sole_source_justification_MFR_2025_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATIONCONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

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NOTE: If a Justification was approved for the preceding acquisition, a copy of the approved Justification for the predecessor action must be included in the staff package for approval of the instant Justification. This applies to Justification staff packages that are submitted for review and approval at a level above the contracting officer. The predecessor Justification will be used as a reference document by the approving official.

Is this a new or amended J&A Document? New Amended ( Prior to Award Only! )

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

Funding level for this acquisition: >SAT and < $750K > $750K and < $15M

Contracting Activity: AFTC/PZIOB, 5 South Wolfe Avenue, Edwards AFB, CA 93524-1185

Purchase Request / Local ID Number: AFTC/PZIOB

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): Heavy Aircraft Scales Maintenance

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): Operational

Authority: AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3572, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3403, Special Emergency Procurement Authority (41 U.S.C. 1903)

Estimated Contract Cost (including options): $ Justification Type: Class Individual

COORDINATION ( AFFARS 5306.304(a))

Date

12 Aug 2025

Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity Jeremy T. Blakemore

412 MXG/MXQ / - -

Signature

Date

14 Aug 2025

Contracting Officer

ERIC ROMERO

AFTC/PZIOB /

Signature

Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

Signature

Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

Signature

Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

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Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

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BLAKEMORE.JEREMY.TE

RELL.1090050830

Digitally signed by

BLAKEMORE.JEREMY.TERELL.1090050830

Date: 2025.08.12 11:49:01 -07'00'

ROMERO.ERIC.1383332

Digitally signed by

ROMERO.ERIC.1383332555

Date: 2025.08.14 08:22:53 -07'00'

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

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Date [ Title ] [ Name ] [ Office Symbol / Phone Number ]

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APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304(a) )

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) [ Official Signature Block ]

Signature

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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I. Contracting Activity.

The Contracting organization that is responsible for the proposed contract action is the Air Force Test Center (AFTC), Directorate of Contracting, Services Support Section. AFTC/PZIEB, 5 South Wolfe Avenue, Edwards AFB, CA 93524-1185.

The Contracting Officer for this acquisition is Mr. Joshua P. Vasquez. This is a "Justification and Approval (J&A)". The purchase Request (PR) number for this action is F1S2AA.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

This action will result in a follow-on Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

Under the contemplated contract, Fairbanks Scales, Inc., will provide the following services in sustainment of the Hangar 1830 Aircraft Scales System:

All management, personnel, tools, vehicles, supplies, materials, equipment, and labor necessary to inspect, maintain, repair, and calibrate the aircraft scales located in Hangar 1830 to ensure the unit is completely and fully operational.

(1) The total estimated value of the acquisition is $

(2) The period of performance is 01 November 2025 to 31 October 2030. A five-year period of performance is requested due to the recurring need for this service.

(3) The type of appropriation to be used for this effort is 3400.

(4) The following is the estimated value and quantity of each item:

Base Year: $ Year one: $ Year two: $ Year three: $ Year four: $

Estimated total contract value is: $

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

10 U.S.C.2304(c)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(A), as required by FAR 6.303-2(b)(4).

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

The Hangar 1830 aircraft scale system is used by flight test engineers and maintenance personnel on a daily basis to establish load parameters, mission support equipment positioning, and aircraft maximum performance characteristics.

This highly sophisticated weighing system consists of four separate scales that can weigh up to 100,000 pounds, calibrated within one percent accuracy. This contract would allow continued maintenance and sustainment of the aircraft scale system which is vitally essential to the successful accomplishment of the Air Force Aircraft Operational and Flight Test Missions. The aircraft scale system was manufactured and installed in 1956 as an analog aircraft weighing system by Fairbanks Scales, Inc., and was converted to a digital weighing system in 2011 by Fairbanks.

Because of Fairbanks' background and expertise with this scale system, they were contracted to perform the $ refurbishment/calibration and upgrade project in 2011, Contract W912PL-10D-0032 00001. Scales were inspected, restorative maintenance performed, and a new digital load cells, displays and other intrinsically safe electronic equipment was installed. In July 2012, Amendment 2 was issued to replace a failed Jack Screw ( Delays prevented work from being accomplished until March 2013. The screw jack repair is warranted through 2018, and the warranty will remain in effect only if regular preventative maintenance is performed by Fairbanks. The current contract for service to the aircraft scale system is FA9301-21-D-0003, awarded October 1, 2020 to Fairbanks for $ and previously FA9301-15-D-0004, awarded August 7, 2015 to Fairbanks for $ The contract covers five-years of

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 4 of 6 services to include monthly services, semi-annual service, annual service, and expendable parts. The period of performance ends on 30 Sept 2025. The contract was awarded on a sole source basis based on the existing warranty on the scale system. The aircraft scale system is considered highly specialized based on its size, equipment configuration and in-pit location. This weigh system consists of four scales with an interlocking mechanical weigh system with a digital recording readout display. it simultaneously records the weight of an aircraft on 4 separate scales and calculates the proportional weight based the aircraft attitude and equipment configuration. The in-pit location which extends to 3 stories below ground level and is comprised of intrinsically safe equipment. All work performed below the ground surface id performed IAW OSHA Confined Space requirements. Therefore, the acquisition will be a follow-on contract for the continued performance of a highly specialized service.

Fairbanks is the only factory direct provider capable of providing the required maintenance , repair, and calibration for the aircraft scale system. Additionally, there are no Fairbanks authorized distributors providing these parts or services, as Fairbanks does not sell parts to third parties or authorize third parties to perform maintenance or repair on their products due to proprietary concerns. A third party vendor has no access to Fairbanks parts and will be unable to perform repair services without subcontracting repairs to Fairbanks. This would add significant and duplicate costs to the government. The mechanical jacking system, the computer program that controls the system and the lever system was designed by Fairbanks Engineers for this specific application and is proprietary. Fairbanks designed and installed the control systems to meet the Hazardous Location (HAZLOC) in conformance with OSHA 1926.407(a)(b) and (b1) Class 1 Division 1 Electrical Ignition Hazard Technical Standards for signaling and lighting, by providing electrical apparatus that prevents electrical initiation of explosions. Intrinsically safe tools and apparatuses must be used in the pit area and personnel must be specifically trained and certified to work in a Non-Permitted Confined Space.

The 412 Maintenance Group believes that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition. The estimated cost to replace the weigh system is $ which includes manufacturing and installing four weigh tables at 100,000 pounds and upgrading scale pit safety devices to required OSHA Standards and custom engineering installation of an intrinsically safe electronic weigh system. This estimate was derived by consulting with Fairbanks Scales Sales Representative and their Senior Resident Salesman.

Accordingly, Fairbanks Scales Inc., is the only firm capable of providing the services described in Section III.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Internet and business searches for aircraft, railroad and large truck scale inspection, maintenance and certification maintenance vendors were completed to discern if there are additional companies certified or authorized to service and calibrate the custom aircraft scale system at Edwards AFB. A notice of intent to Sole Source was posted on 7/15/25 and no vendors responded.

This acquisition requires a synopsis in accordance with FAR 5.201. No exemption exists.

Due to warranties on parts requiring service specifically from the manufacturer of the original (as upgraded or repaired/replaced) equipment, the proprietary nature of the work limits the Government's ability to seek additional competition. There are on-going investigations into alternative scales that are entering the market with special attention given to those that do not compromise the integrity of the weight measure and could be a cost-effective replacement should repair and maintenance of the existing in-ground scale no longer be adequate to ensure mission requirements are met.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The anticipated cost will be determined "fair and reasonable" and in the best interest of the Government in accordance ith FAR 15.404-1(b)(2)(ii) by comparing proposed prices to data other than certified cost or pricing data, using data available within the Government such as the Independent Government Estimate (IGE), pricing on previous contracts for the same services, and, if necessary, data obtained from the offeror. It should be noted that this industry has been reluctant (as a whole) to provide market research pricing data. For the previous contract's market research, the Contract Specialist was unable to obtain quote from vendors because they did not want to provide that information

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 5 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 5 of 6 voluntarily for a contract they were too far away to provide services on (none of the vendors were in the local Southern California area).

There is no requirement for certified cost or pricing data for this acquisition as the estimated value is under the threshold of $2 million as stated in FAR 15.403-4(a)(1).

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted on 7/15/25 for fifteen days and there were no vendors that responded.

Therefore it has been determined that Fairbanks Scales Service Center in Chino, CA is the only factory direct provider for Fairbanks Heavy Capacity products in the state of California. There is currently no authorized Fairbanks distributary providing service or parts for Fairbanks Heavy Capacity products in Southern CA. There is no third party service vendors that has Fairbanks' training, certification or expertise to service and calibrate the equipment.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

In addition to the facts stated above, the Government would realize a duplication of cost when repair parts are needed.

Fairbanks does not sell parts to third parties due to the proprietary concern. The mechanical jacking system, the computer program that controls the system and the lever system was designed by Fairbanks Engineers for this specific application and is proprietary. Fairbanks designed and installed the control systems to meet the Hazardous Location (HAZLOC) in conformance with OSHA 1926.407(a)(b) and (b1) Class 1 Division 1 Electrical Ignition Hazard Technical Standards for signaling and lighting, by providing electrical apparatus that prevents electrical initiation of explosions.

In order to obtain the parts and have the parts warranted by the manufacturer, a non-Fairbanks authorized vendor would have to subcontract all repairs that require replacement parts and the part installation to Fairbanks as the parts do not otherwise exist for this scale. Nearly all of the weigh-beam drive mechanisms and load transfer parts are no longer on the shelf items and would have to be manufactured to the original Fairbanks specifications. neither the Government nor any other vendor other than Fairbanks has the original manufacturing specifications.

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

See Section VI.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

A five-year sole source effort is required based on the need for these services from a qualified vendor with demonstrated technical expertise in maintaining, repairing, and calibrating Fairbanks Heavy Scales In-Ground Aircraft Weigh Systems. the 412th Test Wing aircraft maintenance personnel and Air Force test engineers rely on the accuracy and calibration of this 100,000 pound weigh scale on a daily basis. The Government is unwilling to accept the risk of potential devastating consequences of having a non-Fairbanks trained and experienced weigh system maintenance contractor improperly perform inspections, maintenance, repair, and calibration as it directly impacts flight safety and aircraft systems mission effectiveness. Fairbanks was recently found to be the only qualified and capable contractor to perform the 2013 upgrade and repair project Contract No. W912PL-10-D-0032 to install new digital load cells and displays, repair a screw jack, and service other intrinsically safe electronic equipment. In addition, Fairbanks was awarded the current contract FA9301-21-D-0003 and previously FA9301-15-D-0004 to provide regular maintenance for the entire scale system and to keep in-force the warranty for the screw jack repair. Fairbanks' warranty will remain in effect throughout 2025 only if regular preventative maintenance is performed by Fairbanks technicians.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.