N00178_260038.pdf

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole source contract award issued by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), Contracts Department.

The document justifies the award of a firm fixed-price contract on a sole source basis to Northrop Grumman Corporation for equipment required by NSWCDD Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. The procurement involves forty (40) Multi Link Software subscriptions, part number 172-DSS-ML, with delivery expected within two weeks of order receipt. The estimated contract cost is funded through Fiscal Year 2026 Other Procurement, Navy (OPN), and Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) funding. The statutory authority for sole source procurement is 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented in FAR Subpart 12.201-1 for simplified procedures.

The J&A establishes that Northrop Grumman Corporation is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the required servers and holds proprietary rights to the Multi Link Software licenses, with no authorized resellers available. Market research confirmed no alternative vendors can meet requirements. The document notes that procuring from another vendor would necessitate purchasing new servers and software, a complete system redesign, and cause unacceptable delays of 18-24 months to program schedules and training. The justification has been reviewed and approved by the Technical/Requirements Certification, Legal Sufficiency Review, Contracting Officer, and Competition Advocate.