Intent to Sole Source - Onyx RAM-T 40 and Kits
Air Force and Space Force · FA4877 355 CONS PK
Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.
Where this opportunity stands
Every notice posted under solicitation FA487726QA217 in this department, oldest first.
- Aug 28, 2026 · this noticeSpecial Notice
- Sep 15, 2026Award NoticeONYX INDUSTRIES, LLC · $536KOpen
Next steps for this stage
Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.
- Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
- Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
- Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.
What the notice says
This is not a solicitation, and quotes are not being accepted at this time. The 355th Contracting Squadron intends to issue a sole-source contract action for procurement of the following items: - CLIN 0001 - Rigged Alternate Method-Tandem (RAM-T) 40s - QTY 18 - CLIN 0002 - RAM-T 40 Accessory Kits - QTY 9 Commercial Market Research & Distribution Strategy: Open market research, past procurement reviews, and technical reviews confirmed that while other tethered-tandem cargo systems exist, none match the proprietary geometry, dimensions, and rigging integration tested and approved in TB 25-16. Fu… (show all)
rthermore, communications with the manufacturer (Onyx Industries) confirmed that for stateside procurements, they sell direct to the Government or through prime vendors for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). As this requirement is not being procured through DLA, a direct sole-source award to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is the most efficient and practical acquisition strategy. Sole Source / Small Business Determination: Onyx Industries is confirmed as the manufacturer and sole supplier of the certified RAM-T 40 system outside of DLA channels.0 The requested items will enable 304 RQS pararescue teams to safely conduct C-130 aircraft Military Tandem Tethered Bundle (MTTB) aerial insertion operations for boats assigned to the unit. These operations are conducted using pre-established Combat Ready Insertion Barrel (CRIB) procedures in conjunction with the Onyx RAM-T 40 modular air delivery solution which increases the unit's ability to conduct maritime rescue and Isolated Personnel recovery missions. CRIB (Onyx RAM-T 40) is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product providing for standardized rigging and deployment procedures that are used during maritime recovery missions of Isolated Personnel. CRIB (Onyx RAM-T 40) has been fully tested on the C-130 airframe and equipment preparation procedures are described in USAF Tactics Bulletin (TB) 25-16, dated 3 March 2026. Additionally, this testing and evaluation performed by the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron has resulted in the development of the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) documentation specific to the Onyx RAM-T 40 product and outlined in TB 25-16. All interested/capable parties should respond no later than 9/03/2026 at 11:00am PDT to the POCs identified within this notice. Responses received will be reviewed in detail; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. Information received will be reviewed solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or not. The 355th Contracting Office will not reimburse parties for any costs connected with providing capability information.
Who won similar work
8 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), same product/service code (PSC) 1670.
Single-winner award sizes (8): middle half $42K to $39.6M, median $180K; range $10K to $159.8M.
| Winner | Awards | Value | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUTLER PARACHUTE SYSTEMS, INC | 4 | $6.8M | Aug 26, 2026 |
| AAR MANUFACTURING, INC. · $AIR · $2.3B | 1 | $159.8M | Mar 9, 2026 |
| TAC INDUSTRIES INC | 1 | $138.9M | Mar 11, 2026 |
| SSK MILITARY INDUSTRIES INC | 1 | $128K | Aug 25, 2026 |
| VIGIL AMERICA INC | 1 | $10K | Jul 30, 2026 |
Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's last annual revenue from its 10-K.
- $AIR reported $2.3B revenue in FY2026. The median single-winner award in these 8 past awards, $180K, is under 0.1% of that. 10-K
One award's total value against one year of revenue; many awards are paid over several years.
- Aug 26, 2026BUTLER PARACHUTE SYSTEMS, INC$42KAward Notice: Butler Parachute HarnessesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Aug 25, 2026SSK MILITARY INDUSTRIES INC$128K336 TRS Cypres Automatic Activation DevicesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jul 30, 2026VIGIL AMERICA INC$10KNTRAPS Automatic Activation DevicesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Mar 11, 2026TAC INDUSTRIES INC$138.9MCargo Nets (Production)No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Mar 9, 2026AAR MANUFACTURING, INC.$159.8M463L Legacy Cargo Pallet Repair Follow-OnMateriality: 6.9% of $AIR revenue (High) SEC
- Sep 29, 2025BUTLER PARACHUTE SYSTEMS, INC$232KPost-Award Synopsis - Norway Reusable Tethered Tandem BarrelsNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jul 1, 2025BUTLER PARACHUTE SYSTEMS, INC$39KButler Parachute HarnessesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Feb 19, 2025BUTLER PARACHUTE SYSTEMS, INC$6.5MBA-X B-52 Low Profile ParachutesNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
Materiality: one award's value as a share of the winner's revenue over the latest 12 months in its SEC filings (or its last fiscal year, as noted when you point at it). Low under 1%, Medium 1 to 5%, High 5% or more. Many awards are paid over several years, so this overstates a single year's share.
Competitive landscape
For the 5 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.
- 0 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (0 filings)
- 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
- $67K from their corporate PACs since 2024 to members of House Committee on Appropriations, House Committee on Armed Services, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Armed Services
- 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
Policy around it
Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.
- 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
- 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
- 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
Market
For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.
- 1 of the past winners are listed companies
- 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.
Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.