This is a Sources Sought/Market Research announcement to identify interest in Penetrator Bomb Bodies procurement. This announcement is in support of Market Research performed by the United States Army Contracting Command to determine interest in Penetrator Bomb Bodies production, as a manufacturer of Penetrator Bomb Bodies, for Fiscal Years 2011 through 2015. The end users of the Penetrator Bomb Bodies are the Air Force and Navy. The Penetrator Bomb Bodies may consist of, but are not limited to the following: BLU-109/B, NSN: 1325-01-335-8828; BLU-109 A/B, NSN: 1325-01-368-3474; BLU-109 C/B, NSN: 1325-01-585-5698; Methodology for the BLU-109 Bomb Bodies: a. Description: Production of the BLU-109 Penetrator Bomb Bodies requires complex operations and sophisticated industrial capabilities. The BLU-109 Penetrator Case is manufactured from forged high strength steel, 170,000 psi min. yield IAW ASTM E8. The finished bomb case is approximately 95 inches long, 14.5 inches in diameter with 16-inch diameter at the base. The wall thickness ranges from 1.125 inches along the case to approximately 3.75 inches in the nose of the case. The BLU-109 is an improved 2,000 lb class bomb designed as a penetrator without a forward fuze well. Its configuration is relatively slim, and its skin is much harder than that of the standard MK-84 bomb. The skin is a single-piece, forged warhead casing of high-grade steel. b. Critical Processes/Skills: Manufacture of the BLU-109 Bomb Bodies requires specialized equipment and facilities. Critical equipment and facilities may include: forging presses, heat treat with oil quench, material handling systems, large double end lathes, conventional machining equipment, deep hole boring machines, CNC milling machines, coordinate measuring machines, gage calibration equipment, and descaling equipment. Critical skills needed for production of bomb bodies include forming and heat-treating, setup personnel, inspection and testing technicians, quality control engineers, and machinists. Responses: A respondent to this market survey must have available the skills required to perform all production/testing operations on the specific equipment including forming, welding/resistance welding, heat treating, machining, testing, and assembling all subject bomb bodies. These skills must be available with sufficient experience and proficiency to produce these items in a timely and efficient manner. A respondent must also have available the appropriate maintenance, tooling, and manufacturing engineering skills required to support quality production of these items. Interested companies should provide any minimum production requirements and any production limitations; they should also note any significant lead times with equipment or materials associated with production of these bomb bodies. Interested companies should respond by providing the government the following information: a brief summary of the companys capabilities (a description of the facilities, personnel experience, quality system and past manufacturing experience as it relates to the above criteria) and availability. If a respondent does not have adequate resources (facilities, technical, manufacturing, personnel, etc.) available, then they must be able to demonstrate their ability to obtain those resources without significant delay. If a respondent chooses to utilize the services of sub-tier vendors or subcontractors, they must identify which items they plan on subcontracting. Companies are requested to produce a rough order of magnitude (ROM) price for each bomb body noted above. This is a market survey for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the government. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited. Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary. The government will utilize the information provided only to develop the acquisition strategy for future requirements. All submissions are requested to be made electronically and shall be made within 30 calendar days from the date of this publication. All information submitted will be held in a confidential status. All companies interested in this notice must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration Database. Top-level drawings will be provided upon request to the POC. This announcement is for INFORMATION and PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY and should NOT be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. This announcement does not constitute a Request for Proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. Requests for solicitation will not receive a response. It is expected that all the bomb bodies will be purchased via a Technical Data Package. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. No basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this announcement or Government use of any information provided. This announcement does not restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition strategy. The Government reserves the right to consider acquisition strategies as deemed appropriate. Depending on the information received from this announcement, the Government may plan a Penetrator Bomb Body Industry Day. Responders should indicate their interest in an Industry Day and the potential topics. All responses to this announcement must be received by 16 August 2010. Address all responses to Mr. Benjamin Riessen, Contract Specialist, Army Contracting Command, CCRC-AR, 1 Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, IL 61299-6500, telephone:
+1 (555) 000-0000, E-mail:
contact@example.gov.
