Red 25-0119_Redacted.pdf

This is a Justification and Approval (J&A) document for a sole-source contract award by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) located at Point Mugu, California.

The J&A authorizes a sole-source, Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract award to Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) located in Chandler, Arizona, valued at $99 million for fiscal years 2026-2030. NGC will provide engineering services supporting operations and maintenance (O&M) activities for the GQM-163A Ground Launch Drone Missile system for both Department of Defense and Foreign Military Sales customers. The GQM-163A is a supersonic sea-skimming target system capable of low and high altitude operations, comprising the vehicle, MK70 Mod 1 booster, MK7 Mod 1 or 4K3 launcher, and ground support equipment. The contract scope includes delivery of flight trajectories and technical data packages for GQM-163A launches, as well as operation, maintenance, and loading of targets onto launchers. This J&A follows a previously approved sole-source contract (J&A 17-0020) awarded in February 2018.

NGC is the sole qualified source because Orbital ATK (the original GQM-163A designer and developer) was acquired by NGC in June 2018, making NGC the only entity with requisite knowledge of the GQM-163A operational systems, expertise to configure and operate the target, and required data rights. The government lacks the expertise, data rights, and ability to conduct competitive procurement or perform necessary O&M activities. Efforts to solicit offers from other sources through Sources Sought announcements on October 24, 2024, November 12, 2024, and April 22, 2025 yielded no responses. Market research identified no other supersonic targets meeting USN Fleet customer requirements. No plans exist to compete future contracts for these services unless another capable source emerges.