7.62x51mm, XM1164 Ball and XM1165 Tracer Reduced Range Cartridges

Purpose – The U.S. Army Contracting Command – New Jersey, on behalf of the Office of the Project Manager, Maneuver Ammunition System (PM MAS) is seeking potential sources for the production of the Caliber 7.62x51mm, XM1164 Ball and XM1165 Tracer Reduced Range cartridges, which use aeroballistics effects to achieve a reduction in Surface Danger Zone (SDZ) resulting in smaller training range requirements while maintaining ballistic match.The primary configuration for these cartridges shall be linked in a ratio of 4 ball (XM1164) to 1 Tracer (XM1165), using M13 metallic links, in belts of 100 cartridges, packed 800 cartridges per M2A2 container, 2 - M2A2 containers per Wire Bound Box.Operational Requirements - Packaging shall be capable of providing weather resistance to the ammunition and be capable of OCONUS shipment (Land, Sea, and Air) without disruption or damage. Specific areas of interest include high performance and reliability through extreme operating temperatures (-65°F and

+160°F), fully acceptable functional safety and long-term storage stability, and a demonstrated manufacturing process. Tracer performance shall be out to a range of a minimum of 900 meters. The 7.62mm RRA shall operate outdoors with an effective range out to a minimum of 800 meters, within the permissible exposure limits established by the U.S. Army Public Heath Command and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and when fired will not generate a hazardous waste as listed under 40 CFR. All potential sources must be able to produce a XM1164 cartridge in compliance with Cartridge Assembly Drawing #13076158 and a XM1165 cartridge in compliance with Cartridge Assembly Drawing #13076160. In addition those cartridges must meet the performance, first article, and lot acceptance requirements for the XM1164 and XM1165 cartridges, including but not limited to; all interior and exterior ballistic qualities of the current military specifications (AR-PD-192 and AR-PD-193, respectively), must function normally in all currently fielded 7.62x51mm caliber machine guns and sniper/designated-marksman rifles in all operational temperatures and environmental extremes without altering or damaging such weapons, and shall not expose the shooter to toxic materials listed by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit values or OSHA as listed in 29 CFR 1910.Planned Acquisition - The anticipated period of performance shall be from FY24-FY29 and utilize an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Type contract over the five (5) years. Low Rate Initial Production deliveries are to be a total of 2M 7.62mm RRA cartridges delivered within the first 12 months of the contract. 12 Months after the contract award, Full Rate Production will be required at a rate of up to 12M per year.Specifications - The design and manufacture of this item shall be in conformance with AR-PD-192/AR-PD-193 and drawing # 13108112 for 4 XM1164 Linked to 1 XM1165. The contractor must be capable of performing and passing all first article and lot acceptance tests at a contractor provided location under USG supervision. To obtain the Technical Data for this Sources Sought, contractors must request explicit access through the “Attachments/Links” tab in this announcement and shall submit the following forms:1. DD Form 2345 Military Critical Technical Data Agreement2. AMSTA-AR 1350 - Technical Data Request Questionnaire3. Non-Disclosure and Non-Use AgreementRequest access to the document titled “Tech Data Request W15QKN-22-X-0WUZ”. When prompted for “Reason for Request”, the contractor shall enter the following: “I am requesting access to the .zip file for the Tech Data under Sources Sought W15QKN-22-X-0WUZ. My CAGE Code is XXXXX”. Successful completion of this will prompt a USG point of contact to send the Tech Data to the requesting data custodian via the DoD SAFE website. Contractors must be registered with the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office to obtain a copy of the drawings (The form can be accessed through the following website: www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp). Contractors must apply for an export license to provide the data to foreign subcontractors. A contractor's delay in applying for DD 2345 certification or an export license will not be a basis to extend the closing date of any future request for proposal.Submission InformationTHIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION. Please be advised that the Government will not pay for any information submitted under this announcement. All responsible, interested sources should submit their capabilities/qualification data. The respondent's capabilities information must demonstrate the ability to produce and test quantities of small caliber ammunition and that they are staffed with both production and development experts. Information should be submitted via electronic mail only, no later than 30 June 2024. All responses should be submitted to Contract Specialist, Joseph Valmores, via e-mail, joseph.valmores.civ@army.mil and Contracting Officer, Alexander Alvarez, via email, alexander.alvarez13.civ@army.mil.Interested companies should respond by providing the Government the following information:(1) Name of company and CAGE Code;(2) Point of Contact’s name, telephone number and E-mail address;(3) Company address;(4) Business size information;(5) Test data and supporting evidence that demonstrates the proposed design's ability to meet the requirements of AR-PD-192 and AR-PD-193.(6) A brief summary of the company's capabilities (to include organizations, description of facilities, equipment, manufacturing process, inspection capability, skills, personnel);(7) Capability in manufacturing 7.62mm RRA cartridges;(8) A brief summary of possible partnering/teaming arrangements;(9) Description of facilities/equipment to include testing ranges;(10) Estimated maximum monthly production capacity (and if manufacturing resources required to produce this item are shared by other items/production lines;(11) Minimum sustaining rate required for economical production;(12) Lead time to successfully conduct/complete a First Article Acceptance Test (FAAT) and first production delivery after award (600k qty)Please identify any proprietary information submitted. A respondent to this survey must have the majority of the skills and facilities that are required to manufacture this item. If a respondent does not have these resources (technical, manufacturing, personnel, etc.) available, then it must demonstrate its ability to obtain them in a reasonable time period. If a respondent chooses to utilize the services of sub-tier vendors or subcontractors, those vendors or subcontractors must also meet the same criteria as the prime contractor. This is a market survey, not a pre-solicitation notice. If a formal solicitation is generated at a later date a solicitation notice will be published. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the Government.