JOCFOC_-_LMCT_LIDAR_-_FINAL.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER (VOLPE CENTER)

AIRCRAFT WAKES AND WEATHER DIVISION (RVT-75)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

PART I - TECHNICAL SUPPORTING DATA

Recommend that negotiations be conducted with Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology (LMCT), a segment of Lockheed Martin Corporation located in Louisville, Colorado, on a noncompetitive basis for award of a contract in an amount estimated to be $7 million for 5 years. The supporting data for this recommendation are as follows:

A. Description of Supplies/Services

The Government has a need for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract to support the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center’s (Volpe Center) wake turbulence activities through the measurement of wake vortices from arriving and departing aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS) as well as the necessary weather data to support the examinations of safe reduction in aircraft wake turbulence separation minima. The supplies and services to be acquired by the Government are the following:

1. Services and Support of WindTracer Light Detection and Ranging (LIDARs):

a. System Deployment and Engineering Support Services for Data Processing and

Optimization

b. System Modification/Improvement with Component Material Integration Support

c. System Analysis

d. Data Processing and Analysis

2. Leasing of Systems

3. Maintenance Agreements

4. Component Material and Spares

B. Background

1. Narrative Description. Since 2001, the Volpe Center has been tasked by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to measure wake vortices from arriving and departing aircraft in the NAS as well as the necessary weather data to support the examinations of safe deduction in aircraft wake turbulence separation minima. Aircraft wake vortices are the dominant factor in determining the safe separation of aircraft as heavier aircraft produce larger, longer, and greater strength vortices than smaller aircraft. The primary sensor used to measure wake vortices (a Government industry) has been and continues to be the LMCT WindTracer system, which is a mobile, electro-optical, scanning pulsed coherent Doppler LIDAR providing high temporal and spatial resolution wind field measurements at long range. When configured with LMCT’s wake processing software, the system can detect, track, and characterize aircraft wake vortices, a capability that no other company can match at this time.

In the past 13 years, many changes in aircraft separations have been approved by the FAA, which have all been based on the analysis of data collected by the LMCT WindTracer LIDARs. Examples include the “National Rule Change,” or formally FAA JO 7110.308, and the Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Departures (WTMD FAA JO 7110.316), which directly support the Next Generation’s (NextGen) initiative to more efficiently use Closely Spaced Parallel Runways (CSPR). More recently, FAA-EUROCONTROL jointly developed a revised set of separation minima for single-runway operations (FAA JO 7110.659A, otherwise known as RECAT I) that is currently implemented in a handful of US airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is the busiest airport in the world by traffic volume. WindTracer-based wake data from both the FAA and EUROCONTROL were the basis for developing the safety case of RECAT I. Recently, FAA and its international partners have relied on WindTracer-based data collection in dedicated flight tests to recommend the wake turbulence separation minima for newly introduced, very large aircraft such as the A388 and B748.

The Volpe Center owns four LMCT WindTracer LIDARs, all of which are currently deployed and operational—one unit at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and three units at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The Volpe Center is supporting the FAA, in part, through additional WindTracer-based data collection at JFK and SFO in its development of additional procedures such as the second phase of RECAT (i.e., RECAT II) and Wake Turbulence Mitigation for Arrivals – Procedural. Both of these efforts are steps necessary to achieve NextGen’s ultimate call for dynamic wake turbulence separation minima.

2. Acquisition History. Since the initial acquisition of a WindTracer in 2001, the Volpe Center issued two sole source ID/IQ contracts (DTRT57-05-D-30101 and DTRT57-10- D-30021), citing the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii) to:

• Maintain, optimize, and support Government-owned LMCT WindTracer LIDAR systems;

• Redeploy Government-owned LMCT WindTracer LIDAR systems to other locations;

• Modify the LMCT WindTracer system software and algorithm to continually modernize and improve the system;

• Lease WindTracer LIDARs;

• Support data processing and analysis efforts; and

• Acquire and integrate material and spare parts to improve the overall performance.

The total cost of all prior LMCT WindTracer LIDAR-related acquisitions is in excess of $10M.

3. Procurement Specifications. The Volpe Center currently owns four complete LMCT WindTracer LIDAR units and, based on direction from the FAA and test requirements/ objectives, will redeploy the systems according to the following procurement specifications:

• Services and Support of LMCT WindTracer LIDARs: LMCT shall provide the following services and support:

o System Deployment and Engineering Support Services for Data Processing and Optimization: Each WindTracer system requires input from the manufacturer as to site selection, installation, alignment, parameter changes and adaptations, data processing design, and hardware optimization.

o System Modification/Improvement with Component Material Integration Support: Integration effort associated with the purchase of component material.

o System Analysis: Optimize the wake and wind data processing algorithm.

As more LIDAR data is collected, it is advantageous to incorporate

(a) historical lessons learned within the wake turbulence program;

(b) improvements identified either by the user or additional independent evaluation efforts to capitalize on enhanced capabilities of newer hardware in the LIDAR; or (c) lessons learned from specific anomalies in the data. The aspects of the algorithm development/enhancement and associated analysis may include, but is not limited to, vortex circulation characterization, improved tracking improved data conversion and automation processes, wind forecast algorithm, eddy dissipation rate extraction, and specialized wind vector retrieval.

o Data Processing and Analysis: Examine, modify, and improve the wake and wind processing algorithm and its resulting data to ensure receipt of the highest quality data.

• Leasing of Systems: Two of the LIDARs are either at or have exceeded half of their life expectancy. Based on this, the Volpe Center has experienced increasing downtime during the data collection period and requires the ability to lease LMCT WindTracer LIDARs during system downtime to continue the NextGen support.

• Maintenance Agreements: To prolong the LIDAR life cycle, preventative maintenance and warranty support agreements are required.

• Component Material and Spares: As component material breaks or becomes obsolete, the Government requires the acquisition of new material and spare parts to maintain a full set of four operational LMCT WindTracer LIDARs.

C. Circumstances Requiring the Use of Other Than Full and Open Competition

FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), entitled “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements,” states: “Supplies may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment, including major components thereof, when it is likely that award to any other source would result in (A) Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition, or (B) Unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.”

The anticipated contract is a follow-on contract to DTRT57-05-D-30101 and DTRT57-10-D-30021, which were solicited as sole source requirements to LMCT. The anticipated contract is for upgrades, maintenance agreements, component material acquisition, and short-term leases of LMCT proprietary hardware and software; and, as such, the entire range of services and support necessary to perform the scope of work can only be obtained technically, cost effectively, and within an acceptable schedule through LMCT. A partial list of patents critical to the engineering of a WindTracer is as follows:

• United States Patent Number 5,237,331, “Eyesafe Coherent Laser Radar for Velocity and

Position Measurements,” August 17, 1993

• United States Patent Number 5,521,930, “Device for Injection-Seeding, Frequency-

Switching, and Q-Switching A Laser Source,” May 28, 1996

• United States Patent Application, US 2005/0129083, “Optical Bench for Diode-Pumped

Solid State Laser in Field Applications,” June 16, 2005

• United States Patent Application, US 2006/0245458, “Low Stress, High Thermal

Conduction Laser Rod Mounting,” November 2, 2006

According to the estimates of the engineers of RVT- 75, award to another vendor to purchase and maintain new LIDARs and develop the full technical capability to meet the Government’s requirements would require the Government to gain the confidence and industry acceptance that currently exists in 13 years of worldwide experience with the LMCT WindTracer. The associated cost is an estimated $6M, consisting of field deployments, data collection efforts, and working closely with this other vendor to troubleshoot and develop the algorithm to the advanced level of the LMCT algorithm (which has had inputs from Government and industry experts over the last 13 years). This would take years to develop and would delay the FAA in meeting the required deadlines of program deliverables to the NextGen office.

The following is a list of significant Government investments made in the development of the

LMCT LIDAR:

• A series of site monitoring, analysis tools, and efforts to understand the intricacies of the LMCT LIDAR data through multi-year, multi-sensor comparisons were developed by the FAA in the early part of the 13 years of program history. A conservative estimate of a duplication of the cost of these efforts is $4M.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has invested approximately $2M to date in building additional simulation tools with LMCT and other organizations supporting its NASA Research Announcement in wake turbulence to understand the LMCT algorithm and obtain confidence in its overall performance.

Even if a new system were to be developed that could meet the Government’s criteria, the LMCT wake algorithm is essential to the success of the wake turbulence program. The design and implementation of the wake algorithm employed in the LMCT WindTracer is proprietary and the wake algorithm software has been developed to integrate with the system architecture of the hardware in order to achieve fast and accurate processing. A second processing algorithm would pose a significant threat of negating the historical data collection as a new algorithm would not be coded identically to produce identical results. The wake vortex program relies heavily on the historical data collected over the course of the 13-year program history, and the negation of this data would create an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the agency’s requirements. The Volpe Center is required to provide data analysis in support of various FAA program milestones at least quarterly. With the existing historical data and continuous updates from current WindTracer test sites, analysis can be completed and supplemented on a regular basis in support of FAA initiatives. Any new data sets, particularly if not proven, would take 1 to 2 years to analyze and fully understand for practical application.

D. Market Research

The wake turbulence research team at the Volpe Center implements a continuous effort to research the market for meteorological sensor developments that have wake turbulence measurement potential. As detailed in Section C, only LMCT possesses the capability to service and maintain its proprietary WindTracer systems. In addition, the critical component material is only available through LMCT.

The Volpe Center is currently collecting data with two different wind-energy LIDARs to explore the feasibility of using their technology to spot and measure wake turbulence, particularly at wake generation. These LIDARs do not have the capability at this time and are not capable of being modified to meet the requirements of the Wake Vortex program. Additionally, various wind-energy companies have approached the Volpe Center with their smaller LIDARS, including but not limited to Qinetiq, Yankee Environmental, Sgurr Energy, and Leosphere, but none of these LIDARS are capable of tracking wake vortices.

The following is a listing of additional efforts by the Volpe Center to better its knowledge of the market for LIDARs:

• Conference: Coherent Laser Radar Conference 2008, 2010, 2012

• Conference: WakeNet EU 2013, 2014

• Research: The Volpe Center maintains a bibliography of wake turbulence publications:

http://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/air-traffic-systems-and-operations/aircraft-wakes-and-weather. Over 200 entries therein pertain to LIDAR data.

E. Steps to Foster Competition (or Consideration)

Although there will likely be additional requirements for the wake turbulence program, there is little basis for establishing a competitive base for technical support involving proprietary subsystems and software since LMCT would need to be involved based upon its proprietary products and other various arguments already put forth. However, the Government is investing in the less costly but also less capable LIDAR systems currently marketed for the wind energy sector to explore their feasibility as wake turbulence sensors. This activity also permits the Government to follow the progress that these non-LMCT LIDAR companies are making. In another Wake Turbulence Program activity supported by the Volpe Center, the Government has acquired two wind energy LIDARs that have the potential to evolve into a general purpose wind LIDAR much like the WindTracer. This development is the most cost effective method of eventually providing competition for the WindTracer. In terms of algorithms, the FAA is allocating some of its resources to develop a Government-owned wake processing algorithm as part of the long-term research and development plan. This algorithm is closer to the German Aerospace Agency’s Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt algorithm that uses envelope velocity from the edge of the spectra instead of a maximum likelihood match filter-based Spectral-Space-Algorithm used by LMCT. The Volpe Center’s alternative algorithm is not yet mature enough to compete with LMCT’s algorithm and the processing is not automated. It has, however, been increasingly used in very specific and smaller sampling analysis as well as supporting the examination of outlier cases identified in the LMCT algorithm in the context of examining a wake separation concept.

F. Technical Office Certification

The requirement set forth is initiated to satisfy a recognized Government need. As applicable, the plans, drawings, specifications, and statement of work are limited to state the minimum needs of the Government. I certify that the above information which serves as the basis for the justification for other than full and open competition is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

ORIGNAL SIGNED BY 10/17/2014

Melanie Soares Date Technical Initiator

Concurred By:

Jonathan Lee, Date Division Chief

PART II – CONTRACTS SUPPORTING DATA

A. Description of the Procurement Action – This procurement action will result in a new ID/IQ contract with a period of performance of 5 years and is a follow-on to ID/IQ contract DTRT57- 10-D-30021 that was awarded to LMCT on August 29, 2010, and has a period of performance through August 28, 2015. The ID/IQ contract type is most suited for technically complex programs where program requirements are not specifically known during the solicitation phase.

Task orders will be issued against this ID/IQ contract on a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee or a Firm- Fixed-Price (FFP) basis. Task order type will be determined at the task order level as work requirements are established. FFP performance-based task orders will be issued whenever possible.

B. Authority – 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 titled “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

C. Efforts to Obtain Competition – The proposed contract action will be synopsized through the

Government-wide point of entry (FedBizOpps) as required by FAR Subpart 5.2. Any statements of capability or expressions of interest received from any other potential sources in response to this synopsis will be referred for appropriate technical review.

D. Fair and Reasonable Cost – The signature of the Contracting Officer provided below represents a determination that the amount to be paid for this contract will be fair and reasonable. The contractor will be required to submit appropriately detailed cost and pricing information with its proposal. The Contracting Officer will conduct the necessary cost and price analysis on this information to either confirm the fairness and reasonableness of the amount proposed or will establish the Government’s objective position for purposes of entering into negotiations with the contractor to obtain agreement on a fair and reasonable amount for the resulting contract. This process will be appropriately documented in the contract file.

E. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION:

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

Thomas Martin Date Contracting Officer