Air Supply Initiator

The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Lifecycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base seeks an Air Supply Initiator component for the Air Launched Cruise Missile, with proposals due July 10, 2026. This is an unrestricted procurement with no set-aside; only qualified sources will be considered for award, though non-qualified offerors may submit proposals for evaluation and demonstrate qualification before the award date.

Place of performance is Utah. The Air Supply Initiator (NSN 1336-01-230-5975ES and 1336-01-600-4573ES, DODIC KY94) is a cartridge-style dual bridgewire initiator with 3-pin connector, 1.34-inch length, constructed of stainless steel with zirconium potassium perchlorate, classified as Hazard Class/Division 1.4S explosive. The procurement seeks 200 units on a firm fixed-price basis with F.O.B. origin pricing; delivery is to Hill Air Force Base (Building 1377 Bay 2), expedited or partial deliveries authorized at no additional cost. Prices must be held firm for 120 days.

Qualification requirements are stringent. Only United States and Canada suppliers are eligible. Prospective bidders must submit qualification procedures, process verification documentation, test reports per DI-NDTI-80604 in accordance with Boeing Specification 232-30682, production of a qualification article at offeror expense, and testing at least 90 days prior to submission with 30-day advance notification. Estimated qualification completion is 360 days. Currently approved sources are Pacific Scientific (CAGE 54181, P/N 103377-29) and Ensign-Bickford (CAGE 96336, P/N A103676-29). Waivers may be granted to offerors with prior Air Supply Initiator or similar item production experience, subject to design control approval.

Technical requirements include ISO 9001:2015 compliance, unique item identification with serial numbers, gross and fine leak checks per MIL-STD-883L Method 1014.18, energetic materials not exceeding 24 months from original manufacturing date, percussion primer certification within 24 months, Level II or III radiographic inspection, and Lot Acceptance Testing with plan submitted 90 days prior. Contractor must submit Report of Shipment (REPSHIP) 24 hours prior to standard shipment arrival, Ammunition Data Cards with each shipment via the Worldwide Ammunition-data Repository Program, Engineering Change Proposals on DD Form 1692, and failure analysis reports within 15 days of any end-item test failure. CAD/PAD Item Marking Instructions Version 1.6 apply; all markings require Data Matrix ECC 200 format with human-readable and machine-readable information.

Evaluation applies a best value source selection per FAR 15.2, weighing Technical (comprising Qualified Vendor status and Schedule) significantly more important than Price. Schedule submissions must include Work Breakdown Structure, defined milestones, and realistic task durations, limited to 10 pages in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, or Project format. The contract is rated Defense Priorities and Allocations System under 15 CFR 700 and requires CMMC Level 1 cybersecurity maturity for any systems processing federal contract information. NAICS code is 325920, Explosives Manufacturing; PSC is 1377, Cartridge And Propellant Actuated Devices And Components.