J&A Eastern Europe

The contract modification P00016 under SPE60524D9403 authorizes a sole-source, firm-fixed-price procurement of 3.3 million U.S. gallons of JA1 jet fuel from Stonewin International, LLC at $8.244 per gallon, totaling $27,205,200, to support urgent U.S. Air Force operations at Mikhail Kogalniceanu Airbase and Otopeni Airport Military Base in Romania under Operation Epic Fury. The acquisition was justified under FAR 6.103-2 and 10 U.S.C. §3204(a)(2) due to unusual and compelling urgency arising from extreme market scarcity, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since February 2026, which disrupted 40% of global jet fuel supply, and the absence of alternative vendors capable of immediate delivery. The contractor was selected based on its incumbent status, pre-established logistics infrastructure, and verified ability to source and transport fuel rapidly from the Mediterranean region with no viable competitive alternatives. The performance period spans March 16, 2026, to March 31, 2027, with no priced option for extension. Inspection and acceptance occur at the destination airbases in Romania, with the U.S. Air Force and DLA Energy responsible for oversight, while no formal inspection criteria, quality standards, packaging, marking, or preservation specifications are detailed. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, based in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting office with Orlando Merritt as the contracting officer and Tonya Sterling as the division chief; no contracting officer’s representative is named. No competitive evaluation factors, offeror representations, certifications, or solicitation procedures were applied, as the procurement bypassed full and open competition under an urgent need determination supported by open-source intelligence and a negotiated price deemed fair and reasonable despite market volatility. The funding source is the Defense Working Capital Fund, and remittance is processed through DLA Energy’s fiscal office in Fort Belvoir.