US Exercises $97.7M in Options for ACUPAT Coats & Trousers
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The USA’s Army Combat Uniform (ACU) has undergone significant redesign over the last few years, along with the addition of a new fractal camouflage scheme called ACUPAT. Because of the wide variety of areas in which ACUPAT may have to operate and the desire to keep the number of potential uniform schemes to a minimum, ACUPAT is not as locally optimized as other advanced fractal patterns like Hyperstealth’s KA2 for Jordanian forces. It is also very closely derived from the US Marines’ MARPAT, rather than incorporating some of the more recent advances in the field. For all this, it’s an improvement over past conventional camouflage patterns. It also complements the advances in ACU design undertaken by US Army’s “PEO Soldier,” drawing on feedback from the troops and an iterative testing cycle.
The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA recently issued a slew of firm-fixed-price contracts for the ACU coat and trousers, exercising option year 1. The total value of these six contracts is $97.7 million. Proposals were Web-solicited and 36 responded; date of performance completion is April 5, 2007. Unless otherwise indicated, work will be performed at the contract winner’s prime location only. Winners included:
- Bethel Industries, Inc. in Jersey City, NJ (a woman-owned small disadvantaged business) received a maximum $15.9 million firm-fixed-price contract (SPM100-05-D-0135)
- Bremen Bowdon in Bowdon, GA (a woman-owned small business) received a maximum $16 million firm-fixed-price contract (SPM100-05-D-0419)
- Small business qualifier Rutter Rex, Inc. in Metairie, LA received a maximum $28 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Army combat uniform coat and trousers. Work will be performed in Metairie, LA; Columbia, MS; and Tylertown, MS (SPM100-05-D-0420)
- Fox Apparel, Inc. in Asheboro, NC, (a veteran owned small business) received a maximum $2.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Army combat uniform, coat and trousers (SPM100-05-D-0421)
- Sidran, Inc. in Farmers Branch, TX received a maximum $7.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Army combat uniform, coat and trousers (SPM100-05-D-0422)
- Tullahoma Industries LLC in Tullahoma, TN (a small business in a HUBZone) received a maximum $27.4 million firm-fixed-price contract. Work will be performed in Tullahoma, TN; Gruetli-Laager, TN; and Brilliant, AL (SPM100-05-D-0427)
