# SAM # KC135_LifeRaft_Securing_Device

KC-135 Life Raft Securing Device Standardization and Modification

**Buyer:** AFLCMC Mobility Aircraft Directorate
**Posted:** September 28, 2026
**Respond By:** October 09, 2026
**Identifier:** KC135_LifeRaft_Securing_Device
**NAICS:** 336413

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Mobility Aircraft office at Tinker AFB is seeking to standardize and modify the securing devices for life rafts on KC-135 aircraft.
- Government Buyer:
  - Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), Mobility Aircraft office, Tinker AFB
- Scope of Work:
  - Develop and implement a standardized, engineering-approved method for securing life rafts
  - Eliminate the raft position aft of the right hatch
  - Standardize forward-left and forward-aft raft positions using robust, hard-mounted straps
  - Replicate the design used at the aft-left hatch for other positions
- Products/Services Requested:
  - Creation of a field-level Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) for modification
- OEMs and Vendors:
  - No specific OEMs, vendors, part numbers, or purchase quantities mentioned
- Unique Requirements:
  - Focus on crashworthiness and crew safety
  - Standardization across the KC-135 fleet
  - Engineering approval required for modification design
  - Solution must be field-level implementable via TCTO

### Description

<p>The KC-135 fleet currently lacks engineering-approved, standardized methods for securing critical life-saving equipment, presenting a severe risk to crew safety during emergencies. While the raft position aft of the left overwing hatch utilizes secure, hard-mounted straps, the remaining stowage areas&mdash;forward of the left overwing hatch and forward of the aft hatch&mdash;rely on non-standard, field-expedient restraints such as passenger seatbelts or cargo tie-down straps attached to troop seat support bars. This lack of standardization introduces two critical vulnerabilities: it risks delaying crew evacuation times due to unfamiliarity with varied tie-down methods, and it leaves the crashworthiness of the rafts unverified by engineering authorities. To mitigate these safety risks while minimizing program cost and scope, the position aft of the right hatch will be eliminated from the aircraft configuration. Consequently, this modification effort seeks to develop and implement a field-level Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) to standardize and modify the remaining forward-left and forward-aft raft positions, replicating the robust, hard-mounted strap design currently utilized at the aft-left hatch location.</p>

[View original listing](https://sam.gov/opp/fc4a16c305144dd39b12b7ef390d8976/view)