USAF: Up to $138M Over 5 Years to Repair 463L Cargo Pallets
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AAR Manufacturing, Inc., doing business as AAR Mobility Systems of Cadillac, MI received a firm-fixed-price contract for a maximum of $138 million to provide depot-level repair of 463L pallets. The contract covers a maximum quantity of 120,000 pallets each year during the 2-year basic period, plus 3 option years with a maximum quantity of 60,000 pallets per year. Work orders will be issued as required. The USAF’s 642 CBSG/GBKBA at Robins AFB, GA issued the contracts (FA8519-08-D-0008).
The 463L cargo system is designed to provide faster intermodal cargo transfer, providing a common size platform for bundling and moving air cargo. Each 463L pallet weighs about 290-355 pounds, depending on attachments, with a 10,000 pound/ 250 pound per square inch load limit. The 463L has aluminum rails on all sides, and an indent locking arrangement that helps the pallet lock down when moved by materials handling equipment or appropriately equipped aircraft. Tie-down rings with 7,500 pound capacity surround the perimeter, giving the platform about 84″ x 104″ of usable space.
Each 463L pallet includes a pallet of metal sandwich construction that uses corrosion-resistant aluminum around a wood or fiberglass core. This arrangement is a compromise that offers lighter weight that all-metal options in exchange for less strength, different repair requirements, and constraints on the pallets’ non-destructive use in the field and in training. GPS-guided parachutes are becoming an important adjunct to these 463L systems, on missions which justify the cost.
