Notice of Intent to Sole Source to RMS Cranes, LLC

The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Test Center at Holloman Air Force Base has issued a Notice of Intent to Sole Source a firm-fixed price purchase order to RMS Cranes, LLC for 900-ton gantry crane rental services. The acquisition is being conducted under FAR 6.302-2 citing unusual and compelling urgency as the justification for the sole source award. RMS Cranes, LLC, identified by CAGE code 7UZL4, has been determined to be the only vendor capable of meeting the specifications within the required timeframe. The requirement is classified under NAICS code 238990 (All Other Specialty Trade Contractors) with a large business size standard of $19,000,000. The anticipated award date is March 27, 2026, with the notice posted on March 24, 2026.

The Air Force's government-owned 200-ton Shuttlelift Gantry Crane suffered a critical failure that disrupted preparatory activities for an urgent test mission at the Holloman High Speed Test Track, jeopardizing 10 scheduled missions valued at approximately $1 million each with potential losses up to $10 million. The contractor must provide a turn-key service including the 900-ton mobile hydraulic crane, all support equipment, rigging materials, and a fully certified crew (crane operator, riggers, truck driver, and modular transporter operator) to perform transport, setup, operation, and removal during the April 1-24, 2026 rental period. Although a sole source award is intended, all responsible sources may submit capability statements, bids, proposals, or quotations by the March 25, 2026 deadline at 1300 MDT to Contracting Officer Brett Moore at brett.moore.6@us.af.mil. The government retains discretion to compete the acquisition based on responses received. Market research determined that RMS Cranes, the only local vendor, provided a complete quote of $427,394 in less than 24 hours, while non-local competitors quoted significantly higher prices due to mobilization and demobilization costs.