Amendment 1: Market Survey Announcement for Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) Ground Transponder System

The Department of Transportation’s 693KA8 System Operations Contracts office has issued a Market Survey Announcement for a Ground Transponder System designated as DME/N, targeting solid-state distance measuring equipment for use in the National Airspace System. This action, identified by solicitation number FAADMEMSA2026 and classified under NAICS code 334511, is explicitly non-binding and serves solely as an informational gathering initiative with no intent to form a contract or initiate a formal procurement at this time. Respondents are invited to provide technical capabilities, production throughput, and business entity details including size and ownership status to inform future acquisition strategies. The survey requires detailed submissions limited to 70 pages, structured with a 25-to-50-page requirements verification matrix and an additional 20 pages addressing Section 8 technical requirements, all submitted in Word or PDF format using no smaller than 12-point font. Responses must be electronically delivered to designated FAA contacts by the deadline of July 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with questions required to be submitted by June 23, 2026. Technical requirements for the DME system are defined by FAA-E-37016, dated June 24, 2025, and must comply with a suite of federal, military, and industry standards including FAA-C-1217H, FAA-G-2100J, MIL-STD-461G, MIL-STD-810H, and IEEE C95.1-2019 for human safety. The system must function as a radio frequency transmitter-receiver to determine slant range distance and provide facility identification within a designated service volume, supporting antenna types connected via RF cables up to 500 feet, while maintaining performance after extended periods of non-operation. Packaging must withstand extreme temperatures from -46°C to +71°C in non-operational states, and all markings, labels, and fuse designations must conform to ASME Y14.44 and be visible without disassembly. Verification of compliance must be demonstrated through four methods—insight, analysis, demonstration, and test—with development testing conducted by third parties prior to FAA operational testing at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. Additionally, products must adhere to Buy America and FAA Buy American preferences, and all submitted documentation is subject to protection under 5 U.S.C. §