceable Unit (SRU) in the Radar Modulator Assembly (RMA), A3, which is an SRU of the Radar Transmitter Modulator (RTM)/Radar Receiver- Transmitter RT-1441/APQ-166. The RTM is a Line Replaceable Unit of the AN/APQ-166 Strategic Radar System on the B-52. The Magnetron provides radio frequency (RF) output pulses within the specified range. The AN/APQ-166 Strategic Radar System allows the crews to see the terrain the aircraft is flying over.

The Source Control Drawing (SCD), 156-116, available in JEDMICS, lists Varian Associates (Cage: 88236) as the only approved source of supply. Research conducted on Varian shows that the company has been absorbed by Communications & Power Industries (CPI), Beverly Microwave Division and maintains the same Cage Code of 88236. CPI possesses the experience, facilities, knowledge, and technical data required to repair the Electron Tube. In the attached email dated 26 February 2020, CPI refused to sell the technical data package or repair procedures. Due to the current shortage and unattainable acquisition of the required material, Tungsten-Rhenium wire, in conjunction with the specialized skills that this repair requires, depot repair is not possible. HQ AFMC/A4DC requested a workload shift be accomplished to shift the workload from WR-ALC to Contract.

The Magnetron/Electron Tube is designed specifically for the RTM of the AN/APQ-166 Strategic Radar System, and its unique characteristics cannot be replaced or re-engineered without considerable cost and time to qualify a form, fit, function and interface drop-in replacement.

The APQ-166 must meet form, fit, function, and interface requirements as referenced in per SCD 156-116. However, the Government does not own the data or the rights to the data needed to complete the repair of this part. It has been determined to be uneconomical to reverse engineer the data, qualify a new source, or buy the data and/or data rights. CPI is the only source of known repair for this system and has been since it was fielded.

mailto:brenden.collins@us.af.mil

CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY SURVEY

Part I. Business Information

Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:

• Company/Institute Name:

• Address:

• Point of Contact:

• CAGE Code:

• Phone Number:

• E-mail Address:

• Web Page URL:

• Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:

NAICS Code 334511 – Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing

Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

• Small Business (Yes / No)

• Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

• Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)

• 8(a) Certified (Yes / No)

• HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)

• Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

• Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)

• Central Contractor Registration (CCR). (Yes / No)

• A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership).

Written responses, no facsimiles or e-mails please, must be received no later than close of business 30 November 2026. Please email your response to andrew.adams.13@us.af.mil

Questions relative to this market research should be addressed to Brenden Collins, Program Manager, email at Brenden.Collins@us.af.mil

Part II. Capability Survey Questions

A. General Capability Questions:

1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure.

2. Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, and agency/organization supported.

3. Describe your company’s experience in repairing the B-52 APQ-166 Magnetron/Electron

Tube.

4. Describe your company's capabilities for generating, handling, processing and storing classified material and data.

5. What is your company’s current maximum capacity per month for this particular type of requirement? Provide information on any facility reserves you may possess to increase capacity in the event of an immediate need due to critical operational mission requirements.

B. Repair Questions:

1. Describe your capabilities and experience in repairing existing systems/equipment (hardware and software) to solve maintenance and support problems in the depot environment.

2. Describe your configuration management processes and how you identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems?

3. Discuss your process for addressing any fit, form, and or function issues that may arise out of this effort.

4. Describe your process for maintaining inventory records and reporting on hand/work-in-process balances and repair status to your customer.

5. How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures, etc.

6. If the item cannot be repaired in total, state what your organization can repair

C. Commerciality Questions:

1. Are there established catalog or market prices for our requirement?

2. If you offer this product and/or service to both U.S. Government and commercial sources, is the same workforce used for both the U.S. Government and general public?

3. Describe your standard warranty and return process for goods and services furnished to the government for items similar in nature to this requirement.

D. Continuity of Operations and Cybersecurity

1. Does your company have an active Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) or equivalent in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event that causes facilities or operations to be disrupted?

2. What mitigation strategies are in place for your company to resume operations and to prevent further disruptions?

3. What Customer Notifications/reporting processes are in place to provide company operations status customers?

4. Does your company have primary and secondary transportation modes to ship and track parts?

5. How does your company manage traceability for shipments (foreign and domestic)?

6. What procedures are in place in the event of a lost, damaged, and/or compromised asset?

7. What records management procedures are in place to ensure that the lifecycle knowledge of Government assets is not lost when key employees leave the company?

8. Is your company facing financial disruption, impending merger, acquisition and/or foreign investment?

9. Has your company ever experienced a disruption resulting in a threat to National Security?

E. Foreign Influence

1. Describe any affiliations your company has with foreign countries, or companies owned by entities in foreign countries, at the company and sub-vendor levels. Are any of your sub-vendors or affiliates in countries barred from doing business with the United States (U.S.)?

See link below for a list of countries/entities currently sanctioned from doing business with the U.S. https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information

2. Describe any affiliations your company has with foreign nationals and/or blocked persons.

See link below for a list of individuals currently sanctioned from doing business with the U.S. https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/specially-designated-nationals-and-blocked-persons-list-sdn-human-readable-lists

3. If there is Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) of your company, what percentage of the company is owned by the foreign entity(ies)? Which foreign country(ies)/entity(ies) owns part or all of your company?

4. Are any of your company's primary functions performed in foreign countries? If so, is there an on-site Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) representative?

5. If functions are performed by an overseas vendor, what quality control, inspection processes, and export controls are in place?

6. How does your company incorporate risk management into their procurement and supplier selection processes?

7. How does your company handle supply chain disruptions and recovery processes in the face of unforeseen risks or emergencies?

F. Cybersecurity

1. Does your company have a policy/plan for preventing and mitigating risks associated with internal and external information systems security?

2. Identify actions your company has taken to prevent unauthorized access to information systems (e.g. servers, data lakes, data warehouses etc.) and any results of doing so.

3. Does your company have procedures to ensure server security in a cloud environment that utilizes Government information, if so, is it in compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.239-7010?

4. Has your company implemented cybersecurity requirements given in DFARS clause 252.204-7012, "Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting"?

5. Does the company have a list of vendors providing commercial off the shelf (COTS) software to the company and for products and services offered to customers?

6. For products and services that contain software, what procedures are in place to securely upgrade software used by customers?

7. What procedures does your company (or your vendors) follow to perform software vulnerability assessments and mitigate any identified risks?

8. Provide a brief description of the strategy your company uses to continuously monitor the effectiveness of security controls to detect cyber-attacks and defend against them to protect electronic information?

9. What is the schedule to perform assessments (annual, semi-annual, quarterly, etc.)?

Reference Department of Defense Instructions (DoDI) 8510.01

10. Does your company evaluate the Cybersecurity practices of lower tier vendors before deciding to buy from or subcontract to them?

11. Is your company current w/ Contractor Self-Assessment against Basic National Institute of Standard Technology (NIST) SP800-171 controls & is that reflected in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS)?

12. Does your company have a plan of action to remediate deficiencies related to the Basic NIST SP800-171 controls?

13. Has your company employed protections that manage risk in the supply chain for components or subcomponent products and services (e.g., integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), printed circuit boards) when they are identifiable (to the supplier) as having a Department of Defense (DoD) end-use? Reference: DoDI 5200.44, para 4.c.(2)

14. Is your company current with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) status at the following CMMC level or higher: CMMC Level 1 (Self)? If so, is that reflected in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS)

14a. Does your company have a plan of action and milestones (POA&M) identifying tasks to be accomplished to become current with CMMC status?

DISCLAIMER:

This Request for Information is for market research and planning purposes only. This is not a request for proposal, does not constitute a solicitation, and shall not be construed as a commitment by the government to award a contract. Responses to this RFI are not offers, and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. The Government will not pay for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of responses. Any information submitted by respondents is strictly voluntary.