Exception_to_Fair_Opportunity_ID04130149_Redacted.pdf

Federal Acquisition Service Assisted Acquisition Services Division

Southeast Sunbelt Region

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity

FAR 16.505 (b)(2)

1. Requiring and Contracting Activity

a. Requiring Activity:

b. Contracting Activity:

c. Contracting Officer:

d. Task ID:

e. Estimated Value:

f. Contract Vehicle:

Department of Navy Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division 575 I Ave., Suite 1 Bldg 3008 Point Mugu, CA 93042-5049

Loretta Clark

General Services Administration l'ederal Acquisition Service Assisted Acquisition Services Division 401 \Vest Peachtree St., NW, Suite 2700 Atlanta, GA 30308

11)04130149

$4,721,956.04M

GWAC

2. Nature of Description of Action;

The General Services Administration (GSA). Federal Acquisition Services (FAS), Assisted Acquisition Services Division (AASD) leas received a requirement from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), Airborne Electronic Attack Division, at Point Mugu, California for the manufacture, test, document, deliver, and install of a Threat Simulator that will be used to provide stimulus to a-cuonic Warfare (EN) systems located in the LW Laboratory at NAWCWD. The Radio Frequency (RF) Threat Simulator is to produce the electromagnetic signals that would be encountered by the system while au aircraft is flying combat missions. The RI' Threat Simulator architecture shall also include the tools necessary to design, develop, manage, analyze, verify, and execute the test scenarios and scenario component elements to be used in single and integrated EC system tests. The E\V sinuilator will expand the capability of existing simulator equipment and must maintain simulation file compatibility with the existing him simulators at test organizations partnering with the LW Laboratory at NAWCWD in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aSh) and other systems software and hardware updates. This requirement will be • procured on a Firm-Fixed-Price basis under the GSA Alliant Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) in accordance with FAR 16.505 procedures. An Alliant scope compatibiiity review was requested and it was determined by the Alliant GWAC Contracting Officer that this requirement is compatible with the scope of the Alliant GWAC.

Contractor Information

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

7575 Coishire Dr

McClean, VA 22102.7508

Cage: 32143

3. Description of Supplies or Services:

This is a requirement for the manufacture, test, document, deliver, and installation of 2Threat Simulator. The RI' Threat Simulator is required to generate microwave, signals for direct, simultaneous injection into the F-35 and other EW systems under test (SL-! l's) located at NAWCWD in LW Laboratories. The RF Threat Simulator architecture shall also include the took necessary to design, develop, manage, analyze, verify, and execute the test scenarios and scenario component elements to be used in single and integrated EC system tests.

4. identification of Exception to Fair Opportunity and-Rationale:

l'AR 16.505(b)(1)(i) requires the Contracting Officer to provide each awarder under a multiple award contract, a fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding $3,000 unless a statutory exception applies. The specific exception that precludes the fair opportunity process for this acquisition is FAR 16.305(b)(2)(i)(13) Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered ate unique or highly specialized.

11w re9uising activity's minimum needs for an RF Threat Simulator can only be satisfied by the unique capabilities of Northrop Grumman Atnherst Systems' Combat Electromagnetic Environnient Simulator (CEESIM) demonstrated as follows:

a. Proprietary F.miost and Scenario Files CEESIM requires emitter and scenario tiles to test E\V systems. An extensive library of these tiles have been created and validated-by the EW Laboratory at NAWCWO, Point Mugu, California. The emitter and scenario file format is proprietary to Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems.

The EW Laboratory at NAWCWI1, provided a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) of a minimum of 4 years (13 man-years) to recreate the emitter and scenario library for a new► simulator.

b. Compatibihi with Outside Ap,ncy Simulators The EW Laboratory at NAWCWI) supports customer and teat organizations throughout the country which include the Air Force, Marines. Navy and Foreign Customers. These organizations must have the capability to quickly and easily transfer threat and scenario files to meet critical reprogramming times including those identified w AM 10.703. Al I 10-703 is the Air Force Instruction for Electronic Warfare Integrated Reprogramming.

This document provides guidance and procedures for Aix Force KW reprogramming including how fast software updates should reach the field. Urgent changes should reach the field within 72 hours and Emergency changes should reach the field within 24 hours.

All of these customers utilize CEESIMs and in order to maintain compatibility, the EW Laboratory at NAWCWD must provide CEESIM threat and scenario tiles. Conversion and validation process to a CEESIM compatibility file can take over 4t1 hours depending on the complexity of the tile and will cause a failure to comply with AFI 10-703 mandated Urgent and Emergency reprogramming times.

c. )..ab Too)a Software lab tools have been developed for automated testing of EW systems using CF.ESIMs. These tools arc only compatible with CEESIM hardware and must be rewritten for use with other RF simulators. An effort of 4-5 man-years for software coding is estimated based on recent CF.F.SIM tool development.

S. Contracting Officer Determination:

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government for this acquisition will be lair and reasonable. Actions anticipated to ensure the reasonableness of the peke will be accomplished with the procedures and criteria contained in FAR Subpart 15.404, as appropriate. The Contracting CHTicer will use vatioua price analysis techniques and procedures to ensure a fair and reasonable price. Examples of such techniques may include, but are not limited to: comparison of the proposed prices to historical prices paid by the Government for the same or similar items (Robins AFB CEESIM purchased March 2013), comparison of the proposed prices with the independent Government cost estimate, and comparison with the competitive published price list for the Alliant GwAr, loaded hourly tabor rates.

6. Other Supporting Facts:

Other Cost and Schedule Risk Items if the existing EW Laboratory equipment is replaced with a different model EW simulator:

I. Compatibility with other EW simulator sites/support organizations: All L'S Government and Contractor sites that support the F-35 currently utilize the CEESIM produid by Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems. These systems have been in use for 20 years on multiple Programs and are now an integral part of the F-35 ground support environment, with continuous active support by the original supplier. The EW Laboratory at NAWCWI) must maintain consistency/compatibaity with all other stimulator sites in order to ensure reproducible test results. This can only he achieved if the existing equipment is replaced with a current version of CF.ESINI

Cost and schedule impact as sedated with a different EW simulator: Replacement of the existing equipment with a simulator from an alternate supplier would increase cost and introduce schedule delays in several areas: (a.) Users must be trained to use a new simu6tor. This will impart the VAX' laboratory at NAWCWD support activities since EW simulators are complex and up to two (2) years of hands•on experience arc required to reach proficiency (b.) Existing emitter libraries and scenarios would require converaion, re-verification, and re-validation, as described above.

7. Statement of Actions to Overcome Barriers to Competition:

The EW Laboratory at N.AWCAXD, Point Xingu, CA continues to pursue acquisition of pertinent data lights from Northrop Grunuran to allow greater competition on future RI: Simulator acquisitions. Because of proprietary source code and software interface design of CF 1; possessed by Northrop Grumnum, they are the only contractor with the ability to fulfill the unique requirements at this time.

8. Contracting Officer Certification:

The undersigned his determined that the anticipated cost to the Government for this acquisition will be fair and reasonable. Further; I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

KEITH

ECHOL

S

Digibely t. by. MYTH ECHOlS Ott C71 - IEtrH icHots c • US 0 = y Ocroenwnent OU , Gsnersi S6rion pUptihstrawn 04a-- 2013 06 07 08.17.05 -04 00 7 Aug 2013

Keith Echols Date Senior Contracting Officer

9. Requiring Agency Certification:

I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which form the basis for this justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief

7°/19 cz.WS

Paul Du Tech Mgmt Spec.

Date

10. Approve!:

Based on the above facts, it is the approving officiets determination that the above referenced exception to 6hr opportunity is required and in the Government's best interest to fulfilled the required acquisition.