Body Armor & Ballistic Helmets
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
This opportunity was awarded. See the award notice from , or the latest pre-solicitation from .
- Solicitation number
- FA8051-26-Q-40XX
- Agency
-
Air Force Installation Contracting Agency
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- Total Small Business
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 339113 Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing
- PSC
- 8470 Armor, Personal
- Place of performance
- Florida 32404, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Installation and Mission Support Center is seeking to procure Body Armor and Ballistic Helmets through a Total Small Business set-aside acquisition under FAR Part 12 (Commercial Items) and FAR Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures). The procurement requires body armor systems with specific features including lightweight harnesses with padded interiors, plate pouches compatible with standard ballistic inserts, cummerbunds with drop leg holster capability and lumbar support, and soft armor inserts in front, back, and side configurations, all in standard OCP camouflage pattern. Additionally, the Air Force seeks ballistic helmets meeting NIJ Level III-A protection standards with one-hand adjustable fit systems, NVG-compatible mounts, Coyote Brown coloring, and total system weight under 3 pounds, along with removable ballistic ear covers providing 17-grain V0 protection. This is a market research notice for information purposes only, and no solicitation or contract award will be issued based on responses received. The pre-solicitation notice was posted on January 30, 2026, with an information deadline of February 6, 2026.
The procurement is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 339113 (Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 750 employees. The unit pricing sheet identifies three potential manufacturers whose equipment specifications are being considered: Crye Precision, First Spear, and Team Wendy, suggesting these may be current or previous vendors whose products are serving as specification baselines. The contract includes three distinct CLINs covering Crye Precision body armor components with 18 line items, First Spear body armor systems with 16 line items, and Team Wendy ballistic helmets with 175 size 1 units and 25 size 2 units plus 200 ballistic ear cover sets. All items are designated for delivery to the AFCEC/BARS Warehouse in Panama City, Florida, with shipping included in unit prices, though specific budget allocations and total award values are not disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice.
Notice text
This is a Notice of Proposed Contract Action under the FAR Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items and FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This notice is for information and market research purposes only; a solicitation will not be issued. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION. No contract will be awarded on the basis of offers received in response to this notice.
The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 339113 with a small business size
standard of 750 Employees.
The Government requires purchase of Body Armor & Ballistic Helmets that contain the following features:
Harness:
Lightweight structure
- Stable and able to support heavy loads
- Padded interior for comfort
- Vertical and horizontal adjustment of plates
- Unrestricted chest expansion
- Quick and simple attach and detach of plates/components
- Emergency quick release
- Different and interchangeable load-out capability
- Protection coverage of front, back and sides
- Weight transferring system (from back to hips/legs)
- Option for additional padding
- Compatible with soft armor insert
- Standard OCP Camouflage pattern and colors
Plate pouches:
- Independent/removable form plates
- Compatible with standard ballistic inserts
- Manufactured for specific plate size to prevent shifting
- Configure with additional gear pouches on the outside
- Compatible with soft armor insert
- Standard OCP Camouflage pattern and colors
Cummerbund:
- Configure with multiple components in addition to armor plates
- Drop leg holster capability
- Adjustable and locking buckle
- Elastic loops for stowing excess adjustment straps
- Compatible with weight transferring system
- Lumbar support
- Stable and able to support heavy loads
- Compatible with soft armor insert
- Standard OCP Camouflage pattern and colors
Soft Armor Inserts:
- Sized and shaped for plate pouches
- Front, back and side inserts
- To fit behind armor plates
Ballistic Helmet
- One-hand adjustable fit system
- Left eye dominant option
- Adjustable/replaceable comfort pad system
- Light-weight NVG compatible shroud/mount interface
- Removable/replaceable side rail mounting system (picatinny-style)
- Color- Coyote Brown
- Performance characteristics:
o Ballistic - NIJ Level III-A
o Fragment - 17gr V50 ≥ 2400 ft/s (731 m/s)
o Backface Deformation- 9mm FMJ RN @ 1400 ft/s (425 m/s), BFD < 25.4 mm all locations
o Blunt Impact - meet/exceed current ACH Blunt Impact Protection requirements (per AR/PD 10-02)
o Shell Weight <2 lbs
o Complete System Weight <3 lbs
o Sizing to fit head circumference 20.5in – 24.5in (hat size 6 5/8 – 7 7/8)
o Berry Amendment compliant
Ballistic Ear Covers
- 21-22 in2 additional ear coverage
- Removable/replaceable
- One ear cover size fits all helmet sizes
- Ballistic Performance - 17gr V0 ≥ 731 m/s (2400 ft/s)
- Berry Amendment compliant
This is a notice for sources sought for the purposes of market research and NOT a request for competitive quotations; however, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement or quotation, which shall be considered by the agency. All inquiries should be sent by email to toby.carnes.1@us.af.mil. Responses must be submitted by the date/time listed on the notice. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government in future procurements.
Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment 01 - Unit Pricing Sheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Salient Features - BARS Body Armor updated 30 Jan 26.pdf | ||
| Salient Characteristics - Ballistic Helmet and Ear Covers - 30 Jan 26.pdf |
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Body Armor & Ballistic Helmets - Crye Precision, First Spear, and Team Wendy | Award Notice | |
| Standardization of DAF Generators | Pre-Solicitation | |
| Body Armor & Ballistic Helmets - Crye Precision, First Spear, and Team Wendy | Solicitation | |
| This notice | Pre-Solicitation |
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