Justification For an Exception to Fair Opportunity, Air to Air Refueling Task Order

This solicitation is a Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity for an Air to Air Refueling Task Order under the Multiple-Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (MA/IDIQ) contract N00421-21-D-0034, issued by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Patuxent River, Maryland. The action is a sole-source award to Omega Aerial Refueling Services (OARS), designated as the only responsible source capable of fulfilling the requirement due to its unique and irreplaceable capabilities, as authorized under FAR 16.507-6(b)(2). The contractor must provide a single FAA-certified tanker aircraft equipped with Interim Flight Clearances for all specified receiver aircraft, including B-1B, B-52H, C-17A, F-15, F-16, F-22A, F-35A, KC-46A, and MC-130J. The aircraft must also support passenger transport with emergency oxygen systems and carry qualified non-crew members along with associated Portable Universal Kits (PUKs), while maintaining sufficient fuel offload capacity to fulfill missions across the USINDOPACOM Area of Responsibility. The task order has a one-year base period beginning June 15, 2026, with fifteen optional periods, and is valued at $46,625,940.00 under an Operations & Maintenance, Air Force appropriation, with no line-item breakdown provided and fuel excluded from the contract cost as part of a dry contract structure. No formal contract clauses, evaluation factors, packaging requirements, or invoicing procedures are specified, and while the redacted J&A 26-0198 is referenced, the contractor’s UEI, CAGE code, size status, and socioeconomic certifications are not disclosed. The procurement is publicly posted as a Special Notice to comply with FAR 16.507-6(f)(1), and submissions must be made by June 16, 2026, to the contracting office at Patuxent River, Maryland, with no electronic portal explicitly named.