E21- Redacted Sole Source Justification.pdf

MEMORANDUM

Subj: SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION MEMORANDUM FOR REMUS 600 TEST

SUPPORT IN JAPAN

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Sole Source Justification.”

This is a sole source justification. Contracting activity is NSWC-PCD, Code 024, 110 Vernon Ave., Panama City, FL, 32407.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This action will award a firm fixed price contract to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for the services specified in Paragraph 3 of this document.

3. A description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the estimated value).

The Contractor shall provide the following support in Numazu, Japan:

• Project planning and mobilization

• Vehicle preparation and checkout at WHOI

• International shipping and logistics coordination for Government-furnished equipment

• Travel to and from Japan

• Mission planning and survey support

• Daily launch and recovery operations

• Vehicle maintenance and troubleshooting

• Daily data download and vehicle health assessment

• Mission status reporting

• Demobilization and post-deployment servicing

This acquisition will be conducted using simplified acquisition procedures with a total estimated value greater than $35,000. The Government's minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel. This memo does not authorize acquisition for other requirements. This purchase will be funded with FY26 RDT&E.

4. Identification of the justification rationale and, if applicable, this acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 12.102(b), Restricting Competition for Commercial Acquisitions Below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold. The determination has been made that only one source is reasonably available to meet the Government's minimum needs.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) has a requirement to test the RESON F30S FLS in foreign waters aboard a REMUS 600. The Oceanographic

Systems Laboratory (OSL) at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have been a leading developer of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) in the United States. OSL/WHOI originally developed the REMUS vehicles, ranging from the 100-meter, 600-meter, 2500-meter and 6000-meter designs. Each of these variants are used extensively by the US Navy and other organizations to accomplish sea floor search, environmental data collection and mine countermeasure efforts. WHOI/OSL are continuously developing and updating the REMUS product, giving it greater capabilities and operational range.

The first REMUS vehicle was manufactured by OSL at WHOI in 1995, and the first REMUS 600 was developed at WHOI in 2003. The REMUS vehicles were commercially manufactured by Hydroid Inc., a spinoff of OSL/WHOI, from 2001 until 2008. In 2008 Kongsberg Maritime purchased the Hydroid, Inc. In March of 2020, Kongsberg Maritime sold Hydroid, Inc. to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and they have been manufacturing the REMUS vehicles since. Throughout the different acquisitions, WHOI has maintained the legal right to develop and sell the REMUS vehicles with their own, WHOI/OSL, modifications and upgrades.

NSWC PCD currently owns a WHOI REMUS 600 and is looking to utilize that for the testing of the RESON F30S FLS sensor. As WHOI is the OEM of the WHOI REMUS 600, they have proprietary knowledge of the operation and inner workings of the vehicle they manufacture. As such, only WHOI is capable of performing the configuration, potential unexpected maintenance and/or repair, and operational support of the vehicles they manufacture.

As such, the government does not expect significant savings through competition and it is more advantageous to the Government to award on a sole source basis to the WHOI for the support efforts listed in Paragraph 3 of this document.

5. A determination by the ordering activity contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 12.102(a).

The Contracting Officer has determined that the order represents the best value and results in the lowest overall cost alternative (considering price, special features, administrative costs, etc.) meeting the Government’s needs.

6. A description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

For the reasons specified in paragraph 4 above, WHOI is the only source that can meet the Government’s needs. This requirement will be synopsized in the government point of entry sam.gov because it is estimated greater than $25,000.00.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

None.

8. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

As stated in paragraph 4 above, WHOI is the only source that can meet this requirement.