Justification and Approval (JA 00729) Redaction.pdf

CUI

W912CH-24-R-0023

CMO Control No: 2025-001

CUI

a) Reverse Engineer of Application Specific design: The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities DEVCOM-AC Engineering estimates that the time to develop a competitive technical data package for this item through reverse engineering would take approximately 12 months. Reverse engineering includes, but is not limited to, the following: identify all the deficiencies such as conditions/characteristics that do not meet current approved configuration, conduct market research on available parts and components, work in conjunction with the M777A2 155MM Howitzer weapon system integrator to identify the system’s components and their interrelationships, obtain existing parts, tear down and understand the design, create representations of the system in another form or a higher level of abstraction, create the physical representation of that system and fully define functional parameters, generate Bill of Materials documentation, build a prototype, and then draft a new TDP which would include complete component drawings, performance specifications, and qualification procedures. This could take at least 12 months to include fabrication and testing of the prototype hardware and releasing a validated TDP.

b) Develop Qualification Procedures/Requirements: Since there are no qualification procedures in place to determine whether other sources are qualified to meet Government requirements, it would take an estimated 12 months for the U.S.

Army, DEVCOM-AC Engineers to develop the Government’s requirements suitable for the prospective contractors to be able to manufacture and qualify samples. The Engineers would also need to consider testing to the failure point and beyond, to determine the qualifications that are best suited for the M777A2 155MM Howitzer.

c) Build Prototype Units: In this case, producing the prototype units is the long pole of the reverse engineering effort, taking considerable effort and time, which is estimated to be a minimum of 18 months. For the U.S. Army to acquire or build prototypes, they must first solicit for and get estimates to produce the prototypes.

After accepting and starting work on this effort, the producer must review the requirements, develop manufacturing processes and routes and plans, produce 3d models for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programming and measuring, produce fixturing for the manufacturing and testing processes, procurement of materials required for production and then manufacture and measure the parts.

In some cases an on-site First Article Test analysis is warranted, which takes further time to schedule and conduct. Shipping times are also included in the prototyping effort as well as a full review of the manufacturability of the prototype to the drawing and quality documents provided by the U.S. Army, DEVCOM-AC Engineers.

d) Testing/Analysis of Application Specific Design: It would take an additional 8 months to conduct the actual engineering testing/analysis in collaboration between the Government engineers and weapon system integrator to include the time for any additional test equipment or fixtures; component, safety and system level/ higher level assemblies testing or end item systems required to test the Wheel Assembly, Pneumatic Tire, plus, any additional time for test facilities and