LOW BACKGROUND INFRARED (LBIR) SERVICE CONTRACT Bridge

The Air Force Materiel Command Lifecycle Management Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base intends to solicit a sole-source bridge modification to the current Low Background Infrared (LBIR) contract held by Jung Research and Development Corp. (CAGE 3JES1) with capability statement responses due July 15, 2026. The modification adds up to six one-month options to extend performance long enough to compete and award a new contract under solicitation FA226326R0001; options will be exercised only as needed and no exercise is guaranteed.

Work is performed on-site at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, supporting the Missile Defense Agency's infrared calibration requirements for kill vehicle sensor testing on Ground-based Mid-Course Defense and Aegis SM-3 interceptor systems, with on-site calibration services also provided to test chambers at Raytheon Missiles & Defense (Tucson, Arizona), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Laurel, Maryland), Arnold Engineering Development Complex (Tullahoma, Tennessee), and Next Generation Intercept (Huntsville, Alabama).

The contractor must provide personnel with a minimum of 10 years of direct experience in building, maintaining, and operating high-vacuum cryogenic systems for infrared instrumentation, including expertise in cryogenic refrigerator systems, thermal infrared optical equipment, laser systems, cryogenic vacuum Fourier transform infrared radiometers, and NIST IT security compliance. Key personnel must hold Ph.D. degrees (two positions), Master's degrees (one position), Bachelor's degrees (two positions), with all personnel executing NIST Domestic Guest Researcher Agreements before work commences.

JRAD is identified as the sole capable source based on 23+ years of direct facility experience, institutional knowledge of ongoing development projects including the User Transfer Radiometer, and design authority for specialized equipment. Market research from 2015 to present, including a 2015 sources-sought synopsis and 2026 sources-sought notice, identified only three responses, none demonstrating requisite expertise. Awarding to another contractor would incur approximately 30 percent duplicated development costs and result in a 4- to 5-year delay in fulfilling MDA mission requirements. The bridge period runs from August 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, with estimated staffing of 1.5–2.0 FTEs for routine operations and 0.1–0.2 FTEs for research and development. This notice is not a request for competitive proposals; the Government will consider capability statements from all responsible sources.