COASTSYSTA Dahlgren Division, NSWC, 6703 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32407-7001

A -- RAMICS, ATD TEST CAPABILITY SOL N61331-97-Q-1876 DUE 063097 POC John Miller, Contract Specialist, (904)235-5399 Carol A. Dreger, Contracting Officer, (904)234-4863. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Coastal Systems Station, Panama City, Florida, intends to award a sole-source contract to C-Tech Defense Corporation for design of a RAMICS ATD test capability and performance of the prerequisite engineering analysis to ensure the system will accurately measure RAMICS projectile performance. The test capability will feature as a minimum: (1) a test pond of sufficient size and depth to deploy the targets against which RAMICS is intended to be utilized; (2) a platform of sufficient height (500' to 600') from which to fire RAMICs; and (3) a means of instrumenting the flight of the projectile to fully measure its ballistic characteristics. The end product will be a complete disclosure of the design in a set of engineering drawings suitable for use in completely constructing the test setup; (4) a description of all supporting analyses performed and the results of these analyses (including any assumption upon which the analyses were based); (5) a complete list of equipment necessary to construct the test setup; (6) a complete set of applications for environmental permits that disclose as a minimum the potential environmental impact of TNT residuals, reactive materials from projectiles, fragments from exploding mines, and acoustic disturbance from firing systems as well as exploding mines; and (7) a complete set of environmental and construction permits for construction and operation based on the approved design. This acquisition is unsuitable for full and open competition for the following reasons. The RAMICS program was initially funded as a result of a BAA solicitation in 1993 (FY 94). C-Tech Defense Corp. was a member of the Hughes Aircraft team and had the responsibility for designing a new supercavitating projectile. They have continued in that role since that time. The design of the projectile has progressed to the point where the Government now requires unique capabilities to be able to both test the current design and to continue to expand the design envelope. This capability will become critical as the program transitions into an ATD in FY 98. These capabilities do not exist anywhere within the Government or industry at this time and are required to complete the RAMICS mission and to support the ATD. In order to comprehensively test the projectile it is essential that the designer of the test capability have intimate knowledge of the system and projectile. C-Tech Defense Corp. has spent over three years developing the projectile to the current state of the art, is the only vendor with the prerequisite knowledge of what it will take to test the projectile. Only C-Tech Defense Corporation has the unique knowledge base and the experienced personnel necessary to successfully conduct the work. The key personnel have invested over three years in gaining the unique knowledge, insight, and skills necessary. The projectiles are very sophisticated and require specialized knowledge to use properly thus the ability to design a means of testing them cannot be easily or cost-effectively duplicated by another vendor. Note 22 applies. (0164)

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