Request for Information (RFI)- Parallel Battery Relay

1. NOTICE
This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational and market research purposes only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. It does not constitute a solicitation, a Request for Proposal (RFP), or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The Government will not reimburse any company or individual for expenses associated with preparing or submitting information in response to this RFI. The information provided may be used by the U.S. Air Force in developing its acquisition strategy, Statement of Work (SOW), and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition-sensitive information.

2. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), MH-139A Program Office (AFLCMC/WIH), is conducting market research to identify sources capable of providing Parallel Battery Relay modification for the MH-139A.

The MH-139A missions routinely require off-station engine starts using only battery power.  Flight data indicates that isolated battery starts in extreme cold weather degrade transient voltage, resulting in failed or hot engine starts.  The objective of this effort is to modify the aircraft to parallel the main and auxiliary batteries during start sequences to prevent engine damage in austere environments.

The Government considers Leonardo Service Bulletin SB 139-360 Rev C, Part II, (including Kit P/Ns 4G2430F00713) as the known baseline solution.

Key requirements for the system include:

• System Functionality: Simultaneous utilization of main and auxiliary batteries during engine start sequences. Proposed solutions must either be the OEM kits or an equivalent FAA-approved modification that meets the exact same requirement.
• Airworthiness Support: The vendor must provide the necessary engineering data package to support a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and a military Engineering Change Proposal (ECP).
• Critical Exclusion (Batteries): The USAF currently possesses compatible Nickle-Cadmium 44 Ah Main and 27 Ah Auxiliary batteries.[CA1] [BA2] [JC3]  Modification pricing must strictly exclude the physical batteries and include only the installation hardware (relays, brackets, wiring, consumables).
• Support & Documentation: The vendor must provide the necessary technical data package (e.g., flight manual supplements, wiring diagrams, structural data, and software integration files) associated with their kit to allow the Government to integrate the modification into baseline aircraft and training devices.

3. INSTRUCTION TO POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS
Respondents are encouraged to provide comprehensive responses that demonstrate existing capability, supply chain stability, and technical support qualifications. Please structure your response to address the following sections:

A. Company Information:

• Company Name, Address, CAGE Code, and Website URL.
• Point of Contact (Name, Title, Phone, Email).
• Business Size Status under NAICS Code 336413 (Aircraft Manufacturing), with a size standard of 1,500 employees. Please self-certify for all applicable categories:
  • Small Business (Yes/No)
  • Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) (Yes/No)
  • HUBZone Certified (Yes/No)
  • Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) (Yes/No)
• Company Ownership (Domestic or Foreign-owned).
• Interest as Prime Contractor or Subcontractor.

B. Technical Capability, Logistics, and Sustainment:

• Provide a detailed description of your proposed hardware kit (whether providing the OEM baseline or an equivalent solution).
• Describe the Size, Weight, Power, Cooling, and Center of Gravity (CG) impacts of the installation hardware (excluding the batteries).
• Detail your strategy for interfacing the physical relay with the aircraft's Operational Flight Program (OFP) and Crew Alerting System (CAS) to provide pilot advisories, fault alerts, and engine Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) interlocks.[JC4] 
• If a physical switch or manual control is required for the activation of the proposed solution, the vendor must detail the strategy for aircraft modification, including the exact proposed placement of the interface to ensure in-flight aircrew accessibility.
• Provide engineering analysis or electrical modeling curves demonstrating the system's ability to maintain transient voltage above the engine hot-start threshold during a simulated start sequence at temperatures down to -40°C (-40°F).
• Provide proof of your company being part 145 certified.
• Sustainment & Tooling:
  • Identify any proprietary or non-standard tooling required for installation.
  • Identify strict shelf-life limitations or specialized storage/packing requirement for any kit consumables (e.g., adhesives, sealants).
  • Confirm supply chain capability to provide individual replacement parts (relays, brackets) for long-term sustainment.
  • Describe the technical data package provided with your kit and detail how your company will ensure the USAF Program Office receives future engineering revisions, safety notices, or updates related to this specific kit.
• Provide an impact analysis on how aircrew training syllabi and training devices (e.g., flight simulators, Weapons System Trainers, Cockpit Part Task Trainers, Operational Flight Trainers) will need to be updated.
• Acknowledge your ability to provide the necessary engineering artifacts required to support a Government CCB, ECP development, and TCTO generation.

• Facility Suitability: Describe the facility/depot where this installation would occur. Confirm that your facility meets the minimum footprint, tooling, and safety standards (e.g., specialized battery storage, hazardous material handling, and overhead clearance) required to perform the parallel battery kit installation.

• Throughput and Parallel Capacity: What is your maximum capacity for simultaneous (parallel) aircraft installations? Please detail how your facility layout and tooling availability support this throughput.

C. Cost, Schedule, and Manpower:

• Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate broken down in two parts:
  • Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE):
    • Electrical design, software/CAS integration, flight manual updates, and ECP/STC certification data package support, to include the engineering source data required for TCTO generation and Technical Order (TO) updates.
    • Modification Kit & Field Installation: The per-aircraft cost to procure the physical hardware (excluding batteries) and perform the retrofit installation.
• Provide an estimated timeline for the development, testing, kit delivery lead times, and initial operational capability of the first modified aircraft.
• Validation of Maintenance Man-Hours (MMH): Respondents must name estimated MMH, and then clarify this estimate by addressing the following:

• The assumed environment/conditions for this estimate (e.g., controlled factory/depot environment vs. an operational flightline hangar). 
• Active "touch-labor" hours vs. passive calendar/cure time, including whether the estimate assumes standard room-temperature or accelerated heat curing.
• Assumed crew size (single technician vs. multi-person). 
• Inclusion or exclusion of post-installation testing and airworthiness sign-off time.
• Detail your available certified manpower (specifically avionics technicians and structural installers) to support the modification effort. Clarify if dedicated crews will be used for each aircraft, or if staff will be shared across multiple, parallel installation lines.
• Describe your crewing strategy for handling multiple, parallel aircraft modification lines (e.g., dedicated crews per aircraft vs. shared staff).

D. Small Business Utilization:

• For Small Businesses: Describe how you will comply with FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, if this requirement is set-aside.
• For Large Businesses: Provide a realistic small business utilization target as a percentage of total contract value and explain your rationale.

4. RESPONSES AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Responses shall not exceed 15 pages (single-sided, 12-point font).
• Submit responses electronically by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on 12/11/2026.
• Mark all proprietary information clearly. Unmarked information will be considered publicly releasable. Be advised that government-contracted support personnel may handle submissions under non-disclosure agreements.
• Prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov.

Submit Responses to:

• Buyer: Chad Group (contact@example.gov)
• PCO: Jeremy Perry (contact@example.gov)