T-AH FLux Drive JA Redacted.pdf

J&A No. N10424Q0072

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 Flux Drives as required by the T-AH Class, Tri-Tec Manufacturing, for parts for the upcoming availabilities for each of the USNS MERCY (T-AH 19), and USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20), using other than full and open competition.

3. Description of Supply Services: Provide the flux drive systems for the T-AH Class to ensure the items are available for upcoming availabilities. The estimated combined dollar value is , which will be funded utilizing fiscal year 2024 Navy working capital funds.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition: 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1)

Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Authority:

The AH Class 500-ton Air Condition (AC) plants have had repeated condenser tube failures attributed to excessive seawater flow. The AC plants are critical to maintaining environmental conditions in the ships hospitals as a core mission requirement. This purchase of flux drives to regulate the AC seawater cooling pumps flow will match sea water supply to condenser demand requirements thereby minimizing seawater related tube erosion and failure. Failure to correct the excessive seawater flow issue will result in continued AC plant casualties and may impact future T-AH vessel mission support.

The control system being used will only work with the Flux Drives. MSC uses Flux drives on the T- AO Class already. The design of the Flux Drive and associated equipment to modify the AC SW Pumps has been developed and can be procured through Tri-Tec Manufacturing, which specifically designed and built control system for use on the T-AH Class Air Conditioning (AC) Sea Water (SW) Pumps. The Non-Reoccurring Engineering (NRE) for the design was completed in 2015-2016 and two

(2) units were ordered. This is a follow on contract to that design contract.

The Tri-Tec Flux Drive were specifically designed to fit the space envelope, shaft (motor and pump) diameter, horsepower rating of the motor and pump speed characteristics of the existing sea water system. Another electro-mechanical adjustable speed drive would have to be designed for the application on the T-AH Class. Changing to a different manufacturer at this point would result in the Flex Drive removal and the Non-Reoccurring Engineering (NRE) to be repeated for another manufacturer. Tri-Tec Adjustable speed drives are in use on other MSC ships specifically the T-AO 187 Class.

The control system and interfaces to seawater pumps and piping is a mature product being used by MSC. The T-AH has the Tri-Tec Flux installed on the USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) No. 1 Air Conditioning Sea Water as a demonstration of its ability to meet the requirements for space and operation. The control system is designed by Tri-Tec in conjunction with MSC, NSWC-CD and NSWC-CD contractor CCI. Controllers, programing, and drawings have all been developed to use Flux Drive. A change at this point would render the control system developed non-useable. Having to develop a control system to interface with a different adjustable sped drive would result in increased cost and a delay in installation due to redesign.

Further, market research verified that Tri-Tec Manufacturing is the only vendor that can supply the salient characteristics required for this T-AH installation -- a combination of the variable speed drive and

J&A No. N10424Q0072 the magnetic coupling, other vendors can only supply one half of the requirement. There is no other company that makes a Flux Drive (Technical Name is “Magnetic Coupling Adjustable Speed Drive”) for the T-AH Class. There are companies make variable speed drives or magnetic couplings; but not a combination of both. In other words, Tri-Tec Manufacturing is the patent holder of this specific flux drive technology, and this technology has been approved for use on-board the T-AH Class.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable: The sources sought for the proposed purchase order was posted on the Sam.gov website on December 14, 2023, and closed December 20, 2023, with no responses. MSC perpetually seeks submissions from non- OEM contractors for consideration of qualification of their parts and/or services as an acceptable alternative to the OEM at https://www.msc.usff.navy.mil/Business- Opportunities/Contracts/Qualification-for-Items-Critical-to-Shipboard-Safety-on-MSC-Vessels/. 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.

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 IAW FAR 13.106-3(a).

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-Tri-Tec 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.