R2SONIC 2020-V plus wideband multi-beam echo-sounder system (MBES) and an RTK integrated inertial navigation system (I2NS).

***THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE (NOS) OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY (OCS) CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR OPERATIONAL OCEAN AND GREAT LAKES MAPPING (COE), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO FAR 6.103-1, WITH R2SONIC LLC OUT OF AUSTIN, TX FOR AN R2SONIC  2020-V PLUS WIDEBAND MULTI-BEAM ECHO-SOUNDER SYSTEM AND AN RTK INTEGRATED INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM (I2NS).

 NO SET ASIDE IS TO BE USED FOR THIS SOLE SOURCE REQUIREMENT. THE ASSOCIATED NAICS CODE IS 334511.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON NOAA’S REQUIREMENT THAT R2SONIC LLC IS THE MANUFACTURER AND SOLE PROVIDER OF THE  R2SONIC  2020-V PLUS WIDEBAND MULTI-BEAM ECHO-SOUNDER SYSTEM AND AN RTK INTEGRATED INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM (I2NS). R2SONIC DOES NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS.

THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (COE) WILL USE THIS COMPACT MIST KIT TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE IMMEDIATE AND ONGOING HANDS-ON TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF THE HYDROGRAPHIC WORKFORCE. THE R2SONIC 2020-V PLUS IS UNIQUELY ENGINEERED FOR EXTREME PHYSICAL PORTABILITY, WEIGHING ONLY 4.4 KG (UNDER 20 LBS) AND DRAWING A REMARKABLY LOW 20W AVERAGE OF POWER. THIS ULTRA-COMPACT PROFILE IS REQUIRED FOR INSTALLATION ON THE COE'S SMALLEST, LOWEST-POWER UNCREWED SYSTEMS (UXS) MEASURING 1–2 METERS IN LENGTH. NO OTHER MANUFACTURER PRODUCES AN MBES OF THIS HIGH DATA CALIBER THAT FITS WITHIN THIS AGGRESSIVE WEIGHT AND POWER CONSTRAINT. FURTHERMORE, THE SYSTEM COMPLETELY ELIMINATES HEAVY, STANDALONE TOPSIDE PROCESSORS BY HANDLING ALL ACOUSTIC PROCESSING COMPUTATION AT THE POINT OF RECEPTION WITHIN THE SONAR HEAD. A "BRAND NAME OR EQUAL" DESCRIPTION CANNOT BE USED BECAUSE ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS EXCEED THE STRICT PAYLOAD WEIGHT LIMITATIONS OF SMALL UNCREWED VESSELS OR LACK THE 1 HZ STEP FREQUENCY AGILITY REQUIRED TO PREVENT ACOUSTIC CROSSTALK DURING TIGHT, MULTI-SENSOR AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS.

THE PRIMARY MULTIBEAM HARDWARE USED UBIQUITOUSLY ACROSS THE NOAA OPERATIONAL FLEET CONSISTS OF KONGSBERG SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THOSE FLEET SYSTEMS FUNCTION LARGELY AS A "BLACK BOX," HEAVILY RESTRICTING THE USER FROM MAKING MANUAL OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS. THE R2SONIC ARCHITECTURE IS FUNDAMENTALLY DESIGNED TO BE OPEN-ARCHITECTURE, ALLOWING STUDENTS TO COMPLETELY MANIPULATE CRITICAL DATA COLLECTION PARAMETERS—INCLUDING GAIN, POWER, AND SECTOR BEAM ANGLES. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE EDUCATIONAL MISSION OF THE COE THAT STUDENTS UTILIZE A SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN ACTIVELY ALTER THESE ACOUSTIC PARAMETERS TO PUT THE ADVANCED HYDROGRAPHIC THEORIES THEY LEARN INTO PRACTICE. SHIFTING TO STANDARD FLEET UNITS WOULD ELIMINATE THIS VITAL TRAINING CAPABILITY.

R2SONIC IS THE UNIQUE MANUFACTURER CAPABLE OF DELIVERING A SYSTEM THAT EXPANDS NOAA'S OPERATIONAL AND TRAINING CAPABILITIES BEYOND LEGACY PLATFORMS. NO OTHER COMPACT MULTIBEAM SYSTEM ON THE MARKET IS AS CHEAP AS THIS PLATFORM, MAKING IT THE ONLY OPTION THAT MEETS THE COE’S STRICT PRICE COMPARISON WHILE REMAINING CAPABLE OF IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT ON AND OFF A MULTI-CLASS UXS FLEET

EXTENSIVE MARKET RESEARCH FOR A COMPACT, ULTRA-PORTABLE MIST KIT CAPABLE OF DEPLOYING ON AND OFF UNCREWED SURFACE VEHICLES WAS CONDUCTED. MARKET RESEARCH VERIFIED THAT WHILE ALTERNATIVE HIGH-END MULTIBEAM OPTIONS EXIST FROM STANDARD MANUFACTURERS, NO COMPETITOR PRODUCES A SYSTEM THAT IS AS LIGHTWEIGHT (UNDER 20 LBS), OR CAPABLE OF OPERATING WITHOUT A HEAVY, SEPARATE TOPSIDE PROCESSING UNIT. ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS FAIL TO MATCH THE LOW-POWER PARAMETERS REQUIRED FOR 1–2 METER UXS HULLS OR THE OPEN DATA-MANIPULATION FEATURES NECESSARY FOR A TRAINING CURRICULUM. BECAUSE THIRD-PARTY FABRICATORS BUILD MATCHING COMPACT OVER-THE-SIDE MOUNTS FOR THIS SYSTEM IN BULK, IT INTEGRATES INTO THE COE TRAINING WORKFLOW WITH ZERO OPERATIONAL DELAYS.

DELIVERY WITHIN 60-90 DAYS FROM DATE OF AWARD

***THIS PRESOLICITATION NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION OR A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE. SUCH REQUESTS AND DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.