Summary

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for use of other than full and open competition issued by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake, California for sole-source procurement. The contracting activity seeks to award a contract to AGE Cyber Defense Solutions (AGE CDS) for proprietary software maintenance and support of the "Guards Patch" security system. The total estimated dollar value is $1,920,000 for fiscal year 2026–2030.

The procurement covers a one-year base period plus three optional years of sustainment and support services for the Vishnu Appliance Guard system. Required services include quarterly patch sustainment providing security updates and new releases, and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) sustainment comprising 120 hours of expert technical support available 24 hours daily, seven days weekly for 12 months during each performance period. The contract justifies sole-source award under 10 U.S.C. § 3204(a)(1) based on AGE CDS's exclusive ownership of proprietary source code, engineering data, and system architecture; specialized expertise of AGE CDS engineers; and the critical need to maintain the security posture of equipment initially procured in 2024 and installed in 2025. The contracting officer determined costs to be fair and reasonable. A sources sought notice was posted to SAM on April 8, 2026, with a capability submission deadline of April 18, 2026; four companies responded but were deemed not capable. The agency commits to conducting full and open competition for future acquisitions of new or replacement systems while acknowledging that lifecycle sustainment of the proprietary "Guards Patch" system cannot support competition.