JA ICS Contract 2_Redacted.pdf

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

March 2020 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Page 2 of 6

I. Agency and Contracting Activity.

United States Air Force

AFLCMC/HBK

3001 Staff Dr. Ste 2AI-86A Tinker AFB, OK 73145

Purchase Request # F3YCBJ9297A001

II. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This is an individual J&A for a new contract. It is a non-commercial effort and is not a bridge action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction plan. The Contractor will perform ICS services for the NAVAIDS FOS.

Contractor Information:

Thales USA, Inc.

Cage Code: 65597

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price Performance Period: September 2020 through March 2021 Estimated Award Date: September 2020

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs (including the estimated value).

The Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS) program office requires ICS services for sustainment of the NAVAIDS FOS program, which includes the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR), Fixed Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) and Fixed Very High Frequency Omni- Directional Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC). ICS will provide temporary logistics support for the weapon system and subsystems until the Government maintenance capability is developed. The Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS) program office requires ICS services for sustainment of the NAVAIDS FOS program, which includes the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR), Fixed Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) and Fixed Very High Frequency Omni- Directional Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC). ICS will provide temporary logistics support for the weapon system and subsystems until the Government maintenance capability is developed. The transfer from ICS to organic depot support was initially scheduled for December 2020 but the Government has since determined they will be unable to meet that deadline.

The program office believes it could be as late as March 2021 before depot support is officially available. This effort will also include provisions for over and above for items not covered by the line item(s) for the basic work under the contract.

The contractor is to provide ICS for the sustainment of NAVAIDS FOS through a comprehensive logistics support plan. The Contractor shall provide all qualified personnel, materials, management, technical services, equipment and contractor facilities necessary to support the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). During the ICS period the contractor shall be responsible for all depot-level maintenance repair actions and field-level repair actions as required. For those components and software installed to support this modernization effort, the Contractor shall provide the level of support required to sustain the required Operational Availability (Ao) of 99% for the modernized NAVAIDS FOS. As part of this support, the Contractor shall provide technical troubleshooting and operational support services, which the Government can utilize 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with Contractor responses provided no later than the next business day.

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3. Thales is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the FOS Program equipment which includes the VOR, TACAN, and VORTAC. Thales is currently providing warranty coverage and ICS for the installed FOS Program equipment. Thales is still in the process of producing and installing the FOS equipment on additional systems.

Thales is the only company with the unique test fixtures and technical data required to satisfy the Air Force's minimum need. This follow-on ICS services contract to support the FOS equipment is considered highly specialized because of the data, unique test fixtures, and unique test procedures required to repair and test the following Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), Low- Power Transmitter, High Power Amplifier, Goniometer, Coupler and Antenna Switch, Interface, Local Control Status Unit (LCSU), Remote Maintenance Monitoring (RMM), Audio Generator, Radio Frequency (RF) Amplifier, Interrogator Set, Duplexer, Frequency Synthesizer (TFS) Electronic Component Assembly, Radio Transmitter, Monitor Range Module B MRB Circuit Card Assembly, Transponder processor (TPR) Circuit Card Assembly, RF Receiver and Modulator Transmitter Modulator (TMD) Circuit Card Assembly. The LRUs that make-up the FOS Program equipment purchased from Thales are unique and they will not plug and play with other vendor equipment. Therefore, this acquisition will be a follow-on contract for a highly specialized service.

4. Thales is the only responsible source that can provide the required ICS coverage between the final installation periods and the initiation of organic depot support, initially scheduled to begin December 2020. Thales designed the FOS equipment at their own private expense. All technical data for the LRUs are marked with a Distribution B marking, prohibiting release outside the Government. Thales is the only source with access to the data and unique test equipment needed to repair the FOS LRUs. This data and unique test equipment provide the information needed to test specific LRUs to determine if they are operational before and after repair, along with identifying which LRU needs repair. While the Government has a procurement contract in place for the depot test fixtures and procedures, it will still be several months before these are in the possession of the Government and able to be used for support of LRU repairs. Therefore, even if the Government were able to release the data, we do not currently have the fixtures or data in possession for release to another vendor to compete this effort. Thales is the only vendor that can provide the ICS support without unacceptable delays since they are the only vendor that has the required test fixtures and test procedures to repair and test the LRUs for operability.

5. LCMC believes that award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Air Force's requirement. Other vendors will not have the unique LRUs on hand to provide new replacement LRUs by the required turn-around time of 24 hours from contact to support the ICS. In addition, there are no other sources that have access to the technical data or unique fixtures required to repair or build the LRUs. Accordingly, Thales is the only firm capable of providing the services described in Section III above without the U.S. Air Force experiencing unacceptable delays in fulfilling its requirements, resulting in a complete disruption of airfield operations.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under

FAR 5.202 applies.

A Request for Information (RFI) was posted on FedBizOpps along with a draft PWS for interested parties to review the scope of work and for a better understanding of the requirements. A capability survey was also provided.

RFI was posted for 30 days from 26 June 2019 through 26 July 2019 under Identifier “Market_Research_ICS_NAVAIDS_FOS”.

The Government inquired how interested parties might address the lack of drawings, specifications, technical data, and test procedures required to perform the ICS services in support of NAVAIDS FOS. Responses were received from Thales and Moog, Inc.

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Moog Inc., Cage Code: 19156, provided a response to the RFI. The response addressed many aspects of the RFI but failed to address a major element required for the success of the effort. Due to a lack of technical data, interested parties were asked "How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures etc?" In Moog's response to the RFI, this question was not addressed at all. Moog does not have necessary equipment made by Thales to support ICS efforts. For these reasons, Moog cannot meet the Government's requirement. As a result of the market research conducted, Moog was considered unacceptable for this acquisition.

Thales USA Inc, Cage Code: 65597, provided a response to the RFI that addressed all aspects of the Government's requirement.

This requirement was synopsized in http://www.beta.sam.gov as a notice of proposed contract action IAW FAR

5.201 on 23 June 2020.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer will ensure that the items described herein are negotiated at a fair and reasonable price to the Government. IAW FAR as supplemented, the contractor will be required to submit Certified Cost or Pricing Data and/or Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data. A detailed cost analysis and/or price analysis will be performed.

The Contracting Officer will request a technical evaluation from the program office and may request one from Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to aid in the evaluation of the contractor's proposal. The Contracting Officer will seek audit assistance from the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) if necessary.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

Market research was conducted from 26 June 2019 to 26 July 2019 IAW FAR Part 10. A RFI was posted on FedBizOpps that described the work and expectations of the Government. A draft PWS was provided for interested parties to review the scope of work and for a better understanding of the requirements. Thales' response to the RFI included an explanation of how they intended to meet the Government's requirement to include data, drawing and test equipment required to provide ICS. Moog's response regarding their approach to lack of drawings, specifications, technical data, and test procedures was left blank, concluding that Moog, Inc. does not have the capability to meet the requirements of this effort. Other methods of market research included searching FBO and contacting known sources of service.

Thales is the OEM of the NAVAIDS FOS material and is currently providing warranty and ICS coverage for the installed systems. There are no known commercial opportunities for this effort.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

No further information.

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

Two contractors expressed interest in the acquisition:

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Thales USA, Inc.

Cage Code: 65597 10950 El Monte St Ste 110 Overland Park, KS 66211-9786

Moog Inc.

Cage Code: 19156 2268 S 3270 W Salt Lake City, UT 84119-1112

Moog Inc. is not considered a viable firm due to their lack of required technical data.

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

The services procured for this acquisition are only required for this contract action. All future support will be accomplished via organic depot support; therefore, efforts to ensure competition for future contracts is not required.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

The contracting officer's signature on the Coordination and Approval Document evidences that he/she has determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

By their signatures on the Coordination and Approval Document, the technical and/or requirements personnel have certified as accurate and complete all supporting data, which is their responsibility, contained herein IAW FAR 6.303-2(c).