03 JA for Brand Name_CORNING.pdf

Corning FOPP (Fiber Optic Patch Panel)

411th_20-0252

Version – February 2017

Mission: The 1st TTSB(Theater Tactical Signal Brigade) is responsible for operations and maintenance of the Communications infrastructure on the Korean Peninsula in support of the USFK mission and US Army mission. The Korean theater’s fiber optic backbone system (over 750 miles) is the critical backbone of this communications infrastructure and must be managed and maintain with exceptional up-time rates.

Mission Impact: Communications reliability and availability in the Korean theater is highly dependent on the quality of the fiber optic backbone system. The system was deployed by the Program Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (PM, DCATS) and was designed to maintain a high standard of reliability and availability. The fiber optic links interconnecting USFK installations on peninsula were installed using Corning FOPP (Fiber Optic Patch Panel) for the optical terminal equipment configured to the baseline measurements for its associated cable path.

Replacing portions of any existing FOPP link with a fiber optic cable that is Manufactured to a different technical standard will introduce path and optical irregularities that will degrade the overall quality and reliability of the Korean fiber optic backbone system resulting in potential disruptions to critical Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) information transported on and off peninsula. Therefore, use of Corning FOPP Termination only is a system design specification required to maintain our long haul transmission system to manufacturer's certification. System performance and functionality over long distances makes the specific cable a necessity as different manufacturers have minute differences in performance and splicing which are enough to cause degradation of system performance.

Splicing fiber cable produced by other manufacturers with different fabrication and doping processes/techniques into existing FOPP fiber transmission links would introduce path losses and optical non-linearities for which our fiber optic terminal equipment would be unable to compensate. Corning FOPP must be procured on a Brand Name Only basis since it is currently the only fiber optic cable which meets the technical specifications for replacement of portions of existing fiber optic cable links due to damage or relocation requirements necessitated by Host Nation construction efforts.

Reference_01. 41st Sig Bn C4I Standards MOI 20200826 (Attached)

Reference_02. FED ENG Form 4025_Approved (Corning_FOPP) & UL Certified (Attached)

6. Publicizing Contract Actions: For FAR Part 13 actions, the public display and synopsis requirements of FAR 5.101 and FAR 5.203 do not apply due to the $ threshold, apply and will be followed, or do not apply due to an exception at

5.202 (a)(13).

Corning FOPP (Fiber Optic Patch Panel)

411th_20-0252

Version – February 2017

10. Contracting Officer Certification/Approval:

I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable based upon Award Determination Memorandum and the price awarded in the previous contract for the requested items.

I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that completing this purchase as a sole source is in the best interest of the Government. Additionally, I approve this justification to limit competition subject to the availability of funds and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Title: Contracting Officer