Atmospheric LiDAR

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CONTRACT ACTION (NOPCA):

The 47th Contracting Flight at Laughlin Air Force Base (LAFB) located in Del Rio, TX, intends to award, on a Sole Source basis using FAR Part 13, a Fixed Price Purchase Order for a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system. 

In 2016, a significant hail storm damaged most of the LAFB T-1 fleet and caused structural damage on base.  In 2019, the largest hail event to date was reported on LAFB.  Additional equipment is required to help fill this limited data forecast area.  The required LiDAR system will be utilized to identify cloud composition and detect atmospheric phenomenon for weather monitoring.  Thorough market research was conducted, and a request for quotes (RFQ) was posted within GSA e-buy with no responses received.  Additionally, a sources sought was posted for 18 days in beta.sam. Interested vendors that submitted responses to the sources sought did not have the specific capabilities to meet the requirement.  

Hail season at LAFB is rapid approaching and there is a real urgency for this requirement.  LAFB’s aircraft remain at risk and this LiDAR system drastically mitigates the risk of weather damage to the base’s aircraft.  

Only one vendor has been identified as being capable of meeting the requirement and the short lead time required.  This purchase is anticipated to be awarded within the next 10 days to Droplet Measurement Technologies, a registered small business under NAICS #334519.  The purchase is anticipated to be under $250,000, and therefore the Government will be utilizing FAR Part 13 (specifically the single source procedures).

Please direct any questions to A1C Zachary Jacobs at zachary.jacobs.10@us.af.mil and Mr. Jesus Perez at jesus.perez.3@us.af.mil.