L3Harris PRC-163 Radios

This federal Request for Quote (RFQ), solicitation number FA441826Q0101, is issued by the Department of the Air Force, 628th Contracting Squadron (628 CONS LGC) at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The solicitation seeks to procure two PRC-163 radios (Product Service Code 5821) under a Firm-Fixed-Price contract on behalf of the 437 OSS SERE unit. This acquisition is designated as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334290 (Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing), which carries a size standard of 800 employees. Quotes are due by September 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The selected contractor must deliver the items to Joint Base Charleston within a performance period of 379 calendar days from the date of award. Evaluation for award will be based on two primary factors: price and past performance. All proposed prices will be ranked from lowest to highest, with the government reserving the right to perform a price realism analysis. Past performance will be graded on a 1-to-5 scale assessing recency (within the last three years), relevance to the NAICS code, and scope of previous procurements. Contractors must submit invoices and receive payments electronically through the Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) system.

This federal solicitation document (Document Number FA441826Q0101) consists of contract clauses and representations required for a government procurement. It incorporates numerous Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) provisions by reference and provides several key clauses in full text. Key provisions detailed in the document include: - **Telecommunications Prohibitions:** Under DFARS 252.204-7016 and 252.204-7017, offerors must represent whether they provide or use covered defense telecommunications equipment or services from excluded entities. - **Invoicing and Payment:** DFARS 252.232-7006 outlines instructions for utilizing the Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) system for electronic payment requests and receiving reports. - **Buy American and Trade Acts:** Provisions such as FAR 52.225-4 require offerors to certify the origin of their end products, specifically identifying domestic, foreign, Free Trade Agreement country, or Israeli end products. - **Evaluation Criteria:** FAR 52.212-2 establishes that the contract will be awarded to the responsible offeror offering the most advantageous proposal, considering price and other designated evaluation factors. - **Offeror Representations and Certifications:** Under FAR 52.212-3, offerors must self-certify their business size, ownership status (such as women-owned, veteran-owned, or small disadvantaged business), tax liability, felony conviction status, and compliance with restrictions regarding business operations in Sudan and Iran. Overall, this document serves as a regulatory framework ensuring that bidding contractors comply with federal laws, security protocols, sourcing restrictions, and standardized electronic billing procedures.

This Department of the Air Force Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition authorizes a brand-name procurement valued under $10 million for the 437th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The action approves the acquisition of two L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris) AN/PRC-163 dual-channel handheld radio systems and associated cables under a firm-fixed-price contract. The AN/PRC-163 is the only tactical transceiver capable of meeting the squadron's immediate operational and security requirements for ground-to-air communications during drop zone control operations. It is the sole NSA-certified, dual-channel handheld radio supporting the proprietary waveforms—such as SATURN, WREN, TSM, and PHANTOM WRAITH—necessary for secure interoperability with C-17A and other tactical aircraft. Additionally, its dual-channel design allows a single controller to simultaneously coordinate local ground teams and long-range aircraft communications. Without this specific system, the unit cannot safely manage drop zones or achieve combat mission readiness. To promote competition within these brand-name constraints, the 628th Contracting Squadron will solicit the requirement as a competitive small business set-aside on SAM.gov, evaluating offers based on price and past performance. The contracting officer will ensure the final price is fair and reasonable, while the agency plans to continue market research to identify potential alternative products for future requirements.