JA FY26 RS AIT-REDACTED_Redacted.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1))

Pursuant to the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.103 (FAR Class Deviation 25-111), and in accordance with the requirements of RFO 6.104, the justification for the use of the statutory authority under RFO 6.103 is justified by the following facts and rationale required under RFO 6.104-1 as follows:

1. Agency and Contracting Activity.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Contracting and Procurement (C&P), and Acquisition Program Management (APM) proposes to enter into a contract on a basis Other than Full and Open Competition to procure Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) units required to support airport modernization with increased security and efficiency at several airports designated by the TSA Administrator, and in accordance with the DHS Secretary’s Modernization Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for FY2026. This equipment is used to detect potentially dangerous metallic and nonmetallic threats to aviation security, including weapons, explosives, and other threat objects concealed under layers of clothing without physical contact.

The Justification and Approval tracking number for this document is JA-2026-04-1308.

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved.

This Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition sets forth the Agency’s rationale to award a contract on the basis of other than full and open for R&S AITs required to support increased security and efficiency for travelers with flights from the designated modernization airports.

APM is seeking a sole source purchase, installation, and maintenance contract of up to 304 R&S AITs to fill mission needs at large airports representing the highest passenger volume facilities in the U.S. aviation system, subject to elevated security requirements due to their operational complexity, risk profile, and strategic importance. These airports require advanced screening technologies capable of detecting both conventional and evolving threat objects, including metallic and nonmetallic weapons, explosives, and other items concealed under clothing, without physical contact.

See below information for additional contract details:

(a) Nature of Action: Procurement, installation, and maintenance of up to 304 R&S AIT units (model Quick Personnel Scanner 201 (QPS201)) for deployment to designated modernization airports.

(b) Name and address of the contractor: Rohde & Schwarz USA Inc, 6821 Benjamin Franklin

Drive, Columbia, MD 21046

(c) Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

(d) Total Estimated Procurement Value (including options): The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) for 304 R&S AIT units for a three (3) year period of performance2 is

. This includes:

1 FAR Class Deviation 25-11 is implemented as a result of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, referred to as RFO, following Executive Order 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement. All citations in this document follow applicable DHS RFO Deviations therefore are referred to as RFO.

2 The anticipated period of performance is three (3) years, which is inclusive of two (2) years of AIT warranty and maintenance upon the completion of successful Site Acceptance Testing (SAT).

shipping and installation, purchase and installation of AIT seismic brackets where necessary, training, and two (2) years of warranty and maintenance

(e) Type of Funding: 0550 Operations and Support

(f) Year of Funding: FY 2026

(g) Solicitation Number: 70T04026R7672N006

(h) Background Information about the Requirement: R&S AIT units have passed rigorous testing and successfully completed TSA certification and qualification requirements. In addition to meeting the existing detection level requirements, R&S AIT units have attained the next higher detection standard that TSA now requires for future AIT certification and qualification.

3. Description of Supplies/Services.

TSA requires establishment of a sole source contract to procure R&S QPS201 AIT systems, shipping, installation, training, seismic brackets (as needed), and two (2) years of warranty and maintenance per AIT.

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

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(1), implemented by the RFO 6.103-1 (FAR Class Deviation 25-11) entitled “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the Nature of the Acquisition Requires Use of the Authority Cited.

TSA maintains a Qualified Product List (QPL) which offered any interested vendor an opportunity to have their products tested against TSA’s detection and operational specifications and standards. Products that successfully passed these qualifications and testing requirements were placed on TSA’s QPL. Only equipment placed on the QPL have been determined to satisfy program requirements and are considered eligible for deployment into the field.

In addition to meeting the existing detection level requirements, R&S AIT units have attained the next higher detection standard that TSA now requires for AIT certification and qualification. In light of increasing security challenges facing TSA, the agency is compelled to procure AITs with the highest possible detection capability.

In accordance with RFO 6.103-1 (FAR Class Deviation 25-11), R&S is the only responsible source, and no other supplier can satisfy the agency’s requirements. To date, two (2) vendors have AIT units that have successfully completed TSA’s testing and qualification process. Although both vendors have qualified AITs, R&S is the only vendor that has AIT systems that meet TSA’s new detection requirement.

TSA has a requirement to purchase the AIT that currently meets the highest detection standard and provides the most efficiency for passengers in order to support the modernization initiative. R&S is the only vendor that currently meets and has completed testing against TSA’s AIT higher detection standards. Additionally, the R&S QPS201 offers efficiencies that improve security and usability for passengers. The R&S QPS201 screens passengers more quickly, due to faster scan processing times and a lower pat down rate, and does not require a passenger to hold their arms still over their heads. Without this procurement, TSA will not provide the highest available level of security and efficiency for passengers traveling from airports designated for modernization with the available modernization CIP funding.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Ensure that Offers Are Solicited from as Many Potential Sources as is Practicable.

The TSA established a new QPL testing window in FY2026 to increase competition beyond FY2026 requirements. Additionally, TSA has separately provided opportunities for current QPL vendors to test and certify against the TSA AIT higher detection standards, but only R&S has been able to validate that their systems meet TSA’s new detection requirement.

7. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable.

The Contracting Officer will ensure that proposed pricing will be evaluated to determine fairness and reasonableness through price analysis techniques in accordance with RFO Part 15 prior to award. In order to determine fair and reasonable pricing, the Contracting Officer anticipates reviewing historical pricing and using existing commercial prices for similar systems found on the General Services Administration (GSA) website and other commercial marketplace pricing.

8. Description of Market Research.

In 2019 the TSA opened a QPL, on a full and open basis, to test and verify the capabilities of AIT systems submitted by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The QPL enabled the TSA to qualify the submitted AIT systems that met TSA’s requirements. In January 2026, TSA opened another QPL window to test and verify additional potential AIT solutions. The testing process under the new QPL window is not anticipated to be complete before the end of FY2026. Currently, R&S is the only qualified vendor that exceeds the existing TSA AIT detection and meets TSA’s new detection requirement. It is recommended the procurement of R&S AIT systems be issued on a sole source basis.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

None.

10. A Listing of the Sources, if Any That Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition.

In accordance with FAR 5.203(a), TSA posted a notice of intent, to sole source R&S AIT systems on SAM.gov, on April 14, 2026. To date, the TSA has not received any inquiries from vendors regarding this notice.

Additionally, TSA published a QPL Announcement on January 30, 2026, stating that TSA was opening a QPL test window effective immediately, and that it would remain open until two (2) vendor systems for each use case (static and dynamic) successfully submits Qualification Data Packages and TSA accepts them. Four (4) vendors responded with questions, indicating a level of interest. TSA believes at least three

(3) of them may present viable and responsive systems for qualification testing that is planned for resumption after TSA receives FY 2026 appropriations funding.

11. A Statement of the Actions, if Any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome Any Barriers to Competition Before Any Subsequent Acquisition for Supplies or Services Required.

In an effort to overcome future barriers to competition, the TSA issued a Request for Information (RFI) on SAM.gov on May 5, 2025, to obtain market research and market interest in opening a new AIT QPL test window. Additionally, TSA opened a new QPL test window in January 2026 which is available to all potential vendors. The intent of this effort is to test, certify and qualify additional vendor systems in 2027 to maximize competition and obtain the latest technologies in order to fulfill future needs to improve security, accommodate airport growth, and possible recapitalization.