N6660416P2351_J A_16035.0_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NA VY

NAVAL UNDERSEA WARF ARE CENTER DIVISION

1176 HOWELL STREET

NEWPORT RI 02841-1708

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

JUSTIFICATION

IN REPLY REFER TO

J & A #:16035 .0 Control#: 162351

PR #: 1300568489

The following facts support contracting for commercial items without full and open competition, using the procedures in FAR 13.5 - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1901.

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R1 (NA VUNSEA W ARCENDIVNEWPORT), Contracts Department, Code 02

2. Description of Action Being Approved

Request approval to solicit and award a five (5) year (Base and Options), Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract, on a brand name basis, to Applied Systems Engineering (ASE), for eighteen

(18) X-band and Ku-Band magnetron transmitters, in support of the ULM-4 test sets at the Shipboard Electronics Systems Evaluation Facilities (SESEF) sites.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Estimated Dollar Value

Fund T

OPN

OPN (0 tion Year 1) OPN (0 tion Year 2) OPN 0 ti on Year 3 OPN (0 tion Year 4)

Total

This contract is for the purchase of varying frequencies and quantities of the magnetron transmitters. As shown below, the requirement is for one Base year and four (4) Option years, for the purchase of 18 magnetron transmitters:

I

Base Year Option Yr 1 Option Yr 2 Option Yr 3 Option Yr 4 Total

Qty Qty Qty Qty Qty Model 327X-

15115; 8.5- 1 2 2 2 2

9.6 GHz, lOOkW Model 327Ku- 13238; 1 2 2 2 2

14.0-15.2 GHz, 125W

Total

The Government' s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5): Brand-Name Commercial Item for Authorized Resale.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

The SESEF sites were established in the 1950s to provide Naval shipyards with a means to assess the material readiness of shipboard systems following post-overhaul and maintenance efforts. The SESEF sites facilitate testing of electromagnetic (EM) transmitting and receiving equipment for U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command vessels. In addition to conducting operability testing, the SESEF program is required to provide a dependable, convenient, and technically capable source for real-time EM signal analysis in an operational environment. This periodic testing is required every 4-8 months and is governed by the Commander Naval Surface Forces (COMNAVSURFOR) War Fighting Improvement Program 115 Series (WFIP-115) instruction. The SESEF sites perform in excess of 600 tests per year in maintaining compliance with US Navy Planned Maintenance System (PMS) requirements, and provide the surface Fleet AN/SLQ-32 troubleshooting assistance.

The primary Test and Evaluation system at SESEF is the ULM-4 test set. The ULM-4 test set is a general utility, counter-measures, maintenance and testing system designed for the AN/SLQ-32(V) Electronic Warfare (EW) System on surface ships, and is used to conduct periodic maintenance of US Navy EW Combat and Support Systems onboard Fleet assets.

The ULM-4 test sets provide end-to-end tests for the EW systems onboard most surface combatants and larger Coast Guard Cutters, as well as for the various EW systems on Littoral Combat Ships. The primary :£'.unction of the ULM-4 test system is to perform an automated, comprehensive test of the AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic attack (EA) systems in an "at-sea" environment. The test focuses on those features of the electronic surveillance (ES) and EA functions that cannot be readily evaluated by ship' s force personnel, through the use of Built-In Tests (BIT), System Diagnostic Tests (SDT) or periodic maintenance. The ULM- 4 system provides surface Electronic Countermeasures systems with the stimuli required to initiate an active EA response. The transmitters incorporated into the ULM-4 test sets must provide a pulse at a specific frequency, pulse repetition frequency, pulse width, duty cycle, and power level, to provide proper stimulation for the AN/SLQ-32(V) systems in performance of the required testing. The ULM-4 test set is configured with the ASE transmitters and all the associated software and transmitter controlling commands are written specifically for these transmitters. All SESEF sites need to operate using identical systems, in order to ensure consistency of test results.

The Military Communications Electronics Board (MCEB) is the governing body for testing and certifying military systems that transmit electromagnetic emissions. The MCEB uses Form JF12 to authorize a particular system configuration for operation. The MCEB's JF12- 1064 7 dated 17 July 2013 provides approval for operation of the ULM-4 system and includes a list of authorized key components used to generate electromagnetic emissions within the system. The configuration cited in JF12-10647 must be met at all SESEF sites at all times to support testing of critical EW systems for the fleet. The only transmitter models approved for the ULM-4 system are ASE Model 327X and ASE Model 327Ku. The MCEB JF12 certification allows SESEF to apply to the Navy Marine Corps Spectrum Office (NMCSO) for permission to radiate (i.e., transmit radio frequency signals). NMCSO allocates frequency assignments based on the MCEB's approved JF12. A change in components results in a change to the approved configuration. Such a change would result in loss ofMCEB authorization and, in tum, revocation ofNMCSO frequency allocation.

This would result in Navy's loss of ability to operate the SESEF to support fleet operations.

If a component of the ULM-4 test set is transitioned to a different configuration, it will take a minimum of 10 months until possible integration of a new configuration. Recertification begins with an Application for Equipment Frequency Allocation, and MCEB review and processing of this application; this effort is estimated to take 7 months (best case). A preliminary software (SW) development design plan will be accomplished and the agency will begin the Configuration Control Board (CCB) process to request approval, which includes drafting and submittal of the Infrastructure Change Request (ICR). Upon MCEB approval, SW rewrites and CCB approval, the equipment can be ordered and delivered.

Upon delivery, the equipment will undergo three (3) tests. These three (3) tests include SW testing, bench testing and regression testing, which take about 2 month after receipt of equipment. One (1) week after the tests are complete, the results will be documented in Standard Operating Procedures, drawings, and other applicable documents and the Test Readiness Review (TRR) phase begins. During this phase, the revised test plan is drafted, and a System Verification Document (SVD) is created, taking approximately 1 month.

The last step in this process is the test and integration of the new equipment. Integration, followed by a Systems Operational Verification Test (SOVT) will take an additional month.

Live testing with Fleet assets will be scheduled and performed by two (2) people for two (2) weeks. Any updates to the existing SW suite that must be made to the ULM-4 test set as a result of incorporating a new transmitter will take an additional twenty (20) weeks. The overall cost to modify the ULM-4 test set to a new transmitter model is estimated at (51.75 workweeks estimated at an average cost of per week).

In addition to the above, all eight SESEF sites need to operate using identical systems in order to ensure consistency of test results. This would require replacement of all existing systems with the new configuration at the other SESEF sites. The government estimates this would cost an estimated based on the estimated prices of the two transmitters under this requirement needing to be replaced at eight sites concurrently rather than one or two at a time due to routine maintenance.

The duplicative costs incurred for recertification, re-issuance of JF12 approval and frequency assignments, and software interface engineering changes cannot be offset by potential savings from competition. Therefore, it is in the Government's best interest to award this contract on a brand name basis.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable

For the reasons set forth in paragraph 5, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport can only procure the required transmitters from ASE. The proposed brand name contract action will be synopsized via posting on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website in accordance with FAR 5.2.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

In accordance with FAR 15 .404-1 (b) price analysis of the Contractor's proposal will be conducted to ensure that the final agreed-to price is fair and reasonable.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

The Government's requirement for ASE X-band and Ku-Band magnetron transmitters, in support of the ULM-4 test sets, does not allow for substitution of another manufacturer's transmitter. In order to meet the needs of the Navy in supporting and performing the required testing of critical EW systems for the Fleet,_ the SESEF sites must maintain the current configuration of the ULM-4 test sets, employing ASE transmitters. Therefore, in the event that any future acquisition of ASE transmitters is required, and the information in section 5 above remains true, the procurement will again be processed on a brand name basis. However, at the time of preparation of any future requirements packages the information contained in section 5 will be validated to confirm the brand name requirement still exists. Consideration will be given to moving this requirement to full and open competition if feasible in the future.

III. IDENTITY OF NEGOTIATOR:

IV. APPROVAL SIGNATURES:

A. CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY FAR 6.303-2(b)(12) I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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B. TECHNICAL AND REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY FAR 6.303-2(c) I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and its supporting data, including Acquisition Plan (No. NIA) except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(1) TECHNICAL COGNIZANCE

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(2) REQUIREMENTS COGNIZANCE

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C. LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW (NMCARS 5206.303-90)

I have determined this justification is legally sufficient.

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Code

Code

Code

D. COMPETITION ADVOCATE REVIEW AND APPROVAL (FAR 6.502 AND 6.304)

Upon the basis of the above justification, I hereby approve, the solicitation of the proposed procurement(s) using other than full and open competition, pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S.C.

2304( c )(1 ).

Phone

Phone

02 401-832-6973