The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that may possess new/unused, new/reconditioned, used/overhauled surplus stock or vendors who possess the manufacturing data, expertise, capabilities, experience and meet qualification requirements to produce/manufacture both the Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR), NSN 6610-01-501-1161CX, and the Amplifier Control Unit (ACU), NSN 5895-01-524-2752CX used in Solid State Cockpit Voice Recording (SSCVR) System which supports C-130, C-17 and C-5 operations. The National Stock Numbers (NSN) and Part Numbers (PN) are as follows:
- Flight Data Recorder, NSN 6610-01-501-1161CX, Part Number 2100-4042-53.
- Control Amplifier, NSN 5895-01-524-2752CX, Part Number 93-A152-16B.
Modified versions are not acceptable
Acron Aviation, Inc. (CAGE Code 25583) is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
The AMC/AMSC code for the SSFDR and the ACU is 3/Z:
3 - Acquire, for the second or subsequent time, directly from the actual manufacturer,
Z - This part is a commercial /non-developmental/off-the-shelf item. Commercial item descriptions, commercial vendor catalog or price lists or commercial manuals assigned a technical manual number apply.
The technical data required to organically or competitively manufacture these items is not owned by the Government, and it is uneconomical to acquire the data through reverse engineering. There are no samples available for potential suppliers to evaluate.
The Contractor shall furnish all material, support equipment, tools, test equipment, and services. The contractor is responsible for providing, maintaining, and calibrating all support equipment required at their facility or a subcontractor's facility. Contractor furnished material or parts used for replacement shall equal or exceed the quality of the original material or parts.
Contractors/Institutions responding to this market research are placed on notice that participation in this survey may not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards. The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey.
FAR 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) applies to this request for proposal:
(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as provided in subsection 31.205-18 Bid and Proposal (B&P) Costs, of Federal Acquisition Regulation
(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.
(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of informational planning and budgetary forecasting by the government.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The document(s) below contains a description of the SSFDR's and ACU's manufacturing requirements, as well as a Contractor Capability Survey. The Survey allows contractors to provide their company's capability.
- If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company's capability in meeting these requirements. Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.)
- Identify any areas of work that your organization believes should be broken out exclusively for Small Business.
- Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged.
- Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to Anthony D. Simmons, Program Manager, email anthony.simmons.12@us.af.mil.
PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION
The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to manufacture the Solid-State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) and the Amplifier Control Unit (ACU) used on C-130, C-17 and C-5 weapons systems. The National Stock Numbers (NSN) and Part Numbers (PN) are as follows:
- Flight Data Recorder, NSN 6610-01-501-1161CX, Part Number 2100-4042-53.
- Control Amplifier, NSN 5895-01-524-2752CX, Part Number 93-A152-16B.
The Government does not own or possess the technical/engineering data package or drawings needed to produce/manufacture the SSFDR, or the ACU. Acron Aviation is responsible for the integration of all the subcomponents, and they retain exclusive rights to all technical data (TDP) associated with these NSNs.
The SSCVR delivers reliability, it is lightweight and has low power consumption. The SSCVR records up to 2 hours of high-quality recordings on all four channels. The Solid-State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) records 64/128/256/512/1024 words-per-second flight data for a minimum of 25 hours. The Amplifier Control Unit (ACU) provides pre-amplification of microphone input and utilizes either its own built-in microphone or external area microphone to record conversation on the flight deck for storage in the cockpit voice recorder. The manufacture of the SSFDR, and ACU line replacement units (LRUs) are needed to ensure the availability of the assets necessary to support the current mission requirement of the C-5, C-17, and C-130 aircraft.
The SSFDR and ACU must meet form, fit, function, and interface (F3I) requirements. However, the Government does not own the data or the rights to the data needed for vendors to compete for the production of these parts. It has been determined to be uneconomical to perform reverse engineering for the data, to qualify a new source, or to buy the data and/or data rights. Acron Aviation is the only known source capable of manufacturing these systems components and has been since the SSCVR System was fielded.
CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY SURVEY
C-130, C-17 and C-5 Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) and Amplifier Control Unit (ACU)
Part I. Business Information
Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:
- Company/Institute Name:
- Address:
- Point of Contact:
- CAGE Code:
- Phone Number:
- E-mail Address:
- Web Page URL:
- Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:
NAICS Code 334511 - Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing
Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:
- Small Business (Yes / No)
- Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)
- 8(a) Certified (Yes / No)
- HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)
- Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)
- Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)
- Central Contractor Registration (CCR). (Yes / No)
- A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership).
Written responses must be received no later than the close of business 10 September 2025. Please email your response to anthony.simmons.12@us.af.mil.
Questions relative to this market research should be addressed to Anthony D. Simmons, Program Manager, email anthony.simmons.12@us.af.mil.
Part II. Capability Survey Questions
General Capability Questions:
- Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure.
- Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, and agency/organization supported.
- Describe your company's experience manufacturing both the SSFDR and ACU?
- What is your company's current maximum capacity per month for this particular type of requirement? Provide information on any facility reserves you may possess to increase capacity in the event of an immediate need due to critical operational mission requirements.
Commerciality Questions:
- Are there established catalog or market prices for this requirement?
- If you offer this product and/or service to both U.S. Government and commercial sources, will the same workforce be used for both the U.S. Government and general public?
- Describe your standard warranty and return process for goods and services furnished to the government for items similar in nature to this requirement.
Continuity of Operations and Cybersecurity
- Does your company have an active Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) or an equivalent in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event that causes facilities or operations to be disrupted?
- What mitigation strategies are in place for your company to resume operations and to prevent further disruptions?
- Is your company facing financial disruption, impending merger(s), acquisition and/or foreign investment?
- If there is Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) of your company, what percentage of the company is owned by the foreign entity(ies)? Which foreign country(ies)/entity(ies) owns part or all of your company?
- Does your company have a policy/plan for preventing and mitigating risks associated with internal and external information systems security?
- Has your company implemented cybersecurity requirements given in DFARS clause 252.204-7012, "Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting"?
