J_A Redacted_.docx

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity.

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, NJ.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved.

This Justification & Approval (J&A) authorizes and approves the issuance of a fixed price contract for the procurement of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Mugin 3600 Fixed Wing Aircrafts on a sole source basis to OffShore Aviation Group to be used for Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) testing. The period of performance for the base period is anticipated to be thirty (30) days. The option period is anticipated to be exercised within one year of the contract award date.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

NAWCAD Webster Outlying Field (WOLF) been tasked by UX-24 to procure COTS Mugin 3600 Fixed Wing Aircrafts. The requirement includes OA-2E Phoenix fixed wing aircraft; fully built and the OA-8C Dragon Fly which includes the OA-8C, Dell laptop, set of spare batteries, spares kit (props, esc, and motor), and spare landing gear.

The OA-2E Phoenix has the capability of carrying the required test equipment for over 3.5 hours of flight time. This fixed wing aircraft also meets the requirement with a take-off and land capability on unimproved runways and has a range of over 60 miles.

The OA-8C Dragonfly has the capability of carrying the required test equipment for over 40 minutes of flight time. It can also take-off and land on a moving ship deck and has a range of over 25 miles.

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

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority.

The OA-2E Phoenix and OA-8C Dragonfly from OffShore Aviation are the only aircraft that satisfy the Government’s requirement for weight, power, payload capability, and flying time. These particular aircrafts will undergo classified modifications for unique Counter UAS testing. The customer has been in contact with the manufacturer and they have the ability to custom build the aircraft to their exact specifications for testing with classified data. No other production aircraft can meet the Government’s requirements for this test.

Should the Government elect to procure another Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the Government would incur irrecoverable duplication of costs as the range and required testing equipment has already been procured. This test is a collaborative event and other DoD agencies have procured and manufacutured parts specifc to the testing of theses UAVs. Without the successful procurement of the OA-2E Phoenix and OA-8C Dragonfly, the test event, will be cancelled as this is the only UAV that can be used for this test. The experiment and system under test is scheduled for July 2020 and any deviation to that would affect the ability to deliver the classified experiment results and system to the fleet on schedule. The inability to deliver timly results could leave a vulnerability undetected. The Counter UAS test was developed around these UAV models.

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

NAWCAD WOLF conducted market research via FPDS, SBA, and Google to identify commercially available solutions for a fixed wing aircraft. Multiple solutions were identified and reviewed to determine each solutions ability to meet the requirements for the Counter UAS test; however, none met the required specifications for this particular Counter UAS test. Of the manufacturers identified in the market research, OffShore Aviation provides a solution which meets the requirements. The OA-8 and OA-E2 from OffShore Aviation is the only commercially available UAV that meets the Government’s requirements and associated Radio Frequency (RF) links. The UAV will be modified by the Government after purchase to a classified setting.

A Request for Information was posted on the Beta System for Award Management website on 5 March 2020 and closed on 11 March 2020. No acceptable responses were received. A pre-solicitation synopsis was posted on 24 March 2020 and closed on 8 April 2020. No responses were received.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

The Contracting Officer shall ensure that the price negotiated for this acquisition is fair and reasonable In Accordance With (IAW) FAR 15.4. The Contractor will submit a formal price proposal with other than certified cost or pricing data and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The proposal will be reviewed by experienced technical personnel at NAWCAD WOLF, UX-24, and the Contract Specialist. The Contracting Officer will utilize cost and price analysis IAW FAR 15.404-1, including a review of historical data and commercial price lists, as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition.

For the reasons set forth in paragraph 5, at this time, OffShore Aviation is the only vendor with the commercially available UAV that meets the Government’s requirements and associated RF links. NAWCAD WOLF will continue to monitor the market for technological advances that may drive changes to the system design, and potentially increase competition. If a candidate emerges during the solicitation phase, other manufacturers can be considered and evaluated, however, they must comply with all form-fit-function standards detailed within the Program of Record accreditation.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION

LAKEHURST, NJ

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