Sourses Sought for Airframe Modification Kits -A-KITS Manufacturer

Request for Information (RFI) for Airframe Modification Kit (A-kits) Manufacture

NAICS: 336413 Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacture

THIS IS A RFI ONLY.  This Sources Sought (SS)/Request for Information (RFI) is being posted to be used for preliminary planning purposes in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10.The Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal, AL intends to issue Small Business Set Aside solicitation restricted to small businesses located in the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville Combined Statistical Area as defined in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin No. 18-04, dated 14 September 2018, for manufacture of hardware. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.   This announcement does not commit the Government to solicit or award a contract now or in the future.  Respondees are advised that the US Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. However, responsible, interested parties may identify their interest and capability by responding to this notice. The Government will consider all information received prior to the closing date of this notice.

Purpose: The Product Manager Air Warrior (PM AW) is seeking to identify interested contractors capable of providing manufacture of airframe modification kits, also known as A-kits, for installation of the Air Soldier System components onto rotary wing aircraft.  The A-kits can generally be grouped into three types: Advanced Sight and Display Computer collectors, Encryptable Aircraft Wireless Intercom System collectors and Aviation Information System collectors. The US Government is looking for interested sources capable of manufacture and kitting an indefinite quantity over the next five years.

Background: The A-kits provide the wiring harnesses, mechanical brackets, fasteners, and connectors for installation of Air Soldier System line replaceable units. The US Government is looking for small businesses capable of manufacture of wiring harnesses, mechanical brackets, and procurement and kitting of items into a kit in accordance with the modification work order or drawing. The US Government will provide the technical data package for each A-kit manufacture.

The US Government requires the manufacturer to be capable of the following:

1. Employ a quality system IAW ANSI/ASQ/ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 or equivalent system.
2. Fabrication and soldering of electrical and electronic assemblies IAW ANSI/J-STD-001, Class 3, with acceptance IAW IPC-A-610, Class 3, (or equivalent as agreed between the contractor and the government).
3. Fabrication and acceptability of soldering of cable and wire harness assemblies IAW IPC-A-620, Class 3, (or equivalent as agreed between the contractor and the government).
4. The contractor shall include tin whisker mitigation plans IAW GEIA-STD-0005-2, “Standard for Mitigating the Effects of Tin Whiskers in Aerospace and High Performance Electronic Systems” at control level 2B. For tin whisker mitigation at control level 2B, the contractor shall: (1) flow this requirement to its suppliers and sub-tier suppliers; (2) review supplier designs to identify any usage of pure tin; and (3) monitor supplier designs for potential introduction of pure tin. 

The US Government is interested in manufacturer’s capabilities with the standards above and the impact to the manufacturer if required to meet standards above.

The RFI includes two sample technical data packages representative of the configurations of A-kits to be included on any future solicitation. PLEASE NOTE: The Technical Data Packages are included as attachments in this RFI, and are labeled as follows: (TDP 1) for package one, and (TDP 2) for package two.

Instructions:   Request that interested parties provide a written response to this RFI NLT 09 April 2020 to eddie.l.gordon.civ@mail.mil  Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submissions can be through written correspondence and/or electronic mail.  Responses should be no more than ten pages and include, at a minimum:

• Name and address of the interested company or organization;
• Contact information for the primary POC;
• A brief description of the potential offeror’s company/organization;
• A description of the potential offeror’s capabilities and products;
• A description of the potential offeror’s quality certification and program;
• A description of the potential offeror’s capabilities for meeting fabrication and soldering electrical, electronic, cable, and wire harness assemblies to Class 2 or Class 3 and impact of meeting Class 3.  The offeror should also address acceptance level Class IAW IPC 610 and 620.
• A description of the potential offeror’s capabilities for tin whisker mitigation and impact of tin whisker mitigation at different Class Level.