Smokejumper DC-7 Main Canopies, MT1S Reserve Canopies with Deployment Systems
Awarded Limited / Sole Source Justification Posted
- Solicitation number
- 1202SA26Q9001
- Agency
-
Forest Service
Department of Agriculture
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- Contract number
- Pending Federal contract award
- NAICS code
- 314999 All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills
- Place of performance
- Missoula, Montana 59808, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's National Technology & Development Program, operating through the National Interagency Fire Center, issued a sole source justification notice on April 8, 2026, for the procurement of specialized parachute components required to maintain mission-critical inventory for the National Smokejumper Program. The acquisition includes DC-7 Main Canopies (30 units), MT1S Main Canopies with top skin drogue rings (14 units), MT1S Reserve Canopies (7 units), and MT1S Deployment Systems (7 units), all of which must be compatible with existing Forest Service-approved deployment systems. Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc. has been identified as the sole source for these life-safety components due to their exclusive ownership of proprietary technical data and manufacturing rights, with no other domestic manufacturers or authorized alternatives available on the Forest Service Approved Equipment List. The justification emphasizes that competitive procurement would create catastrophic delays in mission readiness and unacceptable risk to smokejumper personnel, as extensive market research confirmed the absence of authorized distributors or licensed manufacturers capable of producing these specialized systems. The contract is valued below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold and is scheduled for award on April 22, 2026, with required delivery in Quarter 2 of Fiscal Year 2027. Interested parties were invited to submit capability statements demonstrating compatibility with USFS hardware and inclusion on the Approved Equipment List within 15 days of the announcement to the Contracting Officer, Amelia Velasco.
Notice text
Forest Service intends to award a sole source firm-fixed price purchase order to Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc. (UEI: WEYALM4WUT46) for the specialized parachutes as listed in Table 1 below. This action is being conducted on behalf of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and the National Technology & Development Program (NTDP).
This action falls under the Authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 - Commercial Items, conducted in conjunction with FAR Part 13.106-1(b)(1), “soliciting from a single source for purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold”.
The Government requires proprietary parachute components to maintain mission-critical inventory for the National Smokejumper Program. These items must be compatible with existing FS-approved deployment systems (MTDC-1126, 1127, and 1129). Airborne Systems is the sole manufacturer of these specialized life-safety components.
Product Description
DC-7 Main Canopy (P/N 811406-0) (30 units)
MT1S Main Canopy (with top skin drogue ring) (14 units)
MT1S Reserve Canopy (P/N 811306-0) (7units)
MT1S Deployment System (P/N886452-0) (7 units)
Required Delivery: Quarter 2 of Fiscal Year 2027 (Q2 FY27)
The applicable NAICS Code is 314999 (All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills) with a size standard of 500 employees.
This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, any party believing they can meet the specific technical and safety requirements (compatibility with USFS hardware and inclusion on the Forest Service Approved Equipment List) may submit a capability statement.
Responses must be submitted to the Contracting Officer, Amelia Velasco, at amelia.velasco@usda.gov no later than 15 days after the date of this announcement. T
Awarded contract Pending to unknown vendor for unknown amount on 2026-04-22.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| J_A for Under SAT.pdf |
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