Notice of Contract Action - Hands On Throttle & Stick System - Aerotronics LLC

DISCLAIMER AND NOTICE: This is a courtesy Notice of Contract Action only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that AFTC/PZZG, will take procurement action in this matter. This is NOT a request for proposals, applications, proposal abstracts, or quotation. This courtesy Notice of Contract Action only shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. Further, the Government will NOT be responsible nor reimburse any submitters of information for any cost incurred in furnishing this information. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for the potential requirement. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

Justification, Statutory Authority: FAR 13.501(a) – 41 USC 1901- Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Contract Award Date: TBD

Contract Award Number: TBD

Synopsis:

 This is a Sole Source synopsis published for informational purposes only.

 The United States Air Force Test Center/Directorate of Contracting (AFTC/PZZG), Edwards AFB, CA intends to issue a sole source contract to Aerotronics LLC for the Hands On Throttle and Stick System (HOTAS) requirement.

The contract will be executed by means of other than full and open competition, as Aerotronics LLC is the sole manufacturer of the required HOTAS system products and is the Original Equipment Manufacturer with the capacity to provide the specific items necessary to satisfy mission requirements. This equipment is proprietary to the manufacturer and there are no equal sources that would satisfy the requiring agency’s needs without requiring an up-haul of all previous infrastructure, costing the Government both money and lost time. In addition, the Mission Partner requires OEM parts to ensure mission requirements are being met. As the OEM, Aerotronics LLC. has the technical understanding to provide the essential parts needed to ensure there is no wasted time or expense for the Government. Aerotronics LLC has successfully fulfilled a previous requirement for the F-22 Hands On Throttle and Stick System under award FA930219P5030. It is in the best interest of the government to proceed with a single source to Aerotronics LLC. as they are the manufacturers of the equipment and the only ones who can provide the mission-specific parts as required to allow for continuity and mission fulfillment.

The authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 USC 1901 - FAR 13.501(a) Supplies may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment, including major components thereof, when it is likely that award to any other source would result in-

1. Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition; or
2. Unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements.

It is recommended to obtain a solution to this requirement from Aerotronics LLC. This requirement for the Throttle Grip - Left F-22 Outboard, Control Stick Base F-22 flight grip base, and Throttle base F-22 Dual Throttle base is essential to ensure training infrastructure already in place can be utilized as intended. Without this purchase, the Stick Grip and Throttle Grip planned for the instantiation of the F-22 unclassified trainer will not be functional and the Trainer will be unusable. This Trainer is important for developers to work with while waiting for clearance into the SAP area. As a result of this market research, it is in the best interest of the government to move forward with a sole source acquisition to Aerotronics LLC. in order to fulfill the needs of this requirement and to allow for continuity as this vendor is the proprietary manufacturer of this equipment.

Contractors must be registered in System for Award (SAM) at www.sam.gov

Please submit all questions, comments and feedback regarding this notice via e-mail to the following Points of Contact by the deadline of 8:00 am PST on 31 Janaury 2024:

• Ms. Suzanna Kussman, Contracting Officer, Email: suzanna.kussman@us.af.mil
• Mr. John Walker, Contract Specialist, Email: john.walker.68@us.af.mil

No telephone responses will be accepted. Any information submitted by respondents to this Notice of Contract Action is strictly voluntary. To the maximum extent possible, please submit non-proprietary information. Any proprietary information submitted should be identified as such and will be properly protected from disclosure. No classified information shall be submitted. Any response submitted by respondents to this Notice of Contract Action constitutes consent for that submission to be reviewed by Government personnel.

The Air Force Test Center has appointed an Ombudsman to consider and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. Concerned parties should address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the Contracting Officer for resolution prior to consulting the Ombudsman. Additionally, Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation (AFFARS) 5352.201-9101 – Ombudsman, will be included in any potential solicitation and contract for this acquisition. The AFTC Ombudsman contact information is as follows: Air Force Test Center Vice Commander 1 South Rosamond Blvd, Edwards AFB, CA 93524-3784. Phone Number (661) 277-2810, Facsimile Number (661) 277-7593, Email: aftc.workflow@us.af.mil.