Solicitation Spotlight: KC-46 Commercial Common Repairable Support (Amendment 3)

Executive takeaway

This KC-46 effort is a competitive, full & open solicitation with an active amendment/Q&A cadence right up to the due date. The key actionable change in Amendment 3 is a corrected reference for the required Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) Plan: offerors must align the SCRM plan to PWS Section 17.0 (including 17.1–17.3). Proposals are still due 20 Feb 2026 at 3:00 PM CST, and the buyer has stated there will be no additional conference before proposals are due.

What the buyer is trying to do

The Air Force Sustainment Center is seeking contractor support for KC-46 commercial common repairable support, referenced in the notice updates as KC-46 Commercial Aircraft Strategic Parts Repair and Exchange (CASPER) MAC IDIQ RFP. The pattern of amendments and Q&A updates signals an acquisition that expects offerors to track changes closely and incorporate the latest interpretations into the final submission.

What work is implied

• Provide commercial common repairable support for KC-46 (as described in the solicitation title and notice synopsis).
• Prepare and submit a compliant SCRM Plan in accordance with PWS Section 17.0, including 17.1–17.3 (per Amendment 3).
• Monitor and incorporate the latest Q&A spreadsheet updates (including revisions where previously deleted questions were restored and new questions were added in “Round 2”).
• Operate in a procurement environment where the buyer has indicated the draft FOPR will not be shared pre-award and is expected at a post-award conference.

Who should bid / who should pass

Who should bid

• Firms with demonstrated capability in aircraft repairables support aligned to NAICS 336413 and PSC J016.
• Offerors that already have a mature approach to supply chain risk management planning and can map it directly to the PWS sections cited (17.0–17.3).
• Teams that can respond quickly to late-cycle clarifications and incorporate Q&A-driven interpretations without destabilizing the proposal.

Who should pass

• Offerors unable to produce a credible, solicitation-mapped SCRM Plan on short notice.
• Teams that rely on a final pre-award conference or late “final” documents to settle scope assumptions (the buyer has stated there will be no additional conference before proposals are due).
• Organizations that cannot keep pace with rapid amendment and Q&A version control in the final week.

Response package checklist

• Signed/acknowledged amendments (verify in attachments).
• SCRM Plan aligned to PWS Section 17.0, including 17.1–17.3 (explicitly required).
• Proposal format and submission instructions per Section L / FAR 52.212-1 (verify in attachments).
• Incorporation of the latest KC-46_RFP_Questions_Answers-Responses spreadsheet version (verify exact filename/version in attachments; the notice references versions dated 12 Feb 2026 and 13 Feb 2026, including “v2”).
• Any required technical/management/pricing volumes (verify in attachments).
• Any required representations/certifications (verify in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes

This is a full & open competition, so expect pricing to be evaluated in a way that rewards credible execution against the repairables support requirement and the associated supply chain controls. Without inventing numbers, you can still strengthen pricing strategy by:

• Building a price narrative that explicitly ties cost drivers to the solicitation’s repairables support approach (verify detailed scope in the PWS/attachments).
• Using the posted Q&A as a pricing risk-reducer: scan for clarifications that affect assumptions, allowable approaches, or interpretation of requirements.
• Separating what you know from what you must verify in the attachments—especially where amendment history suggests earlier posting gaps (e.g., “updated PWS that was inadvertently left off”).
• Confirming whether the solicitation structure is an IDIQ/MAC approach (the notice references “CASPER MAC IDIQ RFP”) and aligning pricing accordingly (verify in attachments).

Subcontracting / teaming ideas

• Team with a partner that has established SCRM planning artifacts and governance, to reduce compliance risk tied to PWS 17.0–17.3.
• Pair repair capability with a supply chain-focused teammate that can strengthen supplier vetting, traceability, and risk controls reflected in the SCRM plan.
• If you are strong in program execution but light on compliance writing, bring in proposal support specifically to ensure the SCRM plan is PWS-section mapped and consistent with Section L instructions (verify in attachments).

Risks & watch-outs

• Version control risk: Q&A files were updated multiple times, including restoration of a previously deleted question and the addition of new questions (#32 and #33 referenced). Ensure your team is working from the latest file.
• SCRM reference trap: Amendment 3 corrected the PWS section reference from 18.0 to 17.0. If your draft plan cites the wrong section, it may read as noncompliant.
• Compressed timeline: Proposals are due 20 Feb 2026 at 3:00 PM CST. Late Q&A changes can create last-minute rework.
• No additional pre-proposal conference: The buyer has stated they will not have another conference before proposals are due—plan to resolve uncertainties through attachments and posted Q&A.
• Document availability gaps: The notice history mentions an updated PWS that was inadvertently left off earlier—confirm you have the complete, latest attachment set.

Related opportunities

• KC-46 Commercial Common Repairable Support-Amendment 3 (Notice ID: fd08f067217d4596bde30b05b838374e)
• KC-46 Commercial Common Repairable Support-Amendment 3 (Notice ID: 6851009805e547d2bb53d7d06eca7c5e)
• Purchase of Gearbox and Actuators
• 15--SKIN,AIRCRAFT
• NSN 1560-01-717-8312, FLOOR, AIRCRAFT (H-60)
• 1560-01-451-2323 - SEAL, GUNMOUNT

How to act on this

1. Download the full solicitation package and confirm you have the latest PWS and the latest Q&A spreadsheet version referenced in the notice updates.
2. Build (or update) your SCRM Plan to explicitly align with PWS 17.0–17.3.
3. Run a final compliance pass against Section L / FAR 52.212-1 submission instructions (verify in attachments), then lock your internal version.
4. Submit ahead of the 20 Feb 2026, 3:00 PM CST deadline to avoid last-hour portal/email issues (submission method: verify in attachments).

If you want an outside set of eyes to sanity-check compliance mapping (especially the SCRM plan) and ensure your response aligns with the latest amendments and Q&A, consider support from Federal Bid Partners LLC.