Description: The purpose of this sources sought is to identify potential sources capable of manufacturing Light Weight (LW) 30MM M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) cartridge, NSN 1305-01-268-9373, Part No. 12902728. Special equipment is required to produce these cartridges.

Production of the cartridges is very complex and requires sophisticated industrial capabilities. The manufacturing process encompasses, but is not limited to: (1) machining of projectile body, fuze, and copper liner metal parts, (2)fuze production, (3) production of propellant, (4) cartridge case priming and loading with propellant and (5) load, assemble, and pack-out (LAP) of the completed cartridges. The LAP for M789 cartridges requires highly specialized facilities, equipment, and tooling for the safe storage, handling, transportation, weighing, consolidation and testing of high explosives and fuzes. In most cases the production processes dealing with high explosives and fuzes must be performed remotely. The facilities must be specially designed and fabricated to meet DOD hazard/safety standoff requirement in order to mitigate the risk of propagation in the event of an unintended initiation of explosive materials. Additionally the LAP personnel must be specially trained to work with explosives. For each step of the manufacturing process, sophisticated test and measuring equipment is required to ensure the final products comply with Government requirements. An approved ballistics test range, M230 MANN barrels and M230 Automatic Gun are required to perform First Article and Lot Acceptance Tests on these cartridges. Production support equipment includes material handling systems, tool room equipment, furnaces for heat treat and annealing, metal forming and machining equipment, anodize and phosphate systems, ultrasonic and x-ray test equipment and metrology and metallurgy laboratories. Other critical skills required to manufacture the M789 include, but are not limited to ammunition process/design engineers, explosive experts, set-up mechanics and operators, quality control engineers, certified ultrasonic and x-ray technicians, metallurgists and ballistics test personnel.

Due to the customers demand for timely deliveries, interested parties must be able to successfully complete a First Article Acceptance Test within eight months after award, with the first production delivery due within ten months after award. A respondents production capacity must be sufficient to manufacture an average of 85,000 per month.

Specifications: This item is purchased to a Technical Data Package (TDP).

Planned Acquisition: A one/two year firm-fixed price contract is contemplated for this effort. A base quantity of approximately 300,000 is being considered with a 250% option.

Submission Information: Interested U.S./Canadian firms who feel they are capable of manufacturing the M789 cartridge are invited to indicate their interest by providing the Government a brief summary of their companys capabilities, facilities, personnel and past manufacturing experience to: Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Contracting Center, ATTN: CCRC-AF Dave Buennig, 1 Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, IL 61299-8000, or electronically to [email protected]. Please respond no later than 21 October 2010 and identify the 30MM M789 Source Sought/Market Research as the subject of your response. This market survey is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited.

Bid Protests Not Available