A.02 JA Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System USAMRICD Signed_Redacted.pdf

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT

FAR SUBPART 13.5 SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL

ITEMS – SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

Program/Equipment: The Medical Toxicology Research Division of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) requires a Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System and Software to fulfill UBI-funded research milestones.

Authority: Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.5.

Amount:

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support sole source.

FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items – Sole Source Justification and Approval

1. Contracting Activity: The Contracting Activity responsible for this action is the U.S.

Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA).

2. Description of Action: The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) Medical Toxicology Research Division requests a firm-fixed-price contract with Voss Scientific, LLC at Albuquerque, NM, 87108. The Government projects award for June 2020 and fiscal year 2020, Research Development Test & Evaluation, Army funds will be used.

An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i)(B).

(Insert approval authority title) approved an acquisition plan in accordance with DFARS 207.103(d)(i)(B) on (insert date).

The required acquisition plan in accordance with DFARS 207.103(d)(i)(B) is currently awaiting (insert approval authority title) approval.

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) Medical Toxicology Research Division has a requirement for the following items:

1 – Fully Integrated 4-channel RF dosimetry system for characterization of free-space electromagnetic signals with primary frequency content in the 10 MHz-3 GHz range. Key system capabilities include:

o Ultrawideband (UWB) features captured to <200-ps rise & fall times;

o Narrowband envelope & carrier frequency variation for 10 MHz – 3 GHz;

o Display of key figure of merit immediately after shot, to include

UWB – peak field (V/m); energy fluence (J/cm2); risetime, pulse width;

Narrowband – power density (W/cm2 or V/m); energy fluence (J/cm2); center frequency, spectral bandwidth, pulse width.

o Includes 8 sensor assemblies for usage in both anechoic chamber and GTEM, including miniature sensors for use in surrogate materials and tripod mounts for sensor placement in free space;

o Calibrated cable pairs for cable runs inside and outside of anechoic chamber;

o Attenuator complement for signal conditioning o Waveform capture: 4/2 channels @ 10/20 Gigasample/sec, respectively;

o Licenses for DAAACTM software for data acquisition, archival, analysis, and digitizer control, and software maintenance including upgrades for 2 years total;

o Installation of software on government provided computer which meets specifications as per Option 1, Line Item 2 below;

o One week on-site installation and training at ARL Laboratory;

o Telephone support for all aspects of system setup, operation, and data reduction for 1-year from date of delivery.

o Shipping to Aberdeen Proving Ground

This dosimetry equipment is required for use with a high power microwave (HPM) source, and must be capable of HPM power.

Required Delivery Date: 15 June 2020

Total Value: $ _ _______

4. Authority Cited: Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.5:

Unusual and compelling urgency Exclusive licensing agreements Industrial mobilization Other: FAR 13.501(a)(1)(i): Only one source reasonable available. Voss Scientific is the only contractor that can provide the Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

(a) Voss Scientific is active in all aspects of directed energy development and testing, including source development, simulations, diagnostic development, and laboratory/field test support. Voss Scientific develops fully integrated, automated, diagnostic and control systems that include tightly coupled hardware and software, and full characterization of all system components. They also offer support services that include on-site systems installation, operation, and training.

Voss Scientific, founded in 1988, is uniquely qualified to provide the Army a near-term fully integrated RF dosimetry system. The key capabilities needed are: (1) a commercial, mature software package for controlling the data recording equipment, with software to reduce the data to user-definable metric values within seconds of a test; (2) a technical staff experienced in RF engineering and more specifically the generation of ultrawideband (UWB) and narrowband RF energy and its measurement. Such experience is needed to appropriately select electromagnetic sensors, cables, and signal recording equipment appropriate to accurately capturing the unique features of the electromagnetic signals being generated; (3) ability to integrate all hardware and their calibration data with the software so that all RF metrics are accurately compiled and recorded in an archival database; and (4) ongoing cradle-to-grave support of software and hardware to meet evolving USAMRICD and ARL laboratory requirements, not just presently but as they may change as the program grows and matures. With 32 years of experience in high power microwave and laser directed energy sources and diagnostics, Voss Scientific is uniquely well qualified to provide the ARL RF dosimetry system.

Following the itemized list above, this company’s experience and capabilities are:

i. Commercial, mature software package. Voss Scientific’s data acquisition software, DAAAC (Data Acquisition, Archival, Analysis, and Control), has been developed and refined over the past 30 years. Originally developed specifically for narrowband and ultrawideband data acquisition

, DAAAC software is the only commercial application available that supports high value single shot and repetitive single shot measurements, with automated analysis of both narrowband and wideband RF data.

ii. In-depth Experience of Company and Technical staff. Voss Scientific is active in all aspects of directed energy development and testing, including source development, simulations, diagnostic development, and laboratory/field test support. The company develops fully integrated, automated, diagnostic and control systems that include tightly coupled hardware and software, and full characterization of all system components.

Support services include on-site systems installation, operation, and training.

The personnel at Voss Scientific are uniquely qualified to design and field a highly capable RF dosimetry system due to many years of experience in conducting these types of tests and developing the sources used in their execution.

iii. Calibration and System Integration. The RF dosimetry system proposed operates in the multi-GHz regime in which sensor frequency dependence, cable losses, and similar factors are significant and must be correctly accounted for in the data reduction process. Both time domain and frequency domain calibration and verification equipment at Voss Scientific will be used for calibrating hardware components for this purpose.

iv. Ongoing support of ARL dosimetry system. While Voss Scientific has included an onsite tutorial in the software and hardware operation at the USAMRICD facility, it is highly beneficial for USAMRICD and ARL to have actual expert advice in sensor usage and software system operation after the delivery. Voss Scientific will provide ongoing support via telephone or email as it has done for decades with its customers. Most importantly, the DAAAC software is dynamic and upgradeable; for example, if new sensors, new digitizers, or new mathematical data reduction methodologies become available, DAAAC is typically immediately capable of controlling these instruments, or implementing these methods. Alternatively, DAAAC can be expertly adapted and modified as needed for USAMRICD and ARL, as it has been for decades for its customers.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: USAMRICD has previously priced out a dosimetry setup, to include equipment and services, totaling , of which would be a service for the assembly of a dosimetry rig utilizing equipment that we would have procured.

Further efforts to find other suitable options for a dosimetry rig found Voss Scientific as a highly suitable option. Voss Scientific’s dosimetry rig and setup fully meets and exceeds the needs for the DE funded project, as well as being under budget.

Additionally, Voss Scientific employs leading experts in DE and dosimetry, which is exactly what USAMRICD is funded for.

Based on cost savings, collective experience and expertise of DE and DoD RF field testing, multiple DoD-affiliated projects, and knowledge of USAMRICD’s HPM source and its capabilities, USAMRICD requires the procurement of the RF dosimetry rig produced by Voss Scientific. No other vendor has both the equipment capabilities and decades of experience directly related to USAMRICD’s DE funded research program.

A Notice of Intent was posted to see if there were any additional vendors who could provide a Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System. The results are discussed below in the Interest Sources Section of the J&A.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Medical Toxicology Research Division Product Manager will continue to monitor possible emerging technologies for evolving programmatic requirements.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted through the World Wide Web (WWW) and through Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS), contacting other labs, consulting vendors at international meetings. No other item is available to meet our research specifications.

9. Interested Sources: : A Notice of Intent to Sole Source this requirement was posted on the Beta.SAM website on 30 April 2020 that provided interested concerns the opportunity to identify their capability in writing by 14 May 2020. No responses were received in response to the Notice of Intent justifying that Voss Scientific is the only company who can provide the Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System.

10. Other Facts: Thorough Market Research was conducted to include a review of USAMRAA’s contracting writing system, Procurement Desktop-Defense (PD2), the USAMRAA Paperless Acquisition System (UPAS) and the Virtual Contracting Enterprise Paperless Contract File (VCE-PCF). The search identified no previous Purchase Orders or Contracts issued for the Fully Integrated 4-Channel RF Dosimetry System.

a. Procurement History:

(1) Contract numbers and dates of the last several contracts for these same requirements. Not Applicable

(2) The competitive status of these actions. Not Applicable

(3) Authority previously cited if less than full and open competition was used. Not Applicable

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

This determination will be made using the following: price analysis cost analysis IGCE audit: other:

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data is not required because the item and/or services being acquired are considered commercial.

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.