G15 - Guardian Mercury Hardware JA REDACTED.pdf

J&A# 20-0470

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION

21983 BUNDY ROAD, 441 BUILDING

PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND 20670

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF A PARTICULAR BRAND NAME

1. Contracting Activity.

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) Patuxent River, MD

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

This Justification and Approval (J&A) authorizes and approves the issuance of a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract on a brand name basis utilizing Simplified Acquisition Procedures (Certain Commercial Items) applicable under FAR 13.5, to purchase the computer hardware, maintenance and support from Mercury Mission Systems, LLC, 50 Minuteman Road, Andover, MA 01810, USA, to ensure commonality across all Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Department of Defense (DoD) programs supporting flight testing with consideration of the minimum requirements set forth by NAVAIRINST 13034.4 and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Atlantic Test Range’s (ATR’s) Range Display Systems (RDS) team is developing a Ground Based Detect and Avoid (GBDAA) System for UAS operations in civil and military airspace. The system will be deployed as a real-time operating system (RTOS) that will enhance situational awareness and will allow for safe transit and combined operation with manned aircraft within a designated operating areas within PAX NAS restricted and FAA controlled airspace.

Mercury Mission Systems Hardware is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that meets NAVAIRINST 13034.4 requirements for UAS surveillance without requiring impractical methods such as a visual observer or manned chase planes that require more planning, fuel, plane rental, and pilot costs, not to mention delays caused by chase plane repair and maintenance. Integration of the hardware capability through the development and implementation will alleviate unpractical methods such as a visual observer or manned chase planes. This will reduce test delays, cancellations, maintenance costs, and funding expenditures associated with the operation of a manned chase plane.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The NAWCAD ATR has a requirement for computer hardware and required maintenance. The Guardian system provides a GBSAA capability for UAS. The Guardian system is primarily comprised of four (4) main sub-systems: 1) Multiple dissimilar sensor fusion, 2) Projected track intercept and collision advisory, 3) Boundary altering and alarming, and 4) Situational awareness and display system.

Description: 3U Open VPX Mission Computer/ Ground Station Development Platform: 1x CIOV-2231 Intel Core™i7 Gen5 Processor Board, 1 x VGP-2870 Video and Graphics Board, 1 x AVIO-2353 Avionics I/O Board, 1 x MFCC-8558 NXP T2080 Processor XMC, VxWorks®653 and Linux BSP drivers & BIT libraries. See ROCK-2A Guardian Configuration (April 2020) document for specific configuration info.

Part Number: ROCK2A-000819 QTY: 4

Description: Program Set up and Implementation: Implementation of ROCK2A-819 specific backplane, installation, system testing and documentation.

Part Number: 922-MMS-NRE QTY: 1

Estimated Dollar Value in Thousands

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), the property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency. The acquisition is considered a brand name description per FAR 6.302-1(c) and is justified here in accordance with FAR 6.303 and 6.304.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

In accordance with the NAVAIR Detect and Avoid certification process, the development and certification of the Guardian system must meet high design assurance levels requiring a robust processing system that is Design Assurance Level (DAL) B compliant. Specifically, a computer hardware system that has been DAL B certified on other DoD systems. The specifically required Mercury computer hardware and maintenance meets the unique features and computer processing capability that allows for time critical aeronautical decisions to be made for safety of flight.

The project is well into the design phase and if any other equipment is used, it will cause changes to the design which in turn would cause a detrimental schedule change that would keep the project from meeting the A-CAT Level 1 programs need date.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable.

The aforementioned requirement is commercial as defined by the FAR 2.101; therefore, FAR Part 12 also applies to this procurement. Based on the commercial designation and according to Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items, FAR 12.603(a), “when a written solicitation will be issued, the contracting officer may use the following procedure to reduce the time required to solicit and award contracts for the acquisition of commercial items. This procedure combines the synopsis required by FAR 5.203 and the issuance of the solicitation into a single document.” In accordance with the preceding excerpt from FAR 12.603(a), and as per FAR 5.203(a)(2) in which acquisitions of commercial items may use the combined synopsis and solicitation procedure, a combined synopsis/solicitation was posted in beta.SAM.gov on 12 August 2020 with quotes due no later than 19 August 2020 at 2:30 pm eastern local time. Three quotes were received in response to the posting of this requirement; however, the quote from Sterling was received past the quote deadline and therefore could not be considered. The remaining two quotes were from Mercury Missions Systems and AGSI Systems, both authorized resellers of the identified Mercury part numbers in Paragraph 3, and both were found to be technically acceptable. Based on FAR 15.101- 2, Mercury Missions Systems was chosen as the lowest priced, technically acceptable quote and was considered the best value to the government.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Contracting Officer shall ensure that all supplies and services provided under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price. Based upon the published Commercial Price List from Mercury Mission Systems, the Contracting Officer has adequate information and background to determine a fair and reasonable cost.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.

The ATR will continue to monitor the market for vendors that can provide the expertise and capability to provide a complete system needed to satisfy and support requirements. If another potential source emerges, ATR will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.