JA_Brand Name Only_W91QVN20R0124.pdf

Corning LEAF® fiber optic cable

411th_20-0080

Version – February 2017

Memorandum for Record – Limiting Competition at or below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold

1. Contracting Activity: 411th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB), Korea , Unit 15289, APO AP 96271

2. Description of Action: Purchase for Repair or relocation of portions of existing Corning LEAF® fiber optic cable links through USFK.

Nature: New Requirement Follow-on Requirement

Contract Vehicle: Purchase Order Number _______________________________ Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Number _______________ Order/BPA# _______ against FSS Contract #_____ _________ Order #___________ against Multiple Award IDIQ Contract Name or #______________

Order #_______ against a single award IDC Contract

Modification # _______ to existing PO/TO/DO/Call Order

Pricing/Contract Type: Fixed Price Time & Materials/Labor Hours Cost Reimbursable Hybrid

Funds: Operations & Maintenance, Army (OMA) Other Funds: ________

FY: _FY20_______

Brand Name Buy: Yes No

3. Description of Services or Supplies: Repair or relocation of portions of existing Corning LEAF® fiber optic cable links through USFK.

Item No Description Part Number 0001 Single Mode 24 Core Fiber Optic, Corning Leaf

Cable

024FU4-64101A20

Version – February 2017

Corning LEAF® fiber optic cable

For Actions without Options:

Period of Performance: 35 days after the receipt of the order Total Value: $116,910.00

4. Authority:

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1): For purchases not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), only one source reasonably available, urgency, exclusive licensing agreements, brand name, or industrial mobilization.

Or

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) and 8.405-6(b)(1)Brand Name only FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(A) Urgency FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(B) Only One Source is Capable FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(i)(C) Logical Follow-on

Or

FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B) Only One Awardee is Capable FAR 16.505(a)(4) Brand Name FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(A) Urgency FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(C) Logical Follow-on FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(D) Minimum Guarantee

5. Reasons for Authority Cited:

Mission: The 1st Signal Brigade is responsible for operations and maintenance of the Communications infrastructure on the Korean Peninsula in support of the USFK mission and US Army mission. The Korean theater’s fiber optic backbone system (over 750 miles) is the critical backbone of this communications infrastructure and must be managed and maintain with exceptional up-time rates.

Mission Impact: Communications reliability and availability in the Korean theater is highly dependent on the quality of the fiber optic backbone system. The system was deployed by the Program Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (PM, DCATS) and was designed to maintain a high standard of reliability and availability. The fiber optic links interconnecting USFK installations on peninsula were installed using Corning LEAF® (Large Effective Area Fiber) cable and the optical terminal equipment was configured to the baseline measurements for its associated cable path. Replacing portions of any existing LEAF® cable link with a fiber optic cable that is manufactured to a different technical standard will introduce path and optical irregularities that will degrade the overall quality and reliability of the Korean fiber optic backbone system resulting in potential disruptions to critical Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) information transported on and off peninsula. Therefore, use of Corning LEAF cable only is a system design specification required to maintain our long haul transmission system to manufacturer's certification.

No substitute cable is allowed. System performance and functionality over long distances makes the specific cable a necessity as different manufacturers have minute differences in performance and splicing which are enough to cause degradation of system performance.

Corning’s LEAF® optical fiber has been deployed throughout the Korean theater’s fiber optic backbone system (over 750 miles) by the Program Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems with more scheduled for installation to provide interconnecting fiber rings for new Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) terminal equipment. This cable is designed for high bit rate ( 2.5 Gigabits/second (Gb/s)), long-haul network applications. It is a non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZ- DSF) with a nominal dispersion value at the 1550 nanometer (nm) wavelength of 4.25 ps/nm/km (picoseconds/nanometer/kilometer), and it has a large effective area (~ 72 m2) at 1550 nm that reduces the impact of optical non-linearities in comparison to other NZ-DSF’s. The “effective area” refers to the area of the fiber core (in square microns ( m2)) over which optical power is distributed. The large effective area allows for higher amplifier launch power, while maintaining non-zero chromatic dispersion, which minimizes mixing of different optical wavelengths. These two properties are important to facilitate dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) for the very high capacity systems currently deployed in Korea. Fiber with a low chromatic dispersion is key to transmission at 10 Gb/s and the large effective area allows the use of higher signal power which is required from transmission of information over the long fiber paths between several facilities/installations on the current USFK backbone. The zero dispersion wave length for this fiber is about 1500 nm. This fiber is optimized (using patented doping techniques) for transmission applications in the erbium C- and L-bands which are currently being used on the Korean backbone fiber optic system and SONET Rings interconnecting USFK installations throughout Korea. Splicing fiber cable produced by other manufacturers with different fabrication and doping processes/techniques into existing LEAF® cable transmission links would introduce path losses and optical non-linearities for which our fiber optic terminal equipment would be unable to compensate. Corning LEAF® cable must be procured on a Brand Name Only basis since it is currently the only fiber optic cable which meets the technical specifications for replacement of portions of existing fiber optic cable links due to damage or relocation requirements necessitated by Host Nation construction efforts.

6. Publicizing Contract Actions: For FAR Part 13 actions, the public display and synopsis requirements of FAR 5.101 and FAR 5.203 do not apply due to the $ threshold, apply and will be followed, or do not apply due to an exception at

5.202 (a)(13).

Requirement to post justification in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b)(3), FAR 13.105(c), or FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A)

Action is NOT a brand name restriction and is under $150K, no posting required

Action is a brand name restriction, under $25K, no posting required

Action is a brand name restriction, over $25K. It will be redacted and posted with the solicitation.

Action is a brand name restriction over $25K but will not be posted due to exception:

FAR 6.305(f) FAR 8.405-6(b)(3)(iii)(A)

FAR 8.405-6(b)(3)(iii)(B) FAR 8.405-6(b)(3)(iii)(C) FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(C)

7. Market Research: Due to the currently existing fiber optic cable links of the Korean theater, our on-going real-time mission requirement, and the Market research within the website, Corning LEAF® cable is the only brand that can be utilized to meet this particular requirement.

8. Other Facts: None

9. Technical/Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Typed Name: Hwang, Chae Muk Date: 10 March 2020 Title: Project Manager / S3 1st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade

Signature:

HWANG.CHAE

MUK.1286970458

Digitally signed by HWANG.CHAE

MUK.1286970458

Date: 2020.03.10 13:24:38 +09'00'

Version – February 2017

10. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon the previous contract for the requested items.

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that completing this purchase as a sole source is in the best interest of the Government. Additionally, I approve this justification to limit competition subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Typed Name: Jean K. Ross Date: 11 March 2020 Title: Contracting Officer

Signature: