Microwave Tuner

The Office of Naval Research, through the Naval Research Laboratory, has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source purchase order to DRS Signal Solutions, Inc. of Frederick, Maryland. The notice concerns the procurement of two microwave tuner products: a Part#SI-9174/CC-1B 3U VPX Single Channel Microwave Tuner and a Manual SI-9174/CC-1 and SI-9174/CC-2 (PDF) 3U VPX Single Channel Microwave Tuner. This procurement falls under NAICS code 334220 for Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing and is classified under PSC category 5820 for Radio and Television Communication Equipment. The acquisition will utilize Simplified Acquisition Procedures for purchases not exceeding $250,000, with a large business size standard applying. The notice was posted on June 17, 2025, with a response deadline of June 19, 2025.

The primary purpose of this Special Notice is to provide transparency regarding the government's intent to make a sole source award while offering other potential contractors a brief opportunity to challenge this approach. Interested parties have only 5 calendar days from publication to demonstrate that competition would be advantageous to the government, creating an extremely tight deadline for response. The notice serves as a formal notification under federal acquisition regulations before proceeding with the non-competitive procurement. While contractors may submit information to support a competitive approach, the final determination to compete the purchase order remains entirely at the government's discretion. The procurement targets companies capable of manufacturing specialized microwave tuner equipment for defense applications, though the sole source nature suggests limited market availability or unique technical requirements favoring the selected vendor.