Request for White Paper_Landing Gear Test Facility (LGTF) Drop Tower Modernization Prototype Project

The Government is seeking white papers from qualified industry parties to explore innovative, turnkey solutions for the complete redesign, fabrication, and installation of a new carriage and variable weight system for Drop Towers 2, 3, and 4 at the Landing Gear Test Facility on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. This Request for White Paper is a market research action intended solely to assess industrial capabilities, refine technical requirements, and identify potential vendors for a future Request for Project Proposal, with no commitment to award a contract at this stage. Respondents must demonstrate a comprehensible and feasible technical approach that leverages existing tower infrastructure, including guide rails, control systems, and Data Acquisition architecture, while ensuring seamless integration without modification. Key deliverables include a complete system design package with a finalized Process and Instrumentation Diagram and functional digital model, an Interface Control Document, and a comprehensive As-Built Technical Data Package containing engineering drawings, material specifications, design calculations, and Operation & Maintenance manuals, alongside a life-cycle analysis with a recommended spare parts list and a Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate for the entire project. Performance must adhere to OSHA, ANSI, and applicable MIL-STDs for machinery and lifting devices, with final acceptance contingent upon a government-witnessed Site Acceptance Test verifying weight range and increment requirements. All respondents must be registered in SAM, possess a valid CAGE code and UEI, and meet stringent cybersecurity and export control requirements, including current CMMC Level 2 self-assessment in the Supplier Performance Risk System and active certification in the Joint Certification Program due to the Controlled Unclassified Information designation of the Statement of Objectives, which must be requested separately from the Agreements Officer. Submissions are limited to 20 pages in PDF format and must be emailed to Brooke Vandeman by the revised deadline of July 15, 2026, and must include detailed corporate experience with heavy-load mechanical systems, a notional schedule predicated on a FY26 award, risk assessments, and justification for compliance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022 through participation by nontraditional defense contractors, small businesses, or non-Federal cost share. The Government may invite select respondents for further concept presentations, and all proposals must reflect a clear path to a fully integrated, safely operable, and sustainably maintained system, with the ultimate goal of enabling future procurement actions based on market insights gained from this white paper submission process.