This Sources Sought opportunity from Department Of Defense was posted on May 20, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
Sources Sought ECP 1331 F/A-18 and EA-18G Brake Bleeder Valve Protective Cap
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
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AI Contract Overview
The Department of Defense, through the Naval Air Systems Command, is conducting a Sources Sought notice to identify potential contractors capable of designing, producing, and retrofitting an improved Brake Bleeder Valve Protective Cap for the F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft. The existing Brake Bleeder Valve has experienced failures that cause rapid depletion of hydraulic systems, leading to loss of braking capability and operational risks. The Government requires a redesigned protective cap with a mechanical retention mechanism, such as accommodation for safety wire, to prevent valve backing out and ensure reliability without affecting the valve's form, fit, or hydraulic function. The contractor will be responsible for developing the new design, delivering associated updated drawings, and supplying up to 4,800 units anticipated for retrofit beginning in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2027. Interested vendors are invited to submit a concise capability statement detailing their interest, capabilities, relevant experience, and any prior government work related to similar products, along with contact information. Supplemental materials such as catalogs, technical data, and pricing may also be included. Responses must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on June 4, 2026, to the designated Naval Air Systems Command point of contact. This request is strictly for information gathering and market research to inform future acquisition, and does not constitute a solicitation or promise of contract award. The Government reserves the right to use the information received at its discretion and will protect proprietary information if so requested.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
St James, MD, USASet-Aside
Documents
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Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
DISCLAIMER:
THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS, AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY VENDORS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.
Sources Sought – F/A-18 and EA-18G Brake Bleeder Valve Protective Cap
This announcement constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) to identify potential sources for the improvement, production, and retrofit associated with the incorporation of the Brake Bleeder Valve Protective Cap into the F/A-18/EA-18G aircraft weapon systems. Departures of the Brake Bleeder Valve led to rapid and complete depletion of Hydraulic (Hyd) 2A and Hyd 2B systems, resulting in loss of normal and emergency breaking and possible off-runway excursion. The Brake Bleeder Valve relies on torque application to resist backing out. No mechanical retention mechanism currently exists to prevent backing out. A mechanical retention mechanism, by way of a modified Brake Bleeder Protective Cap that can accommodate safety wire to prevent backing out and the departure of the Bleeder Valve (Part Number (PN) 2611992-5), is required to ensure all contributing factors to failure are adequately mitigated. This modification that the Government is seeking to procure will not affect form, fit, or hydraulic function of the Brake Bleeder Valve. The contractor will design a new configuration Protective Cap to meet the requirements of the Brake Assembly performance specification and provide the associated drawings/updates. The Government does not own the current drawings for PN 2611992-5. The anticipated start date is in 2nd quarter, Fiscal Year (FY) 27. NAVAIR expects to procure up to 4,800 redesigned caps for retrofit.
Vendors interested in responding to the RFI shall provide a one to two page overview statement addressing the following: 1) brief statement of interest/capabilities; 2) any other information at vendor discretion such as catalogs, drawings/illustrations, technical manuals, training description/material, pricing, testing documentation, brochures, and/or any other documentation that describes the capabilities, interfaces, and specifications; 3) identify any Government customer who has procured the Brake Bleeder Valve Protective Caps or a similar, comparable product and provide customer point of contact, including a telephone number, e-mail address, or website. Responses shall be submitted electronically to the e-mail address provided below. Responses are requested by the closing of the RFI. Earliest possible response is encouraged. Responses will be reviewed, and additional information may be requested from individual vendors, if desired by the Government. Capability statement packages shall be no more than two 8.5 x 11-inch pages, font no smaller than 12 point, 1.5 spaced, and must demonstrate ability to provide the supplies listed in the required capabilities described herein.
The capability statement package shall be sent via email to camryn.l.howard.civ@us.navy.mil. Submissions must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on 04 June 2026. Questions or comments regarding this notice may be addressed to camryn.l.howard.civ@us.navy.mil. All responses shall include Company Name, Company Address, Company CAGE Code, Company Business Size, and Point of Contact (POC) including name, phone number, and email address.
This RFI does not constitute a commitment from the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award or awards, or be responsible for any monies expended by any interested party in support of the effort described above. It is a market research tool being used to determine potential and eligible firms capable of providing the supplies/services described herein prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a Request for Proposal. The Government reserves the right to review and use the data submitted at its own discretion. Upon request, the Government will protect proprietary information from unwanted disclosure. Any such requests shall be submitted with the statement of capabilities. Any contract actions that the Government intends to procure in the future will be synopsized on the Government-wide Point of Entry (GPE) as applicable in accordance with FAR 5.201(b).