JA_13.5 HTLx_Redacted; 3.3.26.pdf

This is a Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (J&A) for a sole source procurement by the Department of the Navy's Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).

The NRL Contracting Division seeks to award a sole source contract to Herrick Technology Laboratories, Inc. for HTLx-U four-channel receiver/digitizer units under FAR 13.5 simplified procedures for commercial items, citing authority under 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2). The HTLx-U Miniature Quad Channel V/UHF/Microwave Transceiver units are essential components in a system developed by NRL that is under configuration control with an approved final product baseline. These receivers are directly integrated into the system, and no other vendor produces a drop-in replacement that meets the required technical specifications, firmware, and hardware integration. The justification emphasizes that an alternative product would lack the specific firmware and hardware integration compatibility with existing system software, mechanical design, operational documentation, and maintenance procedures, making alternative integration technically infeasible and requiring costly re-engineering. The procurement involves delivery of multiple units within an urgent timeframe. NRL conducted preliminary market research by engaging major receiver vendors and confirmed that none currently offer receivers meeting the required technical specifications, with some vendors indicating products may be available in approximately two years—insufficient for the current urgent requirement. The Contracting Officer determined the anticipated cost to be fair and reasonable through FAR 13.106-3(a)(2) methods. The justification was legally reviewed and approved by the Activity Advocate for Competition, with the contract value between $700,000 and $13.5 million. NRL commits to monitoring the commercial marketplace for future competition during major system upgrades or hardware refresh cycles.