VEMPSU JA SAM Post-Award_Redacted.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- 25-0083
About this file
This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole source contract award by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) located at Patuxent River, Maryland. The document authorizes the award of a contract to Applied Physical Electronics L.C. (APELC) on a sole source basis under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), which permits procurement when only one responsible source exists and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.
The contract covers modernization and upgrade of the Vertical Electromagnetic Pulse Simulator (VEMPS) pulse generator and control system to comply with the updated MIL-STD-2169D standard. The work includes design, development, fabrication, installation, and acceptance testing of the updated system. APELC is identified as the original designer, developer, and manufacturer of the VEMPS system, and the only qualified source with the requisite knowledge and experience with the current pulse-forming network design. The Government and APELC have invested 10.5 years in development and qualification under the previous MIL-STD-2169C standard. The J&A justifies the sole source award on grounds that developing a competitive source would require approximately 4-6 years and substantial front-end investment, with significant cost duplication. The Government posted a sources sought notice on the SAM website on January 23, 2025; only Kato Engineering expressed interest but declined on July 1, 2025, stating their pulse generators could not achieve the extremely fast ramp times required. The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated cost to be fair and reasonable, and the Director of Procurement Group at Naval Air Systems Command has approved the procurement.
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J&A Number: 25-0083
APELC is the original designer, developer and manufacturer of the VEMPS pulse generator, a system singularly unique in its class with a pulse-forming network tailored specifically to the NAWCAD antenna and working volume. APELC is the only qualified source with the requisite knowledge and experience with the current design pulse forming network, which are required to modernize and upgrade the system to meet the new MIL-STD-2169D requirements. The development effort for the VEMPS system was originally competed and awarded to AMEWAS as the lead system integrator. APELC was a competitively awarded subcontractor to AMEWAS responsible specifically for the VEMPS pulse generator.
The Government and APELC have spent the past 10.5 years completing development, acceptance test qualifications and sustainment to ensure compliance with MIL-STD-2169C.
Delaying the procurement to solicit and qualify another source would significantly impact the U.S.
be much greater even than previously identified in the independent study conducted before the Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract award. Technical data packages suitable for full and open competition are not currently being developed to permit sources other than the SDD contractor to perform the contract efforts. Based on historical data, it would cost approximately and take roughly 4-6 years in front-end investment together with increases in recurring costs to develop and deliver a product competitive with the VEMPS.
Therefore, award of a contract to any other source would result in substantial duplication of costs that are not expected to be recovered through competition.
6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.
In accordance with FAR 5.201 and DFARS PGI 206.302-1, the Government posted a sources sought on the SAM website on January 23, 2025. One company expressed that they are capable of performing the work, Kato Engineering (Kato). On 23 June, the Government contacted Kato requirements for this effort. On 1 July, Kato emailed that they would not be able to fulfill the requirement because the pulse type generators they build would not be able to achieve the extremely fast ramp times required to create the proper waveform.
7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost. The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies/services covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable.
8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.
For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, NAWCAD has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of supplies/services covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, NAWCAD will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.
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