JA 22E-584A-DC DC Voltage Reference Standard Rev 8a_redacted.pdf

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

CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 3 of 6

This J&A is for a new, sole-source, firm-fixed price IDIQ contract. AFMETCAL has a requirement to replace the 734A/AF DC Voltage Standard that will be used by the Air Force Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories (PMELs) and Air Force Primary Standards Laboratory (AFPSL) to maintain measurement traceability for DC Voltage to the intrinsic Programmable Josephson Voltage Standard (PJVS).

Per the Purchase Description (PD) 22E-584A-DC, AFMETCAL has a requirement to replace the 734A/AF DC Voltage Standard. The DC Voltage Reference Standard Unit (unit), will contain four DC voltage standards (standard), housed in one rack mountable kit. This is intended as a replacement for the Fluke 734A/AF, with which the unit shall have to match in form, fit, and function. Each individual DC Voltage Standard shall have a 10V, 1V, and 0.1V tap. All specifications will apply to each DC voltage standard, and each unit will contain four separate standards. The unit shall be capable of charging and supplying auxiliary power capabilities for the four standards. Each DC Voltage Reference Standard requires six months of stability data from the manufacturer. The contractor will deliver a quantity of two (2) production units per month, with full production starting 270 days after contract award. The Government will perform acceptance testing on all units at the AFPSL to ensure they meet the specifications of the PD.

Acceptance testing will have 45 days for one test cycle to ensure all units meet specifications, using TO 33k8-5-338-1 method to validate specifications on units. All units will then have six (6) months of stability data collected through the AFPSL before being sent to the PMELs as arranged on the distribution list.

Quantities to be purchased are as follows utilizing 3080 investment funds and FMS Case Funds. Pricing includes a standard three-year warranty.

Year Qty Est Unit Price Est Subtotal Description FY24 16 Base Quantity FY25 16 Base Quantity FY26 16 Base Quantity FY27 16 Base Quantity FY28 13 Base Quantity

CLINs for FY24-28 will be included to reflect the proposed pricing for units, contract data requirements, and a standard three-year warranty.

The DC Voltage Reference Standard is a FY24 Critical Event and is currently unfunded. Receipt of full funding has been requested, but not anticipated in FY24. These are required quantities. The quantities referenced above are purely reflective of anticipated funding received through FY28. As this is a Critical Event, quantities will be purchased as soon as funds become available.

Total contract value is . Delivery of a quantity of 2 minimum/2 maximum per month will begin 270 days after contract award to allow adequate time for the collection of stability data.

DAFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3572, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C.

1901).

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

NOTE: The Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS) changed to the Department of the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DAFFARS) in 2023. DAFFARS is cited in the discussion portions of Section IV. and V., however, the change from AFFARS to DAFFARS is not reflected in the current template.

The standard described is highly accurate and must match the existing 734A/AF in form, fit, and function. Form refers to such characteristics as external dimensions, weight, size, and visual appearance. This element is most affected by the enclosure, chassis, and control panel, that become the outward "face" of the product. If form is not met, additional costs would be incurred for facility changes to enclosures. Additionally, if this item is not procured, the transfer standard shipping program that has existed for over 30 years would need overhauled, resulting in inefficiency and added cost.

Fit refers to the ability of the part or feature to connect to, mate with, or join to the existing assembly.

The “fit” allows the part to meet the required assembly tolerances to be useful. As a drop-in replacement to what it is replacing, the current AF processes will not have to change. The high criticality of this measurement area depends on the reliability of these processes. If these processes fail, there is a high likelihood of excessive costs incurred by the AF since this item is the start of the traceability chain for the majority of the AF's test equipment. If an item this high in the traceability chain is unreliable, then every single AF base would have its measuring equipment negatively impacted.

Function is a criterion that is met when the part performs its stated purpose effectively and reliably. In this electronics product, for example, function is dependent on the solid-state components used that have been proven for decades to be reliable to the AF. If the item procured does not meet in function, every base would have its measuring equipment in jeopardy as aforementioned in the “fit” function.

The market research found only one manufacturer as a source for the DC Voltage Reference Standard that meets the Performance Requirements as described in the PD without having to make any modifications to the product.

The proposed contractor will be a large business, Fluke Electronics Corporation, 6920 Seaway BLVD, Everett, WA 98206-9090 (Cage # 4U744). Fluke has the only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) standard, the 734C, available to purchase that meets AF required specifications and data requirements, as well as matches the 734A/AF in form, fit, and function. Fluke is also the only contractor capable to provide a desirable delivery schedule that will not affect PJVS workload and will provide the required 6 months of history data with each unit. There is not a reasonable expectation that two or more responsible offerors competing independently would be able to submit priced offers to fulfill the requirements above.

Therefore, the Government will pursue a sole source acquisition, utilizing DAFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 3572, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901).

This specific standard, 732C from Fluke, is required to meet and maintain Air Force DC Voltage requirements for accuracy. This standard is a replacement to the current AF standard, 732B. Decades of data has shown the 732B is a reliable standard and a change in methodology for DC Voltage traceability would result in a loss of proven practices and significant duplication of effort. The DC Voltage starting point (Traceability Chain) is the PJVS, which transfers to the DC Voltage Reference Standard. From this point in traceability, every electronic device is connected to the DC Voltage Reference Standard. As a specific example of traceability, the DC Voltage Reference Standard calibrates a Meter Calibrator. The Meter Calibrator is then used to calibrate a Voltage Detector, which is utilized to detect stray voltages that could be present on fighter jet weapon stations. This stray voltage could create an unsafe situation by unintentionally and/or prematurely causing missile launch.

This specific configuration is required to meet and maintain AF requirements for accuracy as well. Maintaining

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

AF requirements of accuracy has been proven by doing monthly intercomparisons of the DC Voltage Reference standards. This methodology is supported with several decades of data. Moving from this specific configuration would result in a loss of confidence in measurement traceability that can only be obtained through a significant duplication of effort. If duplication is needed, it could only be achieved through a minimum of three years of strenuous analysis of each standard cell procured before confidence in the design could be achieved. Due to the quantity needed and the limited facilities available to do such analysis, the burden could take ten or more years to accomplish. If duplication is needed and it takes ten years to accomplish, the current AF standard will have long failed, and AF bases would no longer be able to calibrate most of their electronics. Through market research, no vendors were found that could meet the requirements of the AF. When the sources sought was released, there was one other vendor that inquired, but there is no indication the vendor has a COTS item. This finding was included in the Market Research Report.

Market Research, in accordance with FAR Part 10, was conducted by posting a Sources Sought on 25 May 2021 (Closed 24 Jun 2021) and 08 Dec 2023 (Closed 26 Dec 2023), internet searches, contacting known sources of products or service, reviewing other similar items in the AF inventory, GSA, and email. The sources sought was released with a draft PD and resulted in one request for clarification from Measurements International. It was determined that Measurements International does not have a COTS item, nor a possible modified COTS voltage standard that meets the form, fit, and function requirement in the PD. Fluke was the only vendor to answer the Sources Sought that closed on 26 Dec 2023. Fluke provided a detailed and favorable response adding confidence their product will meet all of our requirements.

Based on market research results, no other vendor besides Fluke was found to be able to offer the product that meets the AF requirement as described in this Justification and Approval.

As required by FAR 5.2, the proposed contract action will be synopsized on SAM.gov. We intend on posting this proposed contract action on, or around, March 2024.

Through additional market research, there were no other contractors found that sell the Fluke COTS DC Voltage Reference Standard.

A vendor survey was conducted through a variety of avenues in order to find manufacturers able to meet the PD requirements to find a unit that matches the form, fit, and function of the Fluke 734A/AF. The market research has been conducted as a Full and Open search, researching all available manufacturers that provided a product that was described in the PD. Internet Searches, Sources Sought, One-on-One Industry Sessions, Government Databases (GSA), and known source of products were all used in market research to assess the availability of units, manufacturers, and distributors.

The form, fit, and function requirement states that the unit must be composed of four separate, removable standards, each with their own voltage taps. This design and process of multiple references was developed by the United States Government's National Bureau of Standards (NBS) now known as NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in NBS Technical Note 1239. This requirement drove the market research into an industry session with the 734A/AF manufacturer of Fluke Electronics Corporation, as the previous provider of

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

March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 6 of 6March 2023 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION Page 6 of 6 the Air Force's DC Voltage Reference Standard. Meetings were held in order to establish communication and gain information on their replacement to the 734A/AF, which is the 734C. Virtually on August 4th 2021 and November 10th 2021, as well as in person at the Measurement Science Conference Expo on November 17th 2021, meetings were held to discuss the 734C maintenance, specification, distribution, warranty and general information. Fluke has no issues attaining the required specifications, as they own a PJVS system, and the 734C is a drop-in replacement to our current system/operations.

Measurement International inquired on the Source Sought Synopsis on clarification on the requirements of the four removable DC Standards. They do not have a COTS item, nor a possible modified COTS voltage standard that meets the form, fit, and function requirement in the PD.

The Air Force will continue to monitor the marketplace for future acquisitions of the supplies or services being acquired.