D_F UCR Redacted_Redacted.pdf

This is a Determination & Findings document justifying a single-source procurement for the Air Force Technical Center at Randolph Air Force Base (AFTC/PZZ).

The acquisition is a competitive firm-fixed-price purchase of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment for the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA). The required items include General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) URC-300 VHF/UHF Transceiver Assemblies, CM-350 V2 Remote Control Unit (RCU), and associated hardware necessary to expand legacy Mobile Telemetry Van capabilities. The procurement is justified under RFO 11.204(a)(2)(ii) (Brand Name) authority, as the hardware must be 100% interoperable with the existing GDMS URC-300 and CM-350 V2 closed architecture baseline. Market research confirmed that any alternative brand would be technically unacceptable, requiring replacement of the Remote Control Unit and proprietary interface hardware at a cost of millions of dollars and duplication of labor. Additionally, introducing a non-GDMS product would void the vehicle's existing TEMPEST certification, necessitating a 6-to-9-month recertification process that would critically delay the B-52 CERP flight test schedule. Breaking the closed architecture to reconfigure the subsystem requires an estimated investment in Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) of approximately $9 million in labor hours plus test fixtures and laboratory fees. However, a combined synopsis/solicitation posted on SAM.GOV identified two responsible small businesses capable of supplying the required brand-name items: ACG Systems, Inc. (CAGE: 1FRK9) and Carroll Communications (CAGE: 7HK58), which will be set aside as a competitive Small Disadvantaged Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside. The Contracting Officer signed this determination on the authority of the DAF Approval Authorities Matrix PM 26-C-11 Matrix Item 51.