Justification and Approval LMCT V3452137 04222021 signed_MED_SMC.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER (VOLPE CENTER)

Aircraft Wakes and Weather Division (V-345)

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

PART I - TECHNICAL SUPPORTING DATA

Recommend that negotiations be conducted with Lockheed Martin Coherent Technology (LMCT) on a noncompetitive basis for award of a contract in an amount estimated to be $1,500,000 over 6.5 months. The supporting data for this recommendation are as follows:

A. Description of Supplies/Services – As of April 12, 2020, the Government has been informed that Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies will no long support WindTracer Light Detection and Ranging Radars (LMCT Windtracer LIDARs) beyond December 31, 2021. As a result, the Government has a need for a short stop gap contract to continue support of the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center’s (Volpe Center) wake turbulence activities until another outlet becomes available in January 2022. These activities include the measurement of wake vortices from arriving and departing aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS) as well as the necessary weather data, to support the examinations of safe reduction in aircraft wake turbulence separation minima. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wake Turbulence Research Program has tasked the Volpe Center with vortex data collection at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. To do so, the Volpe Center has deployed four WindTracer light detection and ranging radars (LIDARs) manufactured by LMCT. To ensure the continuous operation of the four complete LMCT WindTracer LIDAR units the Volpe Center owns, and FAA’s test requirements/objectives for system redeploy, these LIDAR units, the supplies and services to be acquired by the Government are as follows:

1. Services and Support of WindTracer Light Detection and Ranging (LIDARs):

o Optimization: Each WindTracer system requires input from the manufacturer as to site selection, installation, alignment, parameter changes and adaptations, data processing design, and hardware optimization.

o System Modification/Improvement with Component Material Integration Support:

Integration effort associated with the purchase of component material.

2. Maintenance Agreements: To prolong the LIDAR life cycle, preventative maintenance and warranty support agreements are required.

3. Component Material and Spares: As component material breaks or becomes obsolete, the Government requires the acquisition of new material and spare parts to maintain a full set of four operational LMCT WindTracer LIDARs. This requirement includes funding to purchase additional material and spare parts to maintain the LIDARs into the future beyond LMCT support.

B. Market Research The Volpe Center Wake Program Technical team implements a continuous effort to research the market for meteorological sensor developments that have wake turbulence measurement potential. Since 1999, the Volpe Center has been tasked by the FAA to measure wake vortices from arriving and departing aircraft in the national air space (NAS), as well as the necessary weather data to support the examinations https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/windtracer.html of safe deduction in aircraft wake turbulence separation minima. The primary sensor used to measure wake vortices in Government and industry groups alike has been and continues to be the LMCT WindTracer system, which is a mobile, electro-optical, scanning pulsed coherent Doppler LIDAR providing high temporal and spatial resolution wind field measurements at long range. When configured with LMCT’s wake processing software, the system can detect, track, and characterize aircraft wake vortices. Despite its research efforts, the Volpe Center has not identified another company’s product with these capabilities.

The Volpe Center is currently collecting data with two different wind-energy LIDARs to explore the feasibility of using their technology to spot and measure wake turbulence, particularly at wake generation.

These LIDARs do not have the capability at this time and are not capable of being modified to meet the requirements of the Wake Vortex program. Additionally, various wind-energy companies have approached the Volpe Center with their smaller LIDARS, including but not limited to QinetiQ, Yankee Environmental, Halo Photonics, and Leosphere, but none of these LIDARs is capable of tracking wake vortices.

In addition, the following is a listing of efforts between 2015 and 2020 taken by the Volpe Center Wake Program Technical team lead to gain better knowledge of the market for LIDARs:

a. Conference Attendance: WakeNet USA 2017 Contained highlights on the international efforts and experiences from Eurocontrol and Dubai on how their LMCT LIDARs were used in providing safety critical evidence for their programs. The experience is consistent with the FAA Wake turbulence programs experience (via Volpe) in that LMCT LIDARs are still the default instrument, due to their overall integrated capability in serving all the aspects of the sensor. Another brief that contained LMCT LIDAR was a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) presentation on the use of the LMCT unit for advancing wake science. For completeness, other briefs provided also include limited experiment with other LIDARs (HALO Photonics, which Volpe also operates in support of the FAA’s wake turbulence program), but it lacks the automation and range capability in the current form to be considered even as a candidate for experiment in SFO.

b. American Metrological Society Conference: Review of Proceedings from 2015-2020 During the time period identified, a large number of LIDAR related applications were devoted to wind hazard sensing and sensor providers such as LMCT, HALO Photonics and Leosphere. As for wake turbulence specific briefs from which one would be able to gain insight on the level of maturity of the sensor, acceptance of the quality of the data by a safety regulator, LMCT LIDARs are still the entry that satisfies the FAA wake turbulence program’s needs for developing procedures and large amount of data driven based arguments.

c. Coherent Laser Radar Conference: Review of Proceedings from 2016-2018 The experience is consistent with the FAA Wake turbulence programs experience (via Volpe) in that LMCT LIDARs are still the default instrument, due to their overall integrated capability in serving all the aspects of the sensor. A large number of LIDAR related applications were devoted to wind hazard sensing and sensor providers such as LMCT, HALO Photonics and Leosphere.

Other LIDARs lack the automation and range capability in the current form to be considered for Volpe’s wake sensing application.

d. Research: The Volpe Center maintains a bibliography of wake turbulence publications:

http://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/air-traffic-systems-and-operations/aircraft-wakes-and-weather. Over 800 entries therein pertain to various measurement related R&D reports and papers, but only the LMCT Windtracer provides the necessary Wake Tracking capability.

e. Market research into the Leosphere branch of Vaisala in 2018

Leosphere LIDARs have started to be incorporated into fundamental research type of wake turbulence activities, but have not demonstrated the maturity needed for the FAA wake turbulence program.

f. Unsolicited telemarketing calls from Mitsubishi in 2018 High power versions of the Mitsubishi LIDARs have progressed significantly in wind hazard application, but have never been proven for wake turbulence purposes that can satisfy the FAA program needs.

g. American Meteorological Society (AMS) Conference 2020: Review of proceedings Contains some updates on Leosphere LIDARs for various past experiments, including wake turbulence, but those LIDARs have not demonstrated the maturity needed for the FAA wake turbulence program.

Nowhere in the market research detailed above was a LIDAR with vortex tracking capabilities similar to the WindTracer identified. Through past IDIQ contracts, Volpe has worked with LMCT to improve the tracking capabilities and upgrade the individual LIDAR systems as well. Though Beyond Photonics may be familiar with the base WindTracer model, they do not have the necessary intricate knowledge of these upgrades and continuously improving software where they would be a reliable substitute for maintenance of Volpe’s four different WindTracer units.

Based on this market research and the background information detailed in paragraph C below, only LMCT possesses the capability to perform the interrelated tasks described in the Statement of Work requirements, as well as to service and maintain its proprietary WindTracer systems. In addition, in case of integrated part or component failure, the critical component material has historically only been available through LMCT. Many components are machined explicitly by LMCT for the WindTracer LIDAR while other components are available only through standing agreements between the part vendor and LMCT. As the manufacturer, LMCT alone has the inherent knowledge on the proprietary integration of all the parts that make this complex laser system work.

The WindTracer LIDAR is the only system capable of detecting and tracking wake vortices generated by aircraft. The Volpe Center is currently collecting data with two smaller wind-energy LIDARs manufactured by HALO Photonics to explore the feasibility of using their technology to spot and measure wake turbulence, particularly at wake generation. These HALO LIDARs can only measure ambient wind, and do not have the capability to detect and track wake vortices at this time and are not capable of being modified to do so in order to meet the requirements of the Wake Turbulence Research Program.

Additionally, various wind-energy companies have approached the Volpe Center with their smaller LIDARS, but none of these LIDARS are capable of tracking wake vortices. As this contract will be for system updates, deployment and maintenance of our existing WindTracer system, any software / hardware used in the HALO LIDARs is incompatible with the larger, more powerful, more capable and more complex WindTracer LIDAR. The associated cost with developing these HALO LIDAR capabilities as applied to the WindTracer LIDAR is estimated to be $6.0 million over a 10-year time period, consisting of field deployments, data collection efforts, and working closely with other vendor(s) to troubleshoot and develop the algorithm to the advanced level of the existing LMCT algorithm.

Assuming any other entity has the hardware capable to attempt vortex tracking, this would take years to develop and would delay the FAA in meeting the required deadlines of program deliverables to the NextGen Program Office. For example, as part of Volpe’s NextGen deliverables, LIDAR data collection must be reported annually. This data allows Volpe to assess new aircraft entering the NAS and best determine their integration in RECAT / DSWM minimum separation procedures.

http://halo-photonics.com/StreamLine-XR-Doppler_Lidar.htm

The Volpe Center Wake Program Technical team continually monitors government and industry publications as well as conference itineraries for LIDAR innovations in weather monitoring and wake tracking capabilities. An extensive market research report is available as a separate attachment.

C. Background:

Since 2001, the Volpe Center has been tasked by the FAA to measure wake vortices from arriving and departing aircraft in the NAS as well as the necessary weather data to support the examinations of safe deduction in aircraft wake turbulence separation minima. Aircraft wake vortices are the dominant factor in determining the safe separation of aircraft as heavier aircraft produce larger, longer, and greater strength vortices than smaller aircraft. The primary sensor used to measure wake vortices, specific to the Government, has been and continues to be the LMCT WindTracer system, which is a mobile, electro-optical, scanning pulsed coherent Doppler LIDAR providing high temporal and spatial resolution wind field measurements at long range. When configured with LMCT’s wake processing software, the system can detect, track, and characterize aircraft wake vortices, a capability that no other company can match at this time.

The Volpe Center owns four LMCT WindTracer LIDARs, all of which are currently deployed and operational—one unit at JFK and three units at SFO. The Volpe Center is supporting the FAA, in part, through additional WindTracer-based data collection at JFK and SFO in its development of additional procedures such as the third phase of Wake Turbulence ReCategorization RECAT (i.e., Dynamic Separation for Wake - Mitigation (DSW-M)).

Acquisition History. Since the initial acquisition of a WindTracer in 2001, the Volpe Center has issued three sole source IDIQ contracts. DTRT57-05-D-30101 acquired the second and third LIDARs and provided system updates, deployment and maintenance support services of all systems. DTRT57-10-D- 30021 and DTRT57-15-D-30014 both provided system updates, deployment and maintenance support services of all systems. Each was awarded citing the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii) to:

• Maintain, optimize, and support Government-owned LMCT WindTracer LIDAR systems;

• Redeploy Government-owned LMCT WindTracer LIDAR systems to other locations;

• Modify the LMCT WindTracer LIDAR system software and algorithm to continually modernize and improve the system;

• Support data processing and analysis efforts; and

• Acquire and integrate material and spare parts to improve the overall system performance.

The fourth LIDAR was acquired through an existing DOD contract on behalf of NASA. The total cost of all prior LMCT WindTracer LIDAR-related acquisitions is in excess of $15M.

D. Circumstances Requiring the Use of Other Than Full and Open (F&O) Competition.

Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements - FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), entitled “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements,” states: “Supplies may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of a major system or highly specialized equipment, including major components thereof, when it is likely that award to any other source would result in (A) Substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition, or (B) Unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.”

The anticipated contract is a follow-on contract to DTRT57-15-D-30014, which was solicited as a sole source requirement to LMCT, and expires on April 30, 2021. The anticipated contract is for maintenance agreements and component material acquisition of LMCT proprietary hardware; and, as such, the entire range of services and support necessary to perform the scope of work is interrelated and can only be obtained technically, cost effectively, and within an acceptable schedule through LMCT.

According to the Volpe Center Wake Program Technical team, award to another vendor to purchase and maintain new LIDARs and develop the full technical capability to meet the Government’s requirements would require the Government to gain the confidence and industry acceptance that currently exists in nearly two decades of worldwide experience with the LMCT WindTracer. As mentioned above, the associated cost is an estimated $6M, consisting of field deployments, data collection efforts, and working closely with another vendor to troubleshoot and develop the algorithm to the advanced level of the LMCT algorithm (which has had inputs from Government and industry experts over the last 18 years and has been the basis of international regulations in aircraft spacing during arrival and departure operations). This would take years to develop and would delay the FAA in meeting the required deadlines of program deliverables to the NextGen office.

The LMCT wake algorithm is essential to the success of the wake turbulence research program. The design and implementation of the wake algorithm employed in the LMCT WindTracer is proprietary to LMCT, and the wake algorithm software has been developed to integrate with the system architecture of the hardware in order to achieve fast and accurate processing. This algorithm is essential to operation of these units and in turn, its maintenance is imperative. The wake vortex research program relies heavily on the historical data collected over the course of the 18-year program history, and the negation of this data inability to generate comparable data would create an unacceptable delay in fulfilling the agency’s requirements. The Volpe Center is required to provide data analysis in support of various FAA program milestones at least quarterly. With the existing historical data and continuous updates from current WindTracer test sites, analysis can be completed and supplemented on a regular basis in support of FAA initiatives.

E. Steps to Foster Competition (or Consideration) There is little basis for establishing competition for technical support involving proprietary subsystems since LMCT would need to be involved in changes to its proprietary products as described above. The steps taken to remove any barriers to competition before subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required include the Government investing in the less costly but also less capable LIDAR systems currently marketed for the wind energy sector to explore their feasibility as wake turbulence sensors. This exploration of the wind energy sector also permits the Government to follow the progress that these non-LMCT LIDAR companies are making. In other Wake Turbulence Program activities supported by the Volpe Center, the Government has acquired two HALO Photonics wind energy LIDARs that have the potential to evolve into a general purpose wind LIDAR much like the WindTracer, but currently can only consistently provide ambient wind information. This added study of these LIDARs is the most cost effective method of eventually providing competition for the WindTracer and maintenance thereof. In terms of algorithms, the FAA is allocating some of its resources to develop a Government-owned wake processing algorithm as part of the long-term research and development plan. While initial studies have been fruitful, this Government-owned wake processing algorithm, in conjunction with the smaller wind energy LIDARs, is not yet capable of the continuous vortex detection and tracking provided by LMCT’s WindTracer tracking algorithm.

E. TECHNICAL OFFICE CERTIFICATION

The requirement set forth is initiated to satisfy a recognized Government need. As applicable, the specifications, and statement of work are limited to state the minimum needs of the Government. I certify that the above information which serves as the basis for the justification for other than full and open competition is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Melanie Soares Date Technical Initiator

Concurred By:

Stephen Mackey Date Chief, Aviation Weather and Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) Applications Division

PART II – CONTRACTS SUPPORTING DATA

A. Description of the Procurement Action This procurement action will result in a new stand-alone contract with a period of performance of 6.5 months and is a follow-on to IDIQ contract DTRT57-15-D-30014 that was awarded to LMCT on July 23, 2015, and will end on April 30, 2020. Option CLINs will defined in the statement of work and funded as required on a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) basis. Any travel associated with a given CLIN will be issued on a Not To Exceed (NTE) basis. As determined through the market research, this is a non-commercial service. The Procurement Request number for this action is V3452037.

B. Authority

• 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 titled “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

C. Efforts to Obtain Competition - The proposed contract action will be synopsized through the Government-wide point of entry (FedBizOpps) as required by FAR Subpart 5.2. Any statements of capability or expressions of interest received from any other potential sources in response to this synopsis will be referred for appropriate technical review.

D. Fair and Reasonable Cost The signature of the Contracting Officer provided below represents a determination that fair and reasonable cost/price information will be based on historical data previously determined to be fair and reasonable. In addition, the contractor will be required to provide Certified Cost or Pricing Data. The Government will reserve the right to request further information to make a determination, including supporting documents and data provided by the Contractor.

E. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION:

I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Carl Chin Date Contracting Officer

PART III - REVIEW AND APPROVAL SIGNATURES

REVIEWED FOR LEGAL

SUFFICIENCY: __________________________ ______________

Volpe Center Attorney Date Office of Legal Services

CONCURRED BY: __________________________ _______________

Mary E. Doherty Date Director, Office of Acquisitions Volpe Center

APPROVED:

Susan Connors Date Deputy Director for Operations, Volpe Center