JA N10425Q2284_Redacted.pdf

J&A No. N10425Q2284

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL (J&A)

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: Department of the Navy, Military Sealift Command (MSC) Norfolk

2. Description of the Action Being Approved: Award of a purchase order on a sole source basis to the sole provider of the TA18 Oxygen/Nitrogen (O2N2) Low Pressure Air Compressor (LPAC), JPL Compressor.

3. Description of Supply Services: Provide the USNS COMFORT and USNS MERCY with a spare LPAC for their O2N2 plant. This spare will be used and exchanged with the currently installed LPACS on either ship during a depot level maintenance period of availability. The estimated combined dollar value is , which will be funded utilizing fiscal year 2025 Navy working capital funds.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition: Per 10 U.S.C.

3204(a)(1) and FAR 6.302-1, there is only one responsible source, and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Authority: There is only one of these units in existence for procurement, which JPL Compressor Inc. is the sole owner of currently. This specific TA-18 LPC for USNS COMFORT and USNS MERCY is only available from JPL Compressor as they procured this item from a third party prior to the company going out of business. The TA-18 LPAC is a critical component for the operation of the O2N2 plant onboard the USNS MERCY and USNS COMFORT.

This equipment is essential for maintaining operational readiness by ensuring the production of medical-grade oxygen and nitrogen, which are vital for medical and mission-critical operations aboard these vessels. Other than full and open competition will be utilized as JPL Compressor is the only source capable of meeting this requirement. The TA-18 LPAC is uniquely designed to meet the specific operational requirements of the O2N2 plant onboard the USNS MERCY and USNS COMFORT. The existing plant infrastructure is configured around this model, making compatibility and functionality reliant on this specific compressor. The TA-18 LPAC has been discontinued, rendering it obsolete, other than one remaining unit available form JPL Inc. While other air compressors are available on the market, they do not meet the exact specifications required to integrate with the O2N2 plants without significant modifications. Adapting the O2N2 plants to accommodate an alternative compressor would entail extensive reengineering, incurring substantial costs and prolonged downtime, which is not operationally feasible. As a result, no alternative suppliers or manufacturers currently produce a compatible model. This leaves only one known unit available for procurement, offered exclusively by JPL Compressor.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable: JPL Compressor is the sole supplier with the last remaining TA-18 LPAC in its inventory. No other supplier or distributor is known to offer this model, as verified through market research and industry inquiries. A sources sought was posted on March 18, 2025, to March 20, 2025, and no responses were received in response to the posted sources sought notice. The Government intends to post a sole source combined synopsis and solicitation notice along with this justification at the Government Point of Entry to award a firm-fixed-price purchase order. Given the critical operational requirements, lack of substitutes, and the exclusive availability of the TA-18 LPAC through JPL Compressor, this procurement qualifies as a sole source justification. Acquiring this compressor is essential to ensure uninterrupted functionality of the O2N2 plants aboard the USNS MERCY and USNS COMFORT, supporting mission-critical operations and safeguarding the vessels' readiness.

J&A No. N10425Q2284

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost: The Contracting Officer has determined the anticipated cost to the Government of the supplies covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable.

8. Actions to Removed Barriers to Future Competition: For reasons set forth in paragraph 5, MSC has no plans at this time to allow for non-OEM suppliers in future contracts or purchase orders for the types of supplies covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, MSC will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.