M04 JA 1603 - JA 533_Redacted.pdf

4. AUTHORITY CITED:

This action is authorized under the provisions of 10 United States Code 2304(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED:

The Grand Forks UAS Traffic Management command and control structure is focused on integrating Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities into the overall response to current and future threats to all military installations. The integration of C-UAS capabilities into the overall UAS Traffic Management command and control structure provides DoD the specialized specific core competencies approved by the OUSD(A&S), Government sponsor for continued development of UAS and air traffic control capabilities. Grand Forks has the only site that can conduct testing events using actual UAS mission use-cases, like flightline supply delivery and security force augmentation, in the same on-base environments and with the same base facilities, equipment, and personnel that this capability will eventually support.

The demand of the UAS/IDIQ continues to increase beyond its original forecasts. This is due primarily to the shift in the DoD’s focus towards advancing both our UAS offensive and defensive capabilities.

This shift is a direct result of lessons learned over the past year regarding the asymmetric advantage of low cost UAS employed by the United States, our allies, and our adversaries on the battlefield and potentially against us in the homeland. The Administration and Congress passed House Resolution HR1 titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” which further advances DoD’s UAS offensive and defensive capabilities by increasing funding for UAS and associated support from Grand Forks. In total, the $4,015,000,000.00 investment is broken out as follows:

HR1-46 Section 20004

(30) $50,000,000 for the acceleration of one-way attack unmanned aerial systems with advanced autonomy;

(31) $1,000,000,000 for the expansion of the one-way attack unmanned aerial systems industrial base;

(56) $500,000,000 for development, production, and integration of counter-unmanned aerial systems programs;

(57) $350,000,000 for development, production, and integration of non-kinetic counter-unmanned aerial systems programs;

(58) $250,000,000 for development, production, and integration of land-based counter-unmanned aerial systems programs;

(59) $200,000,000 for development, production, and integration of ship-based counter-unmanned aerial systems programs;

HR1-46 Section 20005

(2) $1,400,000,000 for the expansion of the small unmanned aerial system industrial base;

(12) $120,000,000 for the development, procurement, and integration of long-endurance unmanned aerial systems for surveillance; and

(22) $145,000,000 for the development of artificial intelligence to enable one-way attack unmanned aerial systems and naval systems.

Grand Forks has the unique capability and unique set of core competencies to support the development of these systems. These include the ability to: conduct testing events using actual UAS and C-UAS the initial market research for this requirement, the Government conducted a sources sought. As detailed in the original J&A, none could fulfill the requirements. The Government also considered alternative/required sources, such as FAR Part 8 General Services Administration Schedules, and none could fulfill the requirement. More specifically: The Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) is the only test site that can adequately support the critical attributes listed above. They are located adjacent to the Grand Forks AFB, which contains the military active duty UAS, Counter UAS, and ATC organizations needed to effectively provide the support unique to evaluating the DoD specific use cases.

In April 2025, the Government revalidated the market research by sending inquiries to seven sites listed on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website that were capable of conducting UAS testing. The following five sources responded.

1. The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

2. AX Enterprise LLC, New York

3. New Mexico State University, Physical Science Laboratory, Office of the Space Aerospace

4. The Virginia Tech Mid Atlantic Aviation Partnership is an FAA UAS Designated Test Site

5. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Autonomy Research Institute

The Government reviewed these responses and determined that none were capable.

Based on evaluation of responses from the five sites the NPUASTS remains the only test site that has direct access to a major active-duty United States AFB runway, 217 acres of adjacent base property, and the base’s Digital Airport Surveillance Radar-11 radar feed. Access to the military runway, land, radar, airspace, and the base’s resident units is essential to adequately support the Office of the Secretary of Defense sponsored projects necessary to accomplish the DoD’s long-term UAS airspace access and integration goals.

9. OTHER FACTS:

None.

10. INTERESTED SOURCES:

There are currently no other known interested sources.

11. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION:

During contract award, the Government posted a sources sought to sam.gov to locate other businesses who could perform the requirement.

As part of the additional market research to increase the ceiling of this J&A, the Government investigated additional sources, as discussed above at Section 8.

12. Is this acquisition for a non-competitive follow-on acquisition previously awarded on a non-competitive basis?

Yes. A copy of the previous justification is attached. The actions to remove any barriers to competition cited on the previous justification were were not completed.

No. The original acquisition was conducted by the FAA on a competitive basis.

Not Applicable. This is an increase to the J&A ceiling.