USAFA Notice of Intent to Sole Source for Internal Force Balance Calibration Body

Please see attached. The US Air Force Academy (USAFA) intends to award a sole source contract using simplified commercial procedures in accordance with RFO part 12 to:

Aerophysics Research Instruments, LLC This is a small business located at:1869 Pomona RD STE A, Corona, California 92878-3289, United States The authority for this non-competitive award is RFO 12.102(a), as the Contracting Officer has determined that the circumstances of the contract action deem only one source to be available.

The NAICS code for this requirement is 334519 and the PSC code is 6635. The size standard as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration is 600 employees.The Government has determined Aerophysics Research Instruments, LLC to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance and the only responsible source that will satisfy USAFA’s requirement because: a) Aerophysics Research Instruments, LLC is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and sole intellectual property owner of the 0.75" Mk LVI Balance currently in use.

They are the only source that possesses the proprietary engineering drawings and tolerancing data required to manufacture a 100% compatible calibration body kit. A compatible kit is required to prevent catastrophic mechanical failure during high-load calibrations and to ensure validity of aerodynamic testing data. A detailed search on gsaadvantage.gov and other government sources of supply provided no vendors identified that can provide this commodity.

Responses and questions shall be submitted to the points of contact Dawson Hopkinson at dawson.hopkinson@us.af.mil and Melinda Lingley, Contracting Officer at melinda.lingley@us.af.mil no later than 10:00 AM, MDT on 17 June 2026. Responses received after this will be considered late and will not be evaluated.