TAB 8 JNA REDACTED.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER

CORONA DIVISION

PO BOX 5000

CORONA, CA 92878-5000

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

IN REPLY REFER TO

J&A No. 50,254 Ser 02/2843

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division (Corona Division), Contracts Department, Code 0221.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

This Justification and Approval (J&A) authorizes the award of a Firm-Fixed-Price, Contract on a sole source basis for the procurement of microwave radio hardware and associated services in support of the South West Tactical Training Range (SWTTR) to Aviat U.S. Inc. This J&A shall be effective from the date of approval to the end of the contract term.

3. Description of Supplies/Services

The proposed action is to acquire Aviat microwave radio communications hardware and associated services for fulfillment of a requirement for Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma training range personnel. The Aviat items to be procured for this effort are identified below:

PART # PART DESCRIPTION

IRU600 Telegraph Pass to Bakers Peak

ODU600 BLDG5000 – TGT103

The total estimated value of this acquisition is $425,278 and will be funded with FY21 Other Procurement, Navy (OPN) funds.

The table below depicts the type of funding as well as the estimated amount for fiscal year 2021.

APPROPRIATION FY21 TOTAL

OPN $436,708 $436,708

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

Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The procedures in FAR subpart 13.5 will be utilized for this procurement in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1901.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

The required communications hardware will be utilized to upgrade the SWTTR microwave backbone connecting the main facility located at MCAS Yuma to the SWTTR. The SWTTR microwave backbone consists of eight (8) separate Aviat links that were installed in 2007. It is necessary to replace portions of the system that do not comply with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Spectrum Management plan for emissions. The Aviat hardware is the only equipment that provides system wide compatibility.

Additionally, the proprietary hardware items are the only items that will allow for the interchange of old Aviat equipment with new Aviat units, which directly results in improved network performance and reliability. If this older equipment is not replaced, continued degradation of link performance will occur and eventually result in complete loss of data transmission.

This loss will prevent MCAS Yuma personnel from providing operational support to military costumers training at SWTTR for several months or very likely longer. Additionally, all the equipment identified above, will integrate completely and be immediately operational when connected to existing Aviat equipment already installed and in use at MCAS Yuma and SWTTR.

This is necessary so that there is no disruption in the transportation of data, video and audio communication among range users and with aircraft in support of tactical missions on board Naval Air Facility El Centro and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma ranges. Additionally, the efforts and expenses required to retrain operators and users on how to utilize the new components will be minimal, as the new components function in a very similar manner to the old equipment being replaced.

Aviat equipment is the only hardware that is compatible with existing equipment and software, which will result in the ability to retain and reuse existing hardware, software, and infrastructure. Specifically, the software that SWTTR currently uses is Aviat ProVision™, which allows monitoring, and configuration of the entire backbone from any workstation running the software.

Purchasing equipment from a manufacturer other than Aviat would result in several significant cost expenditures and a new system design for the underlying microwave communications backbone. The time taken to retrain on the use of a new non-Aviat system will be longer due to the introduction of unfamiliar equipment. It is estimated the Government will incur a retraining labor cost of $32,500, as shown in Table 2 below, in order for the end users to become proficient in utilizing the alternate brand of equipment. Prior to retraining, as also shown in Table 2 below, the Government would be required to spend $45,000 in labor resources to develop a new system design and infrastructure as well as $130,000 for installation and an additional $52,000 to test the non-Aviat system. When the aforementioned costs are combined, the result is an automatic increase in labor expenditures of $260,000, per microwave link, in excess of any hardware costs for the alternate manufacturer. Additionally, as captured in the chart below, the use of equipment, other than Aviat, would require submission of additional artifacts to maintain the existing Department of Defense Risk Management Framework (RMF) Cyber Security Authority to Operate (ATO) for SWTTR Unclassified Network. Labor costs associated with RMF process are approximately $225,000 per networking system.

LABOR RELATED EXPENSES ESTIMATED HOURS

REQUIRED

ESTIMATED COST

(LABOR RATE $130/HR)

Design New Non-Aviat System and Infrastructure

$45,500

Remove Aviat Units and Install Non-Aviat Units 1,000 $130,000

Test 400 $52,000 Training 250 $32,500 Range Management Framework process 1,730 $225,000

TOTAL 3,780 $485,000

Based on the analysis described above, the Government would incur unacceptable delays, and costs not able to be recouped through competition. Additionally, the Aviat equipment is the only equipment that will satisfy requirements because it is compatible with existing equipment and can meet the required frequency band.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable, including a Description of Market Research, if applicable, and a List of Interested Sources, if any

Corona Division personnel conducted market research to include a Sources Sought Notice that was posted to beta.sam.gov on 7/14/2021 and closed on 7/19/2021 in order to locate sources that could potentially fulfill the requirements. No potential sources expressed an interest in this requirement. In addition to posting a sources sought notice, the Government performed market research via internet and Federal Procurement Data System New Generation (FPDS NG) searches to locate other viable sources. This market researched revealed that both Cisco Systems and Microwave Networks can provide microwave backbone communications hardware. However, both Cisco System’s and Microwave Network’s hardware are not compatible with existing equipment and software, and could not be modified to be compatible with the existing microwave communications backbone.

As a result, based on the reasons discussed in paragraph 5 above, only Aviat microwave radio communications hardware can meet the government’s minimum requirements.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Costs

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated costs to the Government for the items covered by this J&A will be fair and reasonable. Significant (or similar) quantities of this requirement have been purchased from this offeror in the past and cost/pricing information was received on those past procurements. This information should be sufficient to support the fair and reasonable cost determination of this procurement.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Competition

For the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5, Corona Division, Contracts Department, Code 02 has no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the types of items covered by this document. If another potential source emerges, Code 02 will assess whether competition for future requirements is feasible.

CERTIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL

TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION

I certify that the facts and representations under my cognizance, which are included in this justification and its supporting data, except as noted herein, are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

COMBINED TECHNICAL AND REQUIREMENTS COGNIZANCE:

Benjamin Medina, RS14 Phone No. Date

LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW (NMCARS 5206.303(90))

I have determined this justification is legally sufficient.

FOLEY

PETERSEN.CORINNE.MICH.1247184771

Digitally signed by FOLEY

PETERSEN.CORINNE.MICH.1247184771

Date: 2021.09.08 13:01:25 -07'00'

Corinne Foley Petersen, Phone No. Date Assistant Counsel, Code 00L

CONTRACTING OFFICER CERTIFICATION (FAR 13.501(a)(2)(i))

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

HAINSWORTH.CHRISTOPHER.CHA

RLES.1257585723

Digitally signed by

HAINSWORTH.CHRISTOPHER.CHARLES.1257585723

Date: 2021.09.08 13:06:52 -07'00'

Chris Hainsworth, Phone No. Date Contracting Officer, Code 0221

MEDINA.BENJAMIN.N.JR.1249 Digitally signed by

737336

MEDINA.BENJAMIN.N.JR.1249737336

Date: 2021.09.08 12:33:42 -07'00'