F35 Headsets P/N: 12512G-11

Background
The Department of the Air Force, specifically Headquarters Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, has authorized the purchase of Land Based Communication Hearing Devices (headsets) P/N: 12512G-11 from David Clark Company Incorporated.

This decision follows a study conducted to establish a standard hearing device for F-35 maintainers that meets operational requirements across various aircraft variants and environments. The study concluded that the existing headsets (P/N 40762G-04) do not comply with current Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) standards or the new land-based standards, making the new model necessary for effective communication and hearing protection in high-noise environments, such as aircraft carrier flight decks.

Work Details
The contract involves the procurement of David Clark Communication Hearing Devices, specifically model P/N: 12512G-11. The requirements include:
1. A single device solution to protect all F-35 maintainers regardless of aircraft variant and operational environment.
2. Adequate protection in high-noise environments while allowing for necessary communication.
3. Approval for F-35A squadrons to purchase mission-required quantities, with a limit of up to 50 headsets per 24 Personnel Assigned Aircraft (PAA) squadrons. Once received, older headsets will no longer be authorized for use.