Article

Marvin Test Solutions filed a pre-award protest against the Department of the Air Force's RFP for a common armament tester (CAT-F) system for F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, claiming it should be treated as a commercial item acquisition under FAR Part 12. Marvin argued that the Air Force's minimum screen size requirement for the handheld tester was unduly restrictive. The GAO denied and dismissed parts of the protest, ruling that the Air Force was not obligated to procure the O-level tester as a commercial item, providing clarity on protest arguments related to procurement methods and restrictive requirements.