Prototype Project for Manufacturing, Repair, and Maintenance of Hypervelocity Launcher System Components

The Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Test Center is seeking a qualified vendor to fabricate, repair, and maintain large-scale, high-pressure hypervelocity launcher system components under a prototype project at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee. Core work includes fabricating new launcher components from high-strength alloy steels, repairing and modifying Government-Furnished Property, performing autofrettage processes on high-pressure components, precision machining of components up to 50,000 pounds, and conducting certified welding and Non-Destructive Evaluation on thick-walled parts. Prospective contractors must demonstrate proven experience with high-pressure vessel and ordnance manufacturing, possess in-house or contracted autofrettage capability, maintain ISO 9001 certification, and be a U.S.-based Department of Defense contractor. The Government plans to utilize 10 U.S.C. § 4022 authority to establish an Other Transaction Prototype agreement, which requires that at least one of three statutory conditions be satisfied: participation by a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution at a significant extent; all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors; or at least one-third of total project cost is funded by non-Federal sources. Interested vendors must submit their responses, including a Capability Statement and OTA Qualification statement identifying which statutory requirement criterion they will satisfy, by close of business on February 5, 2026.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and identifies no incumbent contractors or current award values in the available documentation. The solicitation does not specify a particular contract award amount, timeline for service delivery, or quantity of components to be produced. Contractors with capability to access controlled technical documents should provide their CAGE code to enable vetting under NIST SP 800-171 and Joint Certification Program compliance standards. The Pre-Solicitation Notice was posted on January 22, 2026, allowing a two-week window for interested parties to develop and submit their qualification materials ahead of the February 5, 2026 deadline. This market research effort represents an early-stage procurement designed to identify capable sources before formal solicitation, making the initial response deadline critical for contractors seeking consideration for the prototype project award.