Open federal opportunities

ANTENNA,AIRCRAFT

DEPT OF DEFENSE.DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY.DLA AVIATION.DLA AVIATION PHILADELPHIA.DLA AVIATION AT PHILADELPHIA, PA · Response deadline: Mon, 23 Nov 2026

What the government is buying

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation at Philadelphia is soliciting bids for aircraft antennas. This is a supply contract for the Department of Defense logistics chain, which procures and distributes spare parts and equipment to maintain military aircraft readiness.

NAICS code 334290 covers "Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing," a classification that includes antennas and related communications hardware not classified under radio/TV broadcasting or wireless communications infrastructure equipment. Aircraft antennas serve critical functions including navigation, communication, radar, and electronic systems integration on military airframes.

DLA Aviation is the primary procurement arm for aviation-specific supplies across the military services, managing billions of dollars annually in spare parts and consumables. Antenna procurement through DLA typically supports depot-level maintenance, field repair activities, and wholesale inventory replenishment rather than original equipment manufacturing.

Key facts

Who can bid

This solicitation is unrestricted — any qualified business, including small and large businesses, may compete. The absence of a set-aside means the award will go to the responsible offeror providing the best value to the government without preference based on business size or socioeconomic status.

To bid, your firm must:

• Be registered in SAM.gov (System for Award Management) and maintain active registration
• Have experience manufacturing or supplying antennas that meet military specifications, or be able to demonstrate capability to produce to the required technical standards
• Understand DLA's quality assurance requirements, which typically include compliance with MIL-STD or manufacturer specifications, source inspections, and material traceability

Small businesses without prior DLA experience can compete but should be prepared to demonstrate technical competence and supply chain reliability. Past performance on similar military or aerospace contracts strengthens a proposal significantly.

How to put together a competitive bid

For unrestricted DLA supply solicitations, price typically dominates, but technical compliance and delivery reliability are threshold requirements.

Technical compliance: Verify whether the solicitation references a specific military specification, NSN (National Stock Number), or manufacturer part number. DLA aviation antennas often require exact interchangeability with existing equipment. If the solicitation specifies a cage code or manufacturer, you must demonstrate equivalence or obtain approval for alternate sources. Request the full technical data package through SAM.gov if available.

Pricing strategy: Research historical pricing through DLA's Electronic Document Access (EDA) or FPDS (Federal Procurement Data System) for comparable antenna awards. Factor in testing, certification, and potential First Article Testing requirements, which are common for new suppliers to DLA.

Quality systems: Ensure your quality management system can accommodate government inspections, Certificates of Conformance, and material certifications. For 334290 products, DLA may require suppliers to maintain ISO 9001 or AS9100 certification, or comply with MIL-STD-45662 calibration standards.

Delivery and packaging: DLA has strict packaging and marking requirements (MIL-STD-2073). Noncompliant shipments result in rejections and payment delays. Review the solicitation's required delivery schedule against your production capacity.

Small business advantage: While unrestricted, highlighting small business status can provide subcontracting plan benefits if the eventual winner is a large business — though this is more relevant for sub-tier opportunities than the prime award itself.

Next steps

1. Access the full solicitation SPRPA126QUC01 on SAM.gov immediately to obtain technical specifications, packaging requirements, and exact quantities

2. Confirm the November 23, 2026 deadline at 4:30 PM Eastern Time — DLA enforces this rigorously with no grace period for technical submissions

3. File any questions through SAM.gov's Q&A function well before the deadline; DLA Philadelphia typically requires 5-7 business days to respond

4. Verify your SAM registration remains active through at least the expected award period

5. Consider requesting a pre-bid conference if one is announced in the full solicitation, or arrange a site visit to DLA Aviation Philadelphia if offered

View the official notice on SAM.gov →