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The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to overhaul/repair the automatic deployment unit and powered inertia reel device. The powered inertia reel or PIRD is located in the center of the seat back just below the headrest. The inertia reel device fulfills two functions: (1) it acts like the shoulder belt in a car, restraining the pilot against a 2gx forward (-x) motion and (2) upon ejection, it retracts the pilot to an upright posture to minimize the possibility of spinal damage due to spinal misalignment upon catapult ignition. On the left side of the seat bucket there is the automatic deployment unit which allows the crew member to manually lock the reel prior to intense maneuvers or landing to prevent possible injuries.

Firing of the seat is normally actuated by pulling one of the ejection automatic deployment unit handles mounted on the seat bucket sides. The side pull handles are mechanically linked so that raising one will lift the other as well. Raising the handles actuates a pair of initiators via mechanical linkages.

The government does not own the data or the rights to the data needed to complete the repair/overhaul of these items.