B-2 HSA

The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Lifecycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base seeks to procure 52 shaped explosive charges (13 each of four variants) for B-2 Hatch Severance Assembly applications, with proposals due November 2, 2026. No set-aside applies; unrestricted competition is available.

Place of performance is Hill Air Force Base, Utah (FV2172, 84056-5707). All four line items are designated critical safety items and must be delivered on or before December 31, 2028. NAICS code is 325920 (Explosives Manufacturing); PSC is 1377 (Cartridge and Propellant Actuated Devices and Components). The size standard is 750 employees.

The procurement carries mandatory pre-award qualification requirements under FAR 9.202(a) and DoD 4120.24M. Prospective offerors must complete nine qualification steps including facility certification, submission of qualification test procedures and reports per DI-NDTI-80604, process verification documentation with material sourcing traceability, test and evaluation methodology approval, build and test of qualification articles at offeror expense (estimated $5,000 to $50,000+ per item), complete test reporting, and allowance of government witness access with 30 days' notice. The estimated qualification timeline is 360 days. Only United States and Canadian suppliers are eligible; waivers are available for offerors with prior production experience. Ensign Bickford Aerospace & Defense (CAGE 96336) is currently the only approved source across all four line items.

The four NSN variants are 1377-01-318-5643ES (LH Horseshoe), 1377-01-318-5644ES (RH Horseshoe), 1377-01-318-5645ES (LH Racetrack), and 1377-01-318-5646ES (RH Racetrack). All items are classified as UN0237 Hazard Class 1.4D flexible linear shaped charges. Net explosive weight ranges from 0.0183 to 0.0389 pounds per item. Contractors must comply with ISO 9001:2015 quality standards, CMMC Level 1 cybersecurity certification, and ammunition and explosives safety requirements under DFARS clauses 252.223-7002 and 252.223-7003. Firm fixed price applies with F.O.B. origin terms and 120-day price hold requirement. Contract administration is conducted by Stephanie Martin (stephanie.martin.24@us.af.mil, 801-777-2949).

Contractors must submit multiple CDRLs including Ammunition Data Cards via WARP, Engineering Change Proposals, Notices of Revision, Requests for Variance, Lot Acceptance Test Plans (90 days prior to testing), Test/Inspection Reports, Failure Summary & Analysis Reports, Obsolescence Alert Notices, and DMSMS Health Assessment Reports. All energetic materials and components must be traceable to DoD-qualified manufacturers and compliant with ITAR Parts 120 and 121. Percussion primers require certification and recertification including sensitivity and dud testing. Radiographic procedures must meet ASTM standards with radiographers certified Level II or Level III per NAS 410. Items must be marked per CAD/PAD Item Marking Instruction Version 1.6 with Item Unique Identifiers (both human-readable and Data Matrix ECC 200 machine-readable formats) without shelf life code markings. Advanced Reports of Shipment (REPSHIP) are due no later than 24 hours before arrival and two hours after ammunition departure. Payment is via electronic funds transfer with DCMA and DFAS payment withholding until specified CDRLs are delivered and approved.