CR-20290_Redacted_JA.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity

Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC-CR), Contracts Operations Division, Radar Systems Contracts Branch, Code 0241.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

Award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) supply contract with an ordering period of 5 years on a sole-source basis for new manufacture of the SPS-49 Slip Ring/Roll Ring to Diamond-Roltran, 59 Porter Road, Littleton, MA 01460.

3. Description of Supplies/Services

The AN/SPS-49 Radar Antenna provides two dimensional air search detection aboard Navy ships. The Slip Ring/Roll Ring Assemblies are essential devices that facilitate the continuous supply of electrical signals while the antenna system operates in a rotating motion, without the risk of twisting cables.

This procurement is for the new manufacture of the SPS-49 Roll Ring assembly, manufactured to drawing number 82007601, which is owned by NSWC Crane. This roll ring technology developed by Diamond-Roltran is to replace the current brush technology used in the AN/SPS- 49 slip ring assembly. The roll ring technology has passed First Article Testing performed by the Government under contract N0016415DGR66 with Diamond-Roltran. The production units will be used in NSWC Crane’s WXP Division’s Radar Restoration Program, sponsored by PEO

IUWS 2.0.

Award of a 5-year supply FFP IDIQ contract is intended. This requirement is for an estimated maximum of $4,514,743.62 over a 5-year period and funded with appropriations from Navy Operation and Maintenance (O&MN), Other Procurement, Navy (OPN), Navy Shipbuilding and Conversion (SCN), Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Working Capital Fund (WCF). An estimate of the proposed contract utilization, based on the Independent Government Estimate (IGE), is listed in the following table.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

CRANE DIVISION

300 HIGHWAY 361

CRANE INDIANA 47522-5001

IN REPLY REFER TO:

J&A Number: CR-20290 Code: WXP

N00164-21-D-WP73

J&A CR-20290

Estimated Dollar Value FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 Totals

$4,514,744.00

Deliveries will be delineated in each individual delivery order.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) and in accordance with (IAW) FAR 6.302-1(a) (2) (ii): Only one responsible source. Diamond-Roltran owns the data rights to the roll rings themselves; thus, NSWC Crane is unable to compete the contract.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

The reliability of AN/SPS-49 Slip Ring Assemblies is slowly but seriously decreasing over time.

The cost and frequency to repair the brush technology devices is increasing. Electrical rotary couplers are electromechanical devices that allow an electrical signal to travel through a stationary part into/from rotating parts. Rotary couplers are required because, if a cable was used, it would become tangled after one or more revolutions and break the cable or damage the component. One type of rotary coupler is known as a slip ring. A slip ring works by having a set of carbon brushes pressed by some type of spring against a rotating metal ring. These brushes allow for an electrical connection without being physically fixed to the rotating part.

Unfortunately, due to the friction from being in constant contact with a rotating metal ring the carbon brushes slowly wear down over time. This causes the need for routine cleaning to remove floating carbon dust from the unit as well as high brush replacement rates.

A Roll Ring is the registered trademark name of a type of rotary coupler designed by the company Diamond-Roltran. This type of rotary coupler works similar to the slip ring, but replaces the carbon brushes with another rotating metal ring. This design now uses a center rotating ring to drive the new rotating ring to ride along the interior of the stationary housing, keeping a constant electrical connection. Due to this electrical contact now rolling instead of pressing and wearing like the carbon brushes, there is essentially no longer a friction factor, and thus almost no wearing down of parts. This means no routine cleaning required and an almost nonexistent replacement rate.

NSWC Crane is obligated to the fleet and the PEO IWS 2 customer to use innovative approaches to solve these reliability issues. The vendor, Diamond-Roltran, incorporates roll ring technology in place of the existing brush technology used in AN/SPS-49 Slip Ring Assembly. The vendor developed this technology and has already completed a preliminary design at their own expense.

They have also used the technology successfully in the AN/SPS-48E rotary couplers. The AN/SPS-48E rotary coupler program is currently testing one rotary coupler using roll-ring technology in the fleet. NSWC Crane received one unit to perform first article testing on. WXP

Division’s Radar Restoration Program technical department performed a test fit of the unit, and then had the vender perform shock/vibe testing and environmental testing, as laid out in the original slip ring drawing; the vendor provided NSWC Crane with the data obtained. After acceptable test results, NSWC Crane installed the unit into a fully assembled pedestal and ran it for one thousand (1000) hours without issue before NSWC Crane concurred with the test results.

To date, there have been no failures.

Also, WXP has searched for similar approaches using this technology. Diamond is the only company that is using this innovative approach to resolve reliability issues with these complicated devices. Since this approach was developed by Diamond-Roltran, the innovative approach is their intellectual property. The government tried to buy the rights to the roll rings when it awarded N0016415DGR66, but the cost was approximately $10M. NSWC Crane has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of supplies covered by this document.

Therefore, it is more cost effective to award this contract than to spend the money to buy the data rights.

Based on these facts, and the passing of First Article testing on using roll ring technology, competition will be restricted to Diamond-Roltran.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable

The requiring technical activity (RTA) conducted market Research in accordance with FAR Part

10. FAR 10.001(a)(2) requires market research appropriate to the circumstances. The Market Research was performed through searches in GSA Advantage, Ability One, and general internet inquiries, as well as searching previous purchases of similar/identical acquisition purchases.

These searches revealed that there were no other sources capable of utilizing the roll ring technology for AN/SPS-49 Slip Ring Assemblies. As a validation, a Google search using the term “Antenna Roll Ring” was performed by the RTA. The only results returned were from Diamond-Roltran or trade journals that refer to Diamond’s unique approach.

This solicitation will be advertised in Federal Business Opportunities. Responses will be reviewed to determine if additional interested sources exist.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

The contracting officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies/services covered by this J&A is fair and reasonable. This determination was based on the IGE and comparison to historical costs. DCMA pricing assistance and/or DCAA audit of contractor’s proposal may be requested along with offeror’s certificate of current cost and pricing to support the fair and reasonable cost determination.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, NSWC Crane has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of supplies covered by this document. If other potential sources emerge, NSWC Crane Division will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

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Requirements Cognizance

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LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW

I have determined this Justification is legally sufficient.

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CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION

I certify that this Justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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APPROVAL BLOCK (FAR 6.304 FOR Approving Official)

Upon the basis of the above justification, I hereby approve, as Competition Advocate for the Contracting Activity, the solicitation of the proposed procurement(s) using of other than full and open competition, pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(1)(1).

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TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and its supporting data, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Technical Cognizance