Sole Source JA - Redacted.pdf

This is a Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (CUI) document, signed by Contracting Officer Lijuan Benbow on May 5, 2026.

The 6th Contracting Squadron at MacDill AFB, Florida seeks to procure KC-135 Puma Deployable Aircrew Radio Terminal (DART) kits to house PRC-158 radios in support of the new 6th Air Refueling Wing's Special Operations Air Refueling (SOAR) mission. The Puma DART is the only multi-channel, single-man-portable communications suite certified by JSOC to meet SOAR mission requirements, providing 50 watts of RF power, integrated SATCOM diplexer/combiner, and Low Noise Amplifiers for weak signal reception. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is identified as the sole manufacturer and distributor of Puma DARTs, making it the only responsible source capable of fulfilling this requirement. The statutory authority cited is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), which permits sole-source procurement when only one responsible source exists. Market research conducted on March 18, 2026 verified no other vendors could provide these items through mandatory sources, Federal Procurement Data System searches, or industry outreach. The acquisition dollar value falls below $10M, requiring J&A and CO certification. The contract will be awarded to SNC on a sole-source basis, with notice posted publicly in accordance with FAR 5.101(d) Table 5-2. Future efforts will continue market research to identify additional authorized distributors to overcome barriers to competition.