High temp Alloy BPA ANNEX 1 - JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL Final_Redacted.pdf

J&A No. N00167-25-RFPREQ-CD-61-0038 Code: 02

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), Contracting & Acquisitions Department (Code 02).

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

This is a sole source justification to be awarded with providing for full and open competition.

NSWCCD intends to enter into a five- year Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Kratos SRE (KSRE), 2000 9th Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35205. KSRE will be tasked to perform ultra-high temperature material characterization efforts from room temperature (70 ) to 6000 to include:

(1) material thermal and mechanical property measurements, (2) material property models, composed of the measurements, to be used in structural analysis computer codes (such as ABAQUS, etc.), and (3) material property estimates as required to satisfy all inputs needed by computer codes (such as ABAQUS, etc.). The material property measurements, models, and estimates are used for the design and analysis of tactical and strategic missile components.

This justification document is in accordance with FAR 13.501.(a).

The total estimated value of this acquisition is

The Period of Performance will be five years from the award of the Agreement.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

The procurement is required to support the materials characterization and testing of composite, ceramic, and metallic components, and technologies to support hypersonic vehicles research.

This agreement will allow NSWCCD to obtain unique propulsion and structural/thermal analysis support, design support, onsite test support, other high temperature materials support, analysis and phenomenological studies of high temperature material behavior, and travel/meeting support for the materials characterization work. It is anticipated that there will be a continued need for additional work to support hypersonic research in these key areas with the current customers:

Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Navy Strategic Systems Program (SSP), and other Government Agencies.

Materials characterization is the testing and measurement of physical, mechanical, and thermal properties (such as strength, stiffness, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, etc.). Such

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

CARDEROCK DIVISION

9500 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD

WEST BETHESDA MD 20817-5700

property measurements are utilized to identify the maturity level of new materials being developed, and to provide industry designers with the material properties necessary to design new Navy and MDA-Navy weapons and components.

The measurement of material properties at room temperature is routinely performed in industry and academia. However, Department of Defense (DoD) weapon propulsion systems and aero-surfaces operate in the 3500 (1950°C) to 7000°F (3900°C) temperature range. The accurate measurement of material properties in this temperature range is extremely difficult, and requires highly specialized equipment, techniques, and expertise. Without accurate material property measurements, the reliability and performance of propulsion and aero-surface components (for example, rocket nozzles, reentry body nose tips and heatshields, etc.) cannot be accurately predicted, and weapon system performance risk is unacceptably high. Without accurate material property measurements, the maturity level of developmental materials cannot be assessed. Thus, accurate property measurements in this temperature range are a critical component of high temperature materials development and associated component designs for Navy weapons systems.

The measurement of such material properties must be performed by a commercially available company that is able to assure independent measurement of materials of interest to DoD.

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. 3204(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 13.106-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

KSRE is widely recognized as the leading laboratory in the United States for evaluation of advanced structures and mechanical systems, with over 40 major, full-instrumented stands (many of which are unique to KSRE) in its mechanical characterization laboratory. KSRE can accommodate hundreds of unique experimental setups and capabilities for enabling the hypersonic community to better understand high temperature materials with constitutive properties evaluations up to 6000°F and ground test evaluations. Specialized ground testing support includes trajectory simulation, hardware design and fabrication, instrumentation, on-site support, post-test evaluation, and development alongside flight evaluation for critical elements, including nose tips, leading edges, control surfaces and heatshields. In addition to differentiated experience and capabilities, decades of characterization data and custom equipment encourage customers to return to KSRE for comparability with historical characterization efforts.

KSRE was the contractor that was previously awarded to conduct Phase I and Phase II testing and support services for a carbon fiber, silicon carbide matrix, C/SiC, ceramic matrix composite material development activity under Army OTA contract DOTC-19-INIT4604. If an alternative contractor is awarded this agreement, this will delay the program over 1.5 years and cost the program more than $2M additional for this project. Additionally, KSRE was the performer for a larger set of C/SiC material evaluation activities for an alternate supplier than what is referenced in the subsequent paragraph. Kratos SRE has been the testing facility for more than 20 years of development work totaling more than $15M of funding under multiple Army and Navy contracts. If this work were to be completed by an alternate supplier, all prior testing would have to be redone, costing the Government more than $15M and 20 years of development. It is paramount to the program that all testing and material development activities be conducted by the same contractor to limit variability in testing techniques and maintain repeatability. The project and program requires the same testing equipment and test methods be used for subsequent Phases. The same material vendor must be used for this effort and will require vendor agreements that are already in place with KSRE.

KSRE has generated and maintained the largest US collection of high temperature materials databases funded by the Government, allowing for rapid comparisons necessary for timely technical decisions associated with new materials development efforts. KSRE has performed all characterization associated with high temperature materials development efforts by NSWCCD aimed at utilizing graphite, carbon-phenolic, carbon-carbon (C-C), ceramics/ceramic composites, and refractory metals for reentry nose tips, heatshield, space structures, turbine, and rocket nozzle materials. KSRE has the largest US database on rhenium (larger than all other testing sources combined) and is currently developing the property database for application of rhenium-based materials into advanced propulsion systems (such as the Standard Missile 3 (SM3) Block (Blk) IB and Blk IIA Standard Missile for Theater Air Defense). This agreement will work to continue to advance the rhenium database, and it is important to maintain the same testing techniques and testing equipment to limit variability in the test data.

Additionally, KSRE has acquired and maintains the high-temperature property databases associated with future materials projected to be used in the advanced Navy weapons. KSRE has characterized ceramic and ceramic composite materials used in advanced missile propulsion systems, and which supported demo testing for variants of SM3 (for example, Blk IB, Blk IIA). Continuation of the current characterization is required in order to ensure maximum test-to-test comparability and timely/cost-effective support of the SM3 and other hypersonic and DoD programs. It would not be cost-effective to replicate these ceramic and ceramic composite databases.

The use of an alternate supplier would require the re-testing of these materials. In addition, the re-testing would require a significant delay to rebuild a database of more than 20 years in development, which would be unacceptable to the support the mission requirements of the Missile Defense Agency Standard Missile 3 Program Office.

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

A sources sought notice of the proposed contract was posted on the System of Award Management (SAM) website in July 2024, and multiple companies expressed an interest in the work. Responses were evaluated to determine each respondent’s capabilities and the potential for satisfying the technical requirement. It was determined that only KSRE had the capabilities of meeting the technical requirement.

Also, the technical code conducted market research by attending expositions at conferences, conducting internet searches, and contacting market experts. While other companies exist that are able to provide mechanical and thermal testing, KSRE is the only company able to thermally test and heat materials up to 6000 , and KSRE executed the work for Phase I and prior phases of the planned effort.

No other company was found to offer mechanical and thermal testing services that can satisfy this requirement, given the need for repeatability of test techniques and access to prior testing datasets. Furthermore, the technical determination that KSRE conducted Phase I and II of the proposed work and conducted more than 15 years of prior work on the technical work that is being planned for this BPA, supplemented the determination that KSRE is the only company able to meet this technical requirement. No other vendors at this time have the capabilities to perform this service.

Notice of this justification will be provided on SAM.gov in accordance with FAR 6.305. The Contracting Officer, as required by FAR 5.201, will post a synopsis to the Government Point of Entry – SAM.gov detailing the intended acquisition strategy.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

In accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a), the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) shall ensure that all supplies and services provided under the anticipated BPA calls are procured at a fair and reasonable price. The Government will require the contractor to submit a formal price proposal and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The PCO shall determine that the proposed order represents the best value as defined in FAR

2.101 to meet the Government’s needs. The PCO will also rely on experienced technical experts, as well as information from prior procurements conducted by the Navy where the same or comparable services were procured, when conducting the price analysis. This information will form the basis for a fair and reasonable price.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.

For the reasons set forth in Section 5, NSWCCD has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of supplies/services covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, NSWCCD will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL

TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance which are included in this Justification and its supporting acquisition planning documents, except as noted herein are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.