Pacific Scientific Wins $14 Million Navy Contract for Aircraft Canopy Removal Cords

Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Co. has received a $14.35 million firm-fixed-price Navy contract to supply 46 configurations of shielded mild detonating cord for canopy removal systems on F/A-18, AV-8B and T-45 aircraft. NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support awarded the contract on Sept. 24, 2026. Work will take place in Hollister, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2029. The purchase also includes equipment for foreign military sales to Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia and Spain.

Shielded Mild Detonating Cord Details

Pacific Scientific will provide cord configurations used in the three aircraft types’ canopy removal systems. A Navy procurement justification describes the assemblies as critical safety items whose manufacture is highly specialized. The parts are source-controlled, meaning they must be acquired from manufacturers identified on the applicable drawings.

The cords are part of the Navy’s broader inventory of cartridge- and propellant-actuated devices for aircraft emergency escape and safety systems. The Navy’s ammunition procurement budget justification identifies shielded mild detonating cords among the items supporting F/A-18 aircraft and describes related components for the AV-8B. It says these devices have finite service lives and are replaced during scheduled maintenance; an aircraft may be grounded if a device exceeds its recommended service life and that life cannot be extended.

Award and Contractor Background

The Navy identified two sources for the limited competition and received one offer. The procurement record and its justification identify Pacific Scientific and Rockwell Collins as sources for the specialized parts. The justification says the Navy’s technical review and outreach did not identify additional suppliers able to meet the requirement.

Pacific Scientific has supplied related aircraft escape-system hardware before. In 2017, the Defense Department announced a $21.31 million, three-year contract with the company to manufacture T-6 trainer egress-system components, including shielded mild detonating cord transfer lines and other canopy components.

This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov in approximately 90 days under N0010426CK009 after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.