GAU-24 Sources Sought

DISCLAIMER 

THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.  IT IS A MARKET RESEARCH TOOL BEING USED TO DETERMINE POTENTIAL FIRMS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SUPPLIES DESCRIBED HEREIN PRIOR TO DETERMINING THE METHOD OF ACQUISITION AND ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.  THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OBLIGATED TO AND WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM POTENTIAL SOURCES AS A RESULT OF THIS SOURCES SOUGHT.  THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT.  RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.  ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.  

INTRODUCTION 

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO (U&W)), is conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of providing a GAU-24/A 7.62MM Aircraft Machine Guns.  Responses to this notice will be used by the Government to determine the appropriate acquisition strategy.

BACKGROUND/REQUIREMENT

NAVAIR is seeking to identify sources that can manufacture the GAU-24/A machine gun in accordance with a Government-owned Technical Data Package (TDP).  The GAU-24/A machine gun is intended to serve as the common replacement for all other M134-based weapons, currently being used, throughout the Department of War.

The scope of work includes the following:

1. Manufacturing Requirements: The contractor will manufacture the GAU-24/A in accordance with the specifications and drawings provided in the Government-Furnished TDP. Manufacturer must demonstrate a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of 8.
2. Quality Assurance: The contractor must adhere to strict quality control standards to ensure compliance with the TDP and applicable military specifications.
3. Delivery: The contractor will deliver an initial five (5) units to NSWC Crane Indiana within 12 months, post-contract award for Government acceptance testing. The contractor will document that production facilities currently exist to support a minimum of ten (10) additional units per year.
4. Technical Support: The contractor may be required to provide technical support during the production process to address any issues related to the TDP.

The TDP will be provided upon request and will be subject to export control regulations. Interested parties must have the necessary certifications and clearances to access the TDP.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 

The anticipated period of performance will be from FY27 and is expected to run for approximately 36 - 60 months from Contract award.

Anticipated Places of Performance

The Government anticipates that manufacturing and assembly of the GAU-24/A machine gun will be conducted at the vendor’s facility.  Acceptance testing will be conducted at the Government’s designated delivery point. 

ELIGIBILITY 

The applicable NAICS code is 332994.  The Product Service Code (PSC) is 1005.  Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify their business size in their capabilities statement.   

SUBMITTAL INFORMATION 

Interested parties shall submit a Capability Statement package identifying their interest and capability in response to this notice.  Only Capability Statements received on or before 13 February 2026  will be considered by the Government. The requested information is to assist the Government in conducting market research to determine potential business sources that have the assets, skills, experience, financial stability, qualifications, rights to technical data, and requisite knowledge required to support the requirement.  A determination not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Capability Statements received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining competition pathway. Capability Statements submitted should be pertinent and specific in the technical/management/business area under consideration. 

Submission Instructions

Interested parties are requested to submit a brief capabilities statement package. Submissions must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Deadline: All statements must be received on or before the response date listed in the SAM.gov notice.
• Format: No more than 10 pages.
• Paper Size: 8.5 x 11 inches with one-inch margins.
• Font: Single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point minimum.

Required Submittal Information

Your capabilities statement must address, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Basic Company Information
   • Notice number from the SAM.gov posting.
   • Company Name, Address, and CAGE Code.
   • Company DUNS number.
   • Primary and Secondary Points of Contact (Name, title, phone number, and e-mail address).
2. Company Profile
   • A profile including the number of employees, annual revenue history for the last three years, and all office locations.
   • A statement regarding current business size status (e.g., Small Business, Large Business, etc.).
3. Past Performance and Corporate Experience
   • Provide examples of prior or current corporate experience performing efforts of similar size and scope within the last three years for Government or commercial customers.
   • For each reference, include the contract number, the organization supported, and indicate whether you were the prime or a subcontractor.
   • Provide the contract value, a Government/commercial point of contact with a current telephone number, and a brief description of how the referenced contract relates to this requirement.
4. Technical and Manufacturing Capabilities
   • Provide a detailed description of your experience managing tasks of this nature, specifically addressing your company's experience with using and complying with Government-owned Technical Data Packages (TDPs).
   • Clearly state whether your company can produce the GAU-24/A in accordance with the Government-owned TDP without significant modification or re-engineering.
   • Describe your manufacturing facilities, equipment, and personnel resources, including any relevant quality certifications (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100).
   • Describe your company's quality control processes and procedures.
   • If applicable, describe your company's experience with titanium molding processes.
5. Cybersecurity
   • Specifically address your company's ability to handle and protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) as required by DFARS 252.204-7012, "Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting."
6. Risk Assessment
   • Describe any challenges or risks your company anticipates in fulfilling this requirement and outline your proposed mitigation strategies.
7. Readiness to Perform
   • State your company's ability to begin performance upon contract award without the need for additional negotiations to procure rights or data.
8. Small Business Participation (If Applicable)
   • If qualifying as a small business, provide an explanation of your company's ability to perform at least 50% of the required tasking.
9. Provide a ROM cost estimate for manufacturing five (5) GAU-24/A machine guns. This information is for market research purposes only and will not be used for evaluation.
   • Clearly state the assumptions underlying the estimate.

Responses shall be submitted electronically to the designated Contract Specialist, Brittoney Green, in Microsoft Word format or Portable Document Format (PDF) at the following email address: brittoney.k.green.civ@us.navy.mil

No phone calls will be accepted. The Government may contact RFI respondents for clarification of submitted information.

All questions must be submitted via e-mail. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise because of a response to this Sources Sought. 

DOCUMENT MARKINGS 

It is incumbent upon sources providing responses to this Notice to accurately mark all data with all appropriate data rights, distribution and classification markings. All information submitted will be adequately safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207. All submissions must be clearly marked with the following caption: For Official Use Only, Releasable to Government Agencies for Evaluation Purposes Only.  

Responses that fail to comply with the above instructions or present ideas not pertinent to subject, may not be reviewed. All information received in response to this Notice that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Information submitted in response to this Notice is submitted at no cost to the Government and will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to provide responses or comments to information received from interested persons but may request additional information following review. Note: If interested person is a foreign concern or if a U.S. interested person has a team member or partner who is a foreign entity, adherence to all International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) is required. 

Interested sources are advised that the employees of commercial firms under contract to the Government will serve as technical reviewers of information provided in response to this Sources Sought.  By submission of a response, a source gives the Government permission to release the entire response (inclusive of proprietary information) to employees of the organizations listed below. All employees of the organizations identified that will have access to RFI response data will have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in place prior to accessing the data.   

Beyond the above commercial firms, the Government will not release any data received in response to this RFI, for which it has less than Government Purpose Data Rights, to any firm, agency, or individual outside the Government.