MODIFICATION
23 -- Mine Area Clearance Equipment (MACE)
- Notice Date
- 1/18/2007
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 423810
— Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Tyndall AFB Contracting Squadron, 501 Illinois Ave, Ste 5 Bldg 647, Tyndall AFB, FL, 32403-5526, UNITED STATES
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- F4AB016284A100
- Response Due
- 1/25/2007
- Archive Date
- 2/9/2007
- Point of Contact
- Melissa Mullinax, Contract Specialist , Phone 850-283-8644 , Fax 850-283-8491 , - Ginny Garner, Contracting Officer , Phone 850 283-2974, Fax 850 283-8491,
- E-Mail Address
-
melissa.mullinax@tyndall.af.mil, ginny.garner@tyndall.af.mil
- Description
- The 325th Contracting Squadron, Tyndall AFB FL intends to award a purchase order to Hydrema US, Inc for the purchase of three (3) Hydrema 910 Mine Area Clearance Equipment (MACE) platforms with associated spares packages, and three (3) sets of Pneumatic Wheels. This award will be issued on a sole-source basis under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 and 6.302-5(b)(7). Any response to this requirement must be received not later than 25 January 2007. JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. CONTRACTING AGENCY: Department of the Air Force Air Education and Training Command 325th Contracting Squadron (325 CONS) Tyndall AFB, FL 32403-5526 2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) requests approval to sole source an acquisition for three remote Mine Area Clearance Equipment (MACE) systems for the USAF RED HORSE Squadrons through ACC/A7X. We anticipate awarding a new firm-fixed price type contract. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: This procurement is for three (3) Hydrema 910 MACE platforms with the associated spares packages, and 3 sets of Pneumatic Wheels. The MACE is an air transportable, mobile, remote mine flail system used to rapidly clear areas of mines and other small ordnance items that would ordinarily be cleared by manual procedures, putting numerous personnel in harms way. These life-saving assets are in high demand at contingency airfields worldwide to support the global war on terrorism. Government and contractor employees of AFRL/MLQF, Robotic Research Group located at Tyndall AFB FL, will perform the modification and integration of the precision robotic controls to the MACE. The modification will enable the MACE platform to do its mission without individual inside, via remote operated robotics. The MACE is used by the RED HORSE Civil Engineer teams to clear areas of unexploded ordnance so deploying USAF assets can have the necessary beddown locations. These MACE assets provide critical capability to the USAF Civil Engineer of the Bare Base deployment packages. 4. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 ? Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED: ACC/A7 has directed and obtained funding for three additional prototype systems based on the Hydrema 910 Series 2 platform. HQ ACC/A7 performed a market survey in 2003 and determined the Hydrema 910 to be the best platform suited for the RED HORSE remote mine area clearance mission in support of the CSAF Global War on Terrorism. Based on that determination, AFRL/MLQF developed the initial robotic prototype system for the 823d RED HORSE Squadron at Hurlburt Field and has been requested to build the follow-on systems. Standardization of equipment must be maintained and only original equipment manufacturers (OEM) genuine replacement parts can be used to ensure the standardization and integration of the robotic systems as well as the safety of the operators and maintenance of the systems. If standardization is not maintained, the gov?t will accept unnecessary risks to include: the inability to operate more than one vehicle in an area during a deployment; increased training and/or familiarization with operating procedures during deployments; increase in logistics support and spares. These mine clearance systems and spare parts packages are only manufactured by Hydrema, Inc. and no other vendor can obtain the parts. 6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: There are no other MACE systems that meet the requirement due to the robotics package being developed for this particular system. It costs approximately $1M to develop the initial prototype for the Hydrema. It would cost roughly the same amount to develop a prototype on a new piece of equipment from another manufacturer. The long term goal is to make the robotics package capable of being installed on more than one type of system. In the future this will allow us to open up competition. A synopsis of award will be posted on FedBizOpps to satisfy the requirement of FAR 6.302-1(d)(2). 7. CONTRACTING OFFICER?S DETERMINATION THAT ANTICIPATED COSTS WILL BE FAIR AND REASONABLE: Market research has shown the proposed price is the same per unit price as the original purchase: Army contract W909MY-04-P-0048, awarded non-competitively (Urgent and Compelling) in 1 Jun 04. The gov?t will negotiate with Hydrema, Inc and utilize cost/price analysis techniques to ensure that the Air Force is getting pricing that is fair and reasonable. 8. MARKET SURVEY: A market survey was conducted using Internet search engines and no other manufacturer can provide the Hydrema 910 Series 2 platform. ACC brought in and also visited other flail manufacturers during their initial market research. Hydrema was contacted in Nov 06 and there are no authorized resellers, they only sell direct from the company. The requirement will be posted on FedBizOpps after approval of the J&A. 9. OTHER FACTS SUPPORTING THE USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: In the Air Force Airborne RED HORSE Engineer Concept of Operations, dated 16 September 2002, the CSAF stated that the Air Force requires an Airborne Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron, Engineers (RED HORSE) combat engineer capability to ?Assess, Prepare and Establish? contingency airbases in remote locations through airdrop, air-insertion, or air-delivery. Per HQ USAF/ILS memorandum dated 10 Jan 2002: ?It is imperative we accelerate procurement of Bare Base assets. Request you use whatever contract method deemed necessary for accelerated procurement of Bare Base assets. Intended goal is to have assets delivered ASAP to the AOR.? ?The Bare Base program is an Air Force priority, with OSD oversight to ensure the AF Bare Base Systems have the required capability to support Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Crisis Action Planning and the strategy addressed in the Defense Planning Guidance.? Also, purchase of the required items are instrumental in the Global War on Terrorism. 10. INTERESTED SOURCES: Hydrema US, Inc. 11. REMOVE OR OVERCOME BARRIERS TO COMPETITION: AFRL?s robotic system is based on what is about to become an industry standard for all unmanned systems, an SAE standard called the joint architecture for unmanned systems (JAUS). Based on this standard, other than the differences in mounting hardware, etc, the AFRL remote system could be adapted quite readily to any system. Any future effort will be posted in the FedBizOpps to continue to generate interest. AFRL/MLQ will continue to work with ACC/A7X to verify there are no substitutes available. 12. CONTRACTING OFFICER?S CERTIFICATION: The contracting officer has affixed her signature to coordination and approval sheet and has thereby certified that the contents of this justification and approval is accurate and complete to the best of her knowledge and belief. 13. TECHNICAL/REQUIREMENTS CERTIFICATION: The appropriate management personnel of the requesting organization have certified the support data that forms the basis for this justification to be accurate and complete.
- Place of Performance
- Address: AFRL/MLQ, 139 BARNES DR, TYNDALL AFB FLORIDA
- Zip Code: 32403
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 32403
- Record
- SN01214511-W 20070120/070119092733 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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