Taxiing Aircraft Light JA (final - redacted - 01 31 2024).pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support, Construction and Equipment (C&E) Supply Chain, is the contracting activity.

2. The action being approved is the ability to solicit for supplies on an Other than Full and Open Competition basis.

3. The following item is required to meet DLA’s needs:

Item Description: LIGHT, TAXIING AIRCRAFT National Stock Number (NSN): 6220-01-690-7768 Manufacturer/Supplier: Hoffman Engineering, LLC (CAGE: 06097) Manufacturer/Suppler Part Number (P/N): 751-1022-004 Quantity: Annual Estimated Quantity: 268 each Estimated Unit Price:

Estimated Dollar Value: (One Year Base) Number of one-year options: Four (4) Estimated Total Dollar Value, inclusive of the options:

Maximum Total Dollar Value:

4. The applicable statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 1901, as implemented by FAR 13.501(a), Sole Source Acquisition.

5. The use of this authority is necessary because Hoffman Engineering is the only known, approved manufacturer of the required Taxiing Aircraft Light, which was specially engineered, designed, and developed by Hoffman Engineering as an alternate to the commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) General Electric (GE) PAR46 Halogen Aircraft Taxi Light (GE Halogen Light) (GE Part Number 24802).

Aircraft Taxi Lights are analogous to automobile headlights; they are located on the front exterior of the aircraft – either above or below the cockpit windshield. Aircraft Taxi Lights are specially designed to work in concert with the aircraft landing light;

they are white, medium intensity lights that contrast with the powerful, high intensity beam that emanates from aircraft landing lights. Aircraft Taxi Lights make the aircraft more visible to other aircrafts and/or to improve pilot visibility during critical phases of flight such as taxiing, towing, take-off, and landing.

Aircraft Taxi Lights are designed to illuminate a limited area of space (e.g., airport taxiway) and project a diffused beam on the ground or water during periods of extreme darkness or low visibility (e.g., low light at night or during inclement weather).

To date, Hoffman Engineering is the only manufacturer that has submitted an alternate Taxiing Aircraft Light that has been tested and approved as an acceptable alternate for the GE Halogen Light. The Government does not own the drawings or technical data that would be required to solicit competitive offers for the required item. Additionally, the LED Lighting Requirements (ARP693E and APR6402A) are not readily available. Efforts to obtain the requirements from the customer and Government websites (such as ASSIST or IHS Markit) were unsuccessful.

Despite the efforts of the USAF, effective August 1, 2023 - pursuant to a new Presidential initiative to conserve energy and reduce energy costs - the U.S. Department of Energy prohibited the production of incandescent light bulbs, including halogen bulbs. This mandate will further limit the USAF sources of supply for the existing Government requirement. The LED Taxiing Aircraft Light manufactured by Hoffman Engineering is currently the only bulb that meets the existing Government requirement and complies with the 2023 Presidential mandate.

Market research revealed and the Contracting Officer has determined that the LED Taxiing Aircraft Light manufactured by Hoffman Engineering is a modified commercial item.

This modification is consistent with modifications of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace.

PAR46 LED Aircraft Taxi Lights are readily available and offered by commercial retailers. Although the lights offered by other manufacturers appear to be similar to the required item, it should be noted that the commercial LED light industry is very nuanced. Commercial LED lights are offered in numerous configurations which may not comply with the minimum Government requirements. A number of factors must be considered when procuring a LED light to assure its overall efficacy and safety for the user. LED light configurations vary based on terminal base type and size, light bulb shape, style and size, light bulb brightness, and beam spread. Selecting an option that does not meet the minimum Government requirements can potentially result in the loss of additional assets.

Further, the end application of the required item necessitates that the light procured under the proposed acquisition meets the minimum Government requirements. Parts departing aircraft (PDA) (also referred to as things falling off aircraft (TFOA) is a legitimate safety concern for the required item as was evidenced with the update to the GE Halogen Light that rendered the item unusable for its intended purpose. PDA is an event where parts of the aircraft are deployed during air travel; such events may cause foreign object damage to the aircraft or serious injury or damage to people or property on the ground. Although the items produced by other manufacturers appear to be similar to the required item, none of the apparently comparable items have undergone the extensive testing by the USAF (Services) to measure their ability to meet the minimum Government technical requirements. The Taxiing Aircraft Light manufactured by Hoffman Engineering is currently the only light that meets the new Government mandate and minimum technical requirements for this acquisition.

6. The solicitation will be posted to the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS) and will be synopsized in Contract Opportunities in accordance with FAR 5.2. In addition, this J&A will be posted with the solicitation in accordance with FAR 5.102(a)(6) and FAR 6.305(c).

7. As the Contracting Officer, I hereby determine the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable based on price analysis techniques in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(b)(2), specifically favorable comparison to historical prices paid for the same or similar commercial item, and an analysis of other than cost or pricing data.