MK4-3 Signal Cartridge

The purpose of this amendment is to update the pallet from F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) w/metal pallet (NSN: 1325-01-323-9921) and changed to F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) w/ wooden pallet (NSN: 1325-01-323-9922).

The response due date is being extended from 28 April, 2025 to 12 May, 2025.

The U.S. Army Contracting Command - Rock Island, on behalf of the Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS), Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, is issuing a sources sought announcement in an effort to identify capable sources for the production and delivery of the F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) w/ wooden pallet (NSN: 1325-01-323-9922) for the Fiscal Years (FY) 2027-2031. Any resulting contract will also contain First Article Test (FAT) requirements. The U.S. Government is considering one Firm Fixed Price (FFP) production contract with five one-year ordering periods and a yearly production quantity of approximately 30,000-40,000 signal cartridges.

ITEM DESCRIPTION: These requirements are required to support the United States Air Force and the United States Navy bombing missions. The F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) uses red phosphorus to provide a signal of white smoke and a fire flame. The Signal Cartridges can be deployed during day or night exercises to mark the point of impact. It is used with practice bombs (PB) to mark the impact location of the practice bomb. The MK 4 MOD 3 Signal Cartridge is a day or night use signal cartridge. Contained within an aluminum case, the rim end has a percussion primer and the opposite end is sealed with an aluminum disk. The Signal Cartridge contains an expelling charge (smokeless powder) initiated by the primer and red phosphorus. Upon impact, the cartridge is driven forward against the firing pin, initiating the primer at the base of the cartridge. This action fires the three grams of expelling charge and propels it from the open end of the PB. The red phosphorus is a toxic powder that produces a bright flash (for night use) when ignited. The Signal Cartridge will detonate upon impact releasing a large volume of white smoke. Drops of 18 inches or more can cause signal to function. The smoke is produced by the combination of red phosphorus and heat exceeding 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Bomb Configuration. The Signal Cartridge is used in the nose of the MK 76, BDU-33, MK 106, BDU-48, and the Laser Guided Training Round. With the Spotting Charge Adapter MK 89 MOD 0, the Signal Cartridge is used in the tail fuzewell of inert General Purpose Bombs MK 80 Series, and BDU-45 without an electrical fuze.
• Components. The Signal Cartridge is ignited by a firing pin. A safety pin is used to hold the firing pin in place in the nose of the PB. A Spotting Charge Adapter is used to adapt the Signal Cartridge to the PB for tail installations.

CRITICAL PROCESSES/SKILLS: Manufacture of the F562 MK4-3 Signal Cartridge requires specialized equipment and facilities. Critical equipment and facilities may include: metal stamping and bending, metal crimping, extrusion, heat treatment, material handling systems, metal plating and passivation, hazardous material storage and handling, conventional machining equipment, Computer Numerically Controlled machining, coordinate measuring machines, gage calibration equipment, and coating/painting equipment. Critical skills needed for production of signal cartridges include component assembly and hazardous material handling, setup personnel, inspection and testing technicians, quality control engineers, and machinists.

NOTICE: The Technical Data Packages (TDPs) associated with the F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) are classified as Distribution D - limited distribution authorized to the Department of Defense (DOD) and US DOD Contractors Only. These documents contain technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C., SEC 2751, ET SEQ.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979 (Title 50, U.S.C., APP 2401 ET SEQ.), as Amended. Violations of these export laws are subject to severe criminal penalties. Disseminate in accordance with provisions of DOD Directive 5230.25.

Interested vendors must be registered with the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Program (JCP) to gain access to the TDPs (see https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/jcp/ for instruction and information). Each individual requiring access to the TDPs must have a SAM.gov account prior to accessing the TDPs. Access to the TDP will only be granted to those individuals who are listed as the Data Custodian (block 3) on the DD Form 2345, Military Critical Technical Data Requirement, which was required to be registered within the JCP. The Data Custodian is the sole representative identified to receive export controlled TDPs and drawings. To obtain the top-level drawings, interested vendors with the proper certification in JCP, may request explicit access through the "attachments/links" tab in SAM.gov under this posting.  In addition to making the request by the JCP Data Custodian in SAM.gov, interested vendors should also send a copy of their approved DD Form 2345 to the point of contact specified below.

RESPONSES: Interested companies who consider themselves capable of manufacturing the F562 Signal Cartridge MK4-3 (flame/hot) are invited to indicate interest by providing the U.S. Government with the following information:

1. Name of company and CAGE code
2. Point of Contacts name, telephone number and E-mail address
3. Company address
4. Business size information
5. Identification of whether you are interested in this opportunity as a prime or a subcontractor.
6. Provide a brief summary of the company's capabilities (a description of the facilities, personnel experience, quality system, and past/current relevant manufacturing experience and processes).
7. Discuss the feasibility of or alternatives to the U.S. Government's preferred lead-time of 270 days after award for FAT and 365 days after award for production deliveries to commence.
8. Provide Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) prices for an approximate FY27 production quantity of 30,000-40,000 each MK4-3 signal cartridges and a ROM for each First Article Test sample.
9. Identify minimum and maximum monthly production quantities and identify the available capacity.
10. Identify if the firm has ever produced the MK4-3 signal cartridges. If so, please state when it was last produced, who the customer was, the production rate under that contract, and the contract number.
11. Please include any assumptions made, recommendations regarding price range breaks, or any additional information you feel might be useful to the U.S. Government if it is determined to proceed with a formal Request for Proposal (RFP).
12. Due to current global supply chain and other factors, respondents are asked to identify any components or materials that may be subject to price volatility or scarcity and address what their firm is doing to mitigate risk related to obtaining materials, price impacts, and production stability.

This sources sought announcement is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this sources sought announcement or otherwise pay for information solicited. Industry responses to this sources sought will not represent binding offers, and the U.S. Government cannot accept an industry response to form a binding contract. The U.S. Government intends to use any information submitted in response to this request to develop an acquisition strategy for future requirements of this item.

In order to be eligible for contracts with the U.S. Government, contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract resulting from a planned solicitation for these items. Contractors may obtain information on SAM registration by visiting https://www.acquisition.gov. All interested companies are highly encouraged to get registered in SAM immediately.

The U.S. Government will hold all information submitted in a confidential status.

For additional information regarding this announcement, please contact the Contract Specialist via email at jason.o.koski.civ@army.mil and Contracting Officer, Bridget Kramer, via email at bridget.l.kramer.civ@army.mil.

Industry responses are requested electronically no later than 12:00PM CT, 12 May 2025 to be considered in the development of the acquisition strategy for this item. Please submit all industry responses to Mr. Jason Koski at jason.o.koski.civ@army.mil and Contracting Officer, Bridget Kramer, via email at bridget.l.kramer.civ@army.mil. All responses to this sources sought announcement should reference in the subject:  Sources Sought Response for MK4-3 Signal Cartridge.