24-0025 TDACS HW SW Tech Refresh JA Signed_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY

5700 18th STREET

FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA 22060-5573

J&A No: 24-0025

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION � FAR Part 6

Program/Equipment: DTW Hardware and Software Technology Refresh for Tactical Data Analysis and Connectivity System Procurement

Authority: FAR 6.302-1(a)(2):

(a) Authority. (1) Citations: 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1).

(2) When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.

Amount:

1. Agency and Contracting Activity (FAR 6.303-2(b)(1)).

This justification and approval (J&A) for other than full and open competition is for the MDA Component (DTW) Program Office. The contracting activity is DTK Contracts Directorate (DTK). The point of contact for this action is

2. Nature and Description of the Action Being Approved (FAR 6.303-2(b)(2)).

The Missile Defense Agency Directorate for Test Wargames and Exercises (MDA/DTW) -owned TDACS workstations require replacement of workstation hardware that has reached end of life, and software upgrades for compatibility with Windows 11. The upgrades are necessary for continuation of support to Combatant Command-led (CCMD) exercises.

Without the upgraded hardware and software, MDA/DTW would be impaired in its support of wargames and exercises, which are part of the .

MDA intends to award a sole source Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract to Marzen Group, LLC utilizing RDT&E funds for the procurement of the hardware and software listed in the following section. This is a new contract action and not due to a bridge action.

3. Description of the Supplies and/or Services Required to Meet the Agency�s Needs (including the estimated value) (FAR 6.303-2(b)(3)).

To mitigate having to procure a completely new system, DTW conducted a thorough assessment of current TDACS hardware and software, and provided a list of items recommended for replacement to allow the system to continue to run efficiently in conduct of wargames and exercises. Only the parts listed below will replace the hardware that is reaching its end of life.

Approved for Public Release 24-MDA-11921 (2 Oct 24)

J&A No: 24-0025

(Source Selection information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

Go Fast, Think BIG!

DA-04-T01 | Feb 2024

The has several wargames and exercise events coming up that could be impacted if these components are not replaced before the current ones fail. Other quantities may be permitted if increases are within the program funds and if it does not result in exceeding the justification dollar threshold approval level. The software on some of the TDACS boxes used to capture the data also needs to be upgraded, as it is becoming outdated and will not work on the new Windows 11 program. Installation of the new hardware and software is included at no extra charge. Delivery of all items is expected no later than December 31, 2024.

The total dollar estimate for this acquisition is

Quantity Part Number Description

2 10107 TDACS Portable Form Factor (PFF) Workstation

3 11205 TDACS ADJ Monitor Shipping & Storage Container

2 11209 TDACS PFF Shipping & Storage Container

2 12601 MIL-STD 1553A/B Single Function, Dual Channel, PCIe Adapter

10 14100 TDACS Adjudication Hardware Upgrade Kit

2 16100 TDACS MIL STD 1553 Primary Channel Cable Kit

1 16200 TDACS Synchronous Serial Cable Tap Set

1 20110 TDACS SISO JTIDS DIS Protocol Plugin License

5 20115 TDACS MIDS LVT2/2M ADDSI X.25 Plugin License

5 20116 TDACS Satellite J Protocol Plugin License

5 20117 TDACS Passive Ethernet Tap [PTap] Plugin License

4 20130 TDACS B Series, VMF, and XML Message Suite Plugin License

2 20304 TDACS MIDS LVT1 (20301) and LVT2 (20302) Terminal License

Bundle 10 22103 Marzen Tactical PowerPoint (MTP) Add-in License

52 24102 TDACS Tactical Map 3D

12 24104 TDACS LINK 16 - DIS Adjudication Decision Support System

4 24105 TDACS Strategic Analysis License

2 12A01 Ethernet Tap (10/100/100) Zero Delay

12 10106 TDACS Intermediate Form Factor (IFF) Workstation

12 10109 TDACS Combo Rack Form Factor (CRF) Workstation

2 12203 Quad Port RJ-45 PCIe Ethernet (10/100/1000) Adapter

1 12401 Dual Port Synchronous Serial (232,422, 530) PCIe Adapter

1 12402 Dual Port Fan-out Cable (Adapter to RS232/530 connectors)

26 12501 TDACS Certified Solid-State Drive [SSD] for Operating System x 2

52 26101 TDACS Standard Edition [SE] License Bundle

26 30103 TDACS Hardware Maintenance 3 Years

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition (FAR 6.303- 2(b)(4)).

(Source Selection information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

The proposed action may be awarded on a limited source basis under the authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2):

(a) Authority. (1) Citations: 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1).

(2) When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, or, for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, from only one or a limited number of responsible sources, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for.

5. Demonstration of Contractor�s Unique Qualifications or the Nature of the Acquisition Requires use of the Authority Cited (FAR 6.303-2(b)(5)).

The TDACS hardware and software tool suite is currently utilized by MDA/DTW. The TDACS tool suite provides a tactical message processing engine for routing, protocol conversion, data filtering & manipulation, and data analysis through the use of Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software and TDACS workstations. By incorporating COTS software with the TDACS workstations, the TDACS link management tool simplifies tactical network management. It provides the necessary, detailed, real-time and post-operation playback and mission analysis and can be utilized as a forwarding and translating tool in the network with other participants to provide interoperability support to multi-link capabilities. The combined TDACS hardware and software establish a multi-link Tactical Data Link (TDL) workstation for the Wargames and Exercises environment. The TDACS system is proprietary and can only be operated and maintained by Marzen Group, LLC. The Government has Restricted Rights to the system.

Based on its unique communications protocols, displays and ability to rapidly link into any Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) to facilitate wargames and exercises across all CCMDs, this system is critical to

TDACS operation and maintenance is proprietary to and performed by Marzen Group, LLC, as the only source capable of meeting MDA�s needs. No other system can provide the rapid integration into DoDIN, conduct virtual wargames, allow for

To duplicate, reverse engineer or separately develop this software and hardware combination would be extremely cost prohibitive and delay support for the DTW mission. Using the Constructive Cost Model or COCOMO II, developed by the University of Southern California (USC), and its basic assumptions that: 20K Service Lines of Code (SLOC) and a value of $10k/month for one developer, while all other development factors are considered nominal in the model, it would take approximately 79.3 person months or 6.6 Years for one person to complete the 20K SLOC at an estimated cost of $793K. The cost and time only represent the planning, construction and testing of the software for its specific purpose and function, not its total value to the company producing it.

Given this model the cost to develop a replacement for this system would range between $40-50M dollars and could take approximately 2-4 years to

(Source Selection information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4) complete using 3-4 developers on the contractor team with coding experience.

Procuring the TDACS Technical Refresh by any other means would result in increased costs and could potentially disrupt and delay critical Missile Defense System Testing. The has several upcoming wargames and exercises which will require TDACS operations. Any disruption or delays to these tests could potentially jeopardize the defense of the United States and its allies against ballistic missile attacks. Moreover, loss of this capability could delay testing of the full Missile Defense System as the wargames and exercises process provides combatant commanders critical information regarding strategy development and contingency planning for real world operations to include

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition (FAR 6.303-2(b)(6)).

The DTW acquisition team conducted market research on GSA Advantage and GSA eLibrary websites and also reviewed the history of the TDACS technical refreshes and noted that Marzen Group, LLC provided all replacement hardware and software with installation included with the purchase through them. The Team also reviewed the recent TDACS IDIQ follow-on market research dated February 14, 2024, which determined that only one company is fully capable of providing services and technical refreshes for the TDACS system. Marzen Group, LLC has also asserted its data rights are proprietary to the company. During the research the team also examined several omnibus level contracts to include GSA Advantage, GSA Oasis and others to determine pricing levels and purchasing options. Unfortunately, all required parts were not available on any single contract. Additionally, some parts were not available on any omnibus level contract and would require direct purchase from MARZEN forcing multiple contracts.

Moreover, splitting the purchase into GSA and non GSA buys would most likely eliminate any negotiated cost savings from a single purchase due to loss of economies of scale. The Team contacted GSA Advantage leadership to determine how quickly the additional part numbers could be included in MARZEN�s current GSA schedule. After further examination, the GSA officials responded that they could not update the schedule in time to meet DTW�s need date for the equipment.

A combined Notice of Intent / Sources Sought (NOI/SS) was posted to SAM.gov on July 5, 2024, for 15 days. See section 8 for market research results.

The Team also conducted a search through Plant Clearance Automated Reutilization Screening System (PCARSS) to determine if comparable materials were available. Results of the search determined that no comparable materials were available.

The DTW team members conducting the market research have extensive prior experience and knowledge in procuring products and services of this type.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost (FAR 6.303-2(b)(7)).

(Source Selection information - See FAR 2.101 and 3.104-4)

In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Contracting Officer shall ensure that all supplies and services ordered under this contract and task orders are procured at a fair and reasonable price.

The Contractor will submit a formal price proposal with certified cost or pricing data, as necessary, and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The Contractor�s proposed costs will be reviewed by experienced technical analysts and contract specialists with the aid of necessary field pricing support. Analysis will be based on historical cost and rate information provided by field pricing support agencies. The Contracting Officer will use the cost and price analysis as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price with Marzen Group, LLC.

8. Description of Market Research Conducted (FAR 6.303-2(b)(8)).

Per the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Part 10 there are several techniques for conducting market research, which include �Reviewing the results of recent market research undertaken to meet similar or identical requirements�. This report compiles the Market Research assessments as a result of reviewing the results of recently conducted market research. Market research data is used to develop an acquisition strategy moving forward to acquire support for MDA/DTW.

A combined Notice of Intent / Sources Sought (NOI/SS) was posted to SAM.gov on July 5, 2024, for 15 days. Ten questions were received concerning the posting and the Government responded in a timely manner. Several companies withdrew their interest in this requirement after receiving responses to their questions. The posting yielded five capability statements from members of industry. Follow-up questions were sent to each of these vendors to further identify if they were capable of meeting the requirements listed in the combined NOI/SS.

TDACS and its associated parts are governed by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts the sale to commercial industry. Submissions from all five vendors were either trying to replace TDACS with their own system, and/or planned to subcontract to Marzen Group for the specific/unique parts and resell to MDA. Responses to questions regarding their ability to work with the proprietary TDACS software also reflected intent to replace the system with their own proprietary solution, requiring development, certification and integration into the existing system. The NOI/SS clearly stated that �submissions or responses requiring check out, certification or integration of TDACS systems or components will be rejected as non-responsive.� In each case, the vendors offered the development, integration and certification of their software as a replacement for the existing system. Given the initial information and vendors responses to follow up questions, DTW and Acquisition team rejected all submissions as non-responsive.

MDA/DTW reviewed Government and industry databases for relevant sources to provide sufficient detail to determine if cost and performance requirements for this procurement were generally met. They also reviewed the capability statements submitted as a result of the combined NOI/SS and the responses to the follow-up questions to determine if any other vendor was capable of meeting the requirements. All five respondents were rated Non Responsive. Only Marzen Group, LLC was determined able to meet all requirements.