J&A_CO_signed_09_Sep_19.pdf

Single Source Justification (Simplified Acquisition)

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

November 2018 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 1 of 4

Section A: General Contract Information

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan? Yes No

Contracting Activity: 763d Specialized Contracting Squadron (SCONS)

Project/Program Name: Airdrop Tracking Web Portal Service

Purchase Request / Local ID Number: F3SF409248A001

Estimated Contract Cost (including Options): $104,160.00

Section B: Description of the Supplies/Services Required

Air Mobility Command (AMC) A5Q has a 12-month requirement for a subscription of DBN Holding's Airdrop Item Tracking System (AITS) Web Portal Service. The AITS Web Portal Service subscription will be purchased as a supply in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 "Commercial Item" definition. The Web Portal Service is for the 1,736 inReach two-way satellite communicator devices that are deployed in the fields to simultaneously track up to 40 items that are airdropped from C-17, C-130H, and C-130J aircrafts operating anywhere in the world. The AITS Web Portal Service shall include all of the following functional requirements:

a) Providing Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protection for an airdrop tracking web portal that receives, processes, transmits and stores AES 256 short burst data messages from modified inReach SE and inReach GPS two-way satellite communicators.

b) Processing all two-way AES 256 short burst data messages transmitted between a modified inReach SE and its paired modified inReach 1.5 devices that are routed through the DOD Iridium gateway, and then group-managing the two-way data messages of forty-four (44) tenant organizations so that government-authorized users can populate, edit, and export an airdrop strike report in XML format, and to view & export GPS plots on topographical, aerial and road map imagery in KML & GPX format.

c) Automatically populating an airdrop mission number entered into a modified inReach SE, its GPS position, and the individual mobile equipment identification (IMEI) numbers and GPS positions of up to 40 paired modified inReach 1.5 devices into an airdrop strike report on the web portal. The web portal strike report and map imagery will show the last known position latitude, longitude and elevation of each modified inReach 1.5, and also identify the progress status (scanned, moving, landed, zeroized) of each modified inReach 1.5 device assigned to the airdrop mission number.

d) Producing a miss distance measurement and clock position for each modified inReach 1.5 assigned to the mission when the user enters the drop zone planned point of impact (PI) GPS coordinates and the drop zone axis into the airdrop mission's web portal strike report. The miss distance is provided in yards and will be the distance that the on-ground inReach 1.5 is located from the PI. The clock position of the on-ground inReach 1.5 from the PI will be provided as the nearest hour, with 12 o'clock as the relative DZ axis heading.

e) Cataloging and storing the modified inReach SE and its paired modified inReach 1.5 mission data messages into user-created mission files which contain an airdrop strike report and the topographic, aerial, and road map imagery for the plotted geolocations of the tracking devices.

f) Providing Web portal server administration and maintenance to ensure proper functioning, data message storage, redundant data backup, architecture stability, and protection against intrusion and data exfiltration.

g) Enabling government-authorized tenant administrators to grant tenant user access to the tenant account, and assign viewing or editing permissions to the tenant user.

h) Enabling government-authorized tenant administrators to manage their inventory of modified inReach two-way satellite communicator devices, as well as the function settings of the devices.

i) Enabling government-authorized tenant administrators and users to enter mission data, airdrop payload data, and drop zone information into the airdrop strike report which in turn will produce GPS plots on map imagery for the geolocation of the modified inReach devices.

j) Enabling government-authorized personnel at Headquarters Air Mobility Command to have Super Administrator privileges to the web portal for granting access to tenant military users, assigning elevated and non-elevated permissions to tenant users, changing tenant user permissions, prompting tenant users to change passcode, terminating tenant user access, deleting missions and mission data on the tenant strike report, and performing all functions available to users having less privileges.

k) Providing government authorized tenant administrators the capability to download the inReach Sync application for updating firmware and encryption for the inReach SE and paired inReach 1.5.

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l) Allowing government-authorized tenant users to download the DISA-approved DeLorme Earthmate iOS application for viewing tracking device plots on map imagery.

m) Allowing government-authorized tenant users to download AITS User's Manual and checklists.

n) Providing help desk support via email and telephone.

Under the contemplated contract, DBN Holding, Inc. will provide the web portal service in support of AMC's airdrop mission.

Delivery of the subscription shall be made on 02 Oct 19 and will be active through 30 Sep 20. The type of appropriation being utilized for this acquisition is FY20 Operations and Maintenance (3400) funds. Planning Purchase Request F3SF409248A001was received on 06 Sep 19. The web portal service cost shown below is based on the number of tracking devices distributed among the Mobility Air Force wings that have an airdrop mission, as well as, tracking devices positioned in the Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Period Of Performance Number of Units Price Per Unit Total Base Period 01 Oct 19 - 30 Sep 20 1,736 $60.00 $104,160.00 Total Estimated Contract Value $104,160.00

Section C: Justification for Soliciting from a Single Source or Brand Name

A highly specialized two-way satellite communication tracking system is required to provide both the ability to simultaneously group-track 40 airdrop items and the ability to receive the signal in the aircraft without having to install an Iridium modem on the aircraft for signal reception. The tracking system must also provide a back office computer processing capability to process Advanced Encryption Standard 256 (AES 256) short burst data messages necessary to consolidate transmissions from multiple GPS trackers to generate an airdrop mission strike report. The consolidated data must be able to be transferred to a hand-held transceiver carried aboard the aircraft. Pilots will then have GPS plots viewing access on their electronic flight bag tablet.

Currently, there is only one manufacturer, DBN Holding, who can provide the group GPS tracking system that can meet the AF's critical performance requirements.

In 2013, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Mobility Integration Division (AFLCMC/WLR) conducted research on commercial products with potential to track items airdropped from aircraft in 2013. DBN Holding's inReach GPS tracking system was the only commercial product (out of 30 vendors) that could meet the highly specialized performance requirements identified two paragraphs above. Likewise, the inReach GPS tracking system is currently the only modified commercial product that has received Safe-To-Fly approvals from the Chief Engineers of the C-17, C-130H and C-130J. The inReach products have also passed the AF's cyber security testing requirements. Although the GPS commercial market is expanding, no vendor has demonstrated a recent ability to handle airdrops with 40 simultaneous items and provide the signal needs addressed above.

Two purchases for non-modified commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) inReach items have been purchased by the AF in the past five years. In Dec 2014, a firm fixed-price order (FA4452-15-F-0003) was competitively awarded by the 763 SCONS to Alvarez & Associates, LLC (authorized distributor of DBN Holding), SDVOSB, for a price of $89,199.60 through NASA SEWP IV IDIQ contract Groups B and C. Then in Jul 2015, a firm fixed-price order against the NASA SEWP contract #NNG15SD19B (order #FA8614-15- F-2028) was competitively awarded by AFLCMC/WLMK to Alvarez & Associates, LLC (authorized distributor for DBN Holding) for a price of $1,076,294.77.

In Jun 2017, 763 SCONS/PKC purchased the slightly modified inReach SE Kits and inReach 1.5 Kits, inReach 1.5 Replacement Kits, inReach SE Conversion & Kits, and the AITS Web Portal Service that met the Air Force's critical performance requirements. The inReach SE Conversion & Kits were for updating the previously bought inReach SE's to the slightly modified version. The minor modifications DBN Holding performed were to include a removable antenna and the ability to flash the modem to allow access to the DoD Iridium Gateway. This Brand Name Only DBN Holding AITS requirement was set-aside on FBO as a SDVOSB small business set-aside and only DBN Holding responded. The contract was contract was awarded to DBN Holding, Inc. (SDVOSB) for the amount of $1,202,889.00. The contract was awarded on 09 Jun 17 with a delivery date of 23 Feb 18 for the items and period of performance for the Airdrop Web Portal Service from contract award to 30 Sep 18.

Therefore, an award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the AF's requirements. AITS originated as an AFRL Precision Airdrop flagship capability concept requirement and was validated under the Air Force Requirements

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Oversight Council (AFROC) Memorandum on 11 Nov 09 and signed by the AF/CV on 30 Nov 11. Full Operating Capability (FOC) was scheduled for 31 Aug 18, just under seven years from the AFROC requirements approval. Duplicating the effort to test an entirely new technical solution (if one existed), and then integrate it somehow with the existing AITS system would extend the FOC date by two years or more depending if and when the Program Manager and Engineering resources are available at AFLCMC. Since the item tracking need in the Precision Airdrop (PAD) FCC proposal is categorized as a "high" priority and approved by the AFROC, a new duplicate IOC phase to test a new proposed technical solution would clearly be an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the Air Force's requirement to support combat operations. In addition to the unacceptable delay, it would also be a duplication of cost to test a new technical solution and then integrate the system with the existing AITS system. With the AITS Web Portal Service being the only Portal to work with tracking the AITS inReach SE's and inReach 1.5's in the field, it would be an unacceptable delay and substantial cost to test a new Portal to be compatible with the already in use inReach devices.

Section D: Efforts to Obtain Competition

For market research on this effort, 763 SCONS/PKA reviewed the current contract for the same effort. On 01 Oct 18, 763 SCONS/ PKC purchased the DBN Holding AITS Web Portal Service as a part of contract FA4452-19-P-0002. The current contract was awarded to DBN Holding, Inc. (SDVOSB) for the amount of $104,160.00 with a Period of Performance from 01 Oct 18 - 30 Sep 19.

Previous market research revealed that DeLorme (now DBN Holding, Inc.) Airdrop Item Tracking Systems are the only approved products for use on the C-17, C-130H, and C-130J aircrafts. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Mobility Integration Division (AFLCMC/WLR) conducted research on commercial products with the potential to track items airdropped from aircraft in 2013. DeLorme' s inReach GPS tracking system was the only commercial product (out of 30 vendors) that could meet the critical performance specification identified in Section D above. Since the testing of the commercial products, the Chief Engineers of the C-130H and C-17 aircraft have given subsequent approvals in 2014, 2015 and 2016 as the DeLorme products passed Radiated Emissions Testing, Explosive Atmosphere Testing and Rapid Decompression Testing. Likewise, a cybersecurity assessment was completed in 2016 which found the DeLorme's products to be acceptable. After finding out this information, 763 SCONS found through additional market research that the NASA SEWP contract was utilized in two prior acquisitions (FA4452-15-F-0003 & contract #NNG15SD19B (order #FA8614-15-F-2028)) the same inReach items & Airdrop Tracking Web Portal Service. In the two prior acquisitions, the orders were awarded to Alvarez & Associates, Inc. Ultimately, through a phone call with DBN Holding, Inc., 763 SCONS discovered that even though DBN has multiple distributors, Alvarez is the only authorized distributor able to supply the DBN Holding, Inc. inReach items that are modified to the government's requirement.

All other distributors cannot provide the government approved Safe-To-Fly inReach brand name only products that meet the airdrop capabilities and broadcast AES 256 data through the DoD Iridium gateway. 763 SCONS then contacted both DBN and Alvarez to ask if they would respond to an RFQ posted to FBO instead of NASA SEWP, and they both responded positively.

Therefore, 763 SCONS solicited the brand name only requirement as an SDVOSB small-business set-aside on FBO for 12 days.

Although 763 SCONS anticipated at least two offerors from service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB), only one offeror responded to the RFQ. DBN Holding, Inc., the manufacturer, was the only one who responded. Therefore, DBN Holding was awarded the contract #FA4452-17-P-0004, since it was found technically acceptable, the price fair and reasonable, and determined a responsible contractor IAW FAR 9.104-1.

On 19 Sep 18, 763 SCONS/PKC reached out to DBN Holding to confirm that Alvarez is still their only authorized reseller. During the phone call, DBN stated that Alvarez still provides the devices and service through the NASA SEWP V contract. After the phone call, DBN Holding provided a letter that stated "DBN Holding, CAGE Code 3FE06, is the supplier of the inReach devices provisioned for the Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) Gateway and the associated Airdrop Tracking Web Portal Service.

In the past, we have made these devices and services available through a Team Agreement with Alvarez and Associates." 763 SCONS/PKC found that Alvarez, LLC. does have the 12-Month AITS Web Portal Service, part number of DBN-AKIT-WEB, on their NASA SEWP V contract (#NNG15SD19B) for a price of $70.43, 17 percent greater than historical prices paid. Utilizing this vehicle was considered, however, due to Alvarez being the only authorized reseller for DBN's products and the current contracts efforts, 763 SCONS decided using NASA SEWP would not provide competition and would only add excessive pass-through charges to include the NASA SEWP surcharge of .375%. As such, 763 SCONS contacted Alvarez to see if their company would provide a quote if a solicitation was posted to FBO for the Brand Name Only DBN Holding AITS Tracking Web Portal Service. To which Alvarez responded in an email stating that the AITS Web Portal Service is not an item they can supply.

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On 01 Aug 19, the Mission Partner conducted follow up market research and found that Alvarez was on NASA SEWP and the prices were still the same at $70.43 per unit, and DBN Holding, Inc. remained the provider. Based on the information from the current contract and market research, the Contracting Officer does not have a reasonable expectation that for the follow-on contract that offers would be received from two or more vendors. Therefore, it was determined that a direct Sole Source award to DBN Holding, SDVOSB, is in the best interest of the Government.

Section E: Steps to Preclude Future Single Source or Brand Name Awards

As stated in the previous J&A, due to aircraft compatibility, Safe-To-Fly requirements, and the inReach products passing the Air Force's cyber security testing requirements, the DBN Holding Airdrop Item Tracking Systems are the only approved airdrop tracking devices acceptable for use at this time. The Airdrop Item Tracking Systems received final approval in operational testing under AMC Test project number 11-001-15, dated July 2016. Approval of the Cybersecurity Assessment for the Airdrop Item Tracking System was signed by the Air Force Aircraft Authorizing Official on behalf of SAF-CIO on 05 Oct 16. Air Mobility Command A5 has continuously evaluated new technology for use as it enters the market in order to provide for additional solutions in the future. However, no new vendors have currently entered the market. If an item comes into the market, AMC/A5 will submit a requirement to the Program Office for the respective aircraft, requesting research and testing to be performed in order to determine if the solution will meet customer requirements. If the product appears to be a viable solution, the Air Force would then complete the Safe-To-Fly evaluation.

Section F: Contracting Officer's Determination

I have determined, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), that the circumstances of this contract action deem only a single source is reasonably available.

Date

09-Sep-2019

Typed Name and Rank/Grade of Contracting Officer

Tia F. Ragsdale, GS-12

Signature of Contracting Officer

November 2018 Page of Section A: General Contract Information Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan?

Section B: Description of the Supplies/Services Required Section C: Justification for Soliciting from a Single Source or Brand Name Section D: Efforts to Obtain Competition Section E: Steps to Preclude Future Single Source or Brand Name Awards Section F: Contracting Officer's Determination I have determined, in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), that the circumstances of this contract action deem only a single source is reasonably available.

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