EXAIL GYROCOMPASS PARTS FOR NOAA VESSEL RANIER

NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, OFFICE OF MARINE AND AVIATION OPERATIONS (OMAO), MARINE OPERAITONS ENGINEERING OFFICE INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH EXAIL, INC, OUT OF DENVER, CO FOR EXAIL GYROCOMPASS REPLACEMENT PARTS.

THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT EXAIL, INC IS THE SOLE MANUFACTURER AND PROVIDER OF EXAIL GYROCOMPASS REPLACEMENT PARTS.EXAIL, INC DOES NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED PARTNERS/RESELLERS WHO CAN PROVIDE THESE GYROCOMPASS PARTS.

AFTER DEALING WITH SEVERAL NO SAIL ISSUES ON NOAA VESSELS DUE TO FAILURE OF MECHANICAL BASED GYROS, OMAO MANAGEMENT ON NOAA SHIPS NOW REQUIRE HIGHLY RELIABLY, MAINTENANCE FREE GYROS IN ORDER TO REDUCE DOWN TIME DUE TO GYRO FAILURES AND TO ELIMINATE MAINTENANCE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXISTING MECHANICAL GYROS. EXAIL (FORMERLLY IX BLUE) BRAND GYROS ARE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, HIGHLY RELIABLE GYRO SYSTEMS ON THE OPEN MARKET. THEIR FIBER OPTIC GYROS (FOG) PROVIDE MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURE (MTBF) OF 150,000 HOURS.

THAT MTBF IS FIVE TIMES GREATER THAN THE EXISTING MECHANICAL GYROS USED WITHIN THE NOAA FLEET. FOG GYROS ALSO HAVE NO MOVING PARTS OR FLUID AND REQUIRE NO MAINTENANCE. WHILE OTHER COMPANIES PRODUCE FIBER OPTIC GYROS, NO OTHER MANUFACTURES OF FOG AND LASER SOLID STATE GYROS HAVE PERFORMANCE AND MTBF AS HIGH AS EXAIL FOG GYROS. NOAA MAINTAINS A FLEET OF RESEARCH VESSELS PERFORMING OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS.

TO STANDARDIZE THE FLEET, THE MAJORITY OF THE NOAA FLEET HAVE BEEN OUTFITTED WITH EXAIL (FORMERLY IX BLUE) GYROCOMPASSES. THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY ACT (33 U.S.C. § 883A) MANDATES ACCURATE AND RELIABLE NAVIGATION DATA FOR HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING AND OCEANOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS. THE EXAIL GYROCOMPASS IS COMPATIBLE WITH NOAA SHIP RAINIER’S NAVIGATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM (ECDIS), AUTOPILOT AND OTHER INTEGRATED BRIDGE SYSTEMS.

EXAIL (FORMERLY IX BLUE) IS THE SOLE SUPPLIER OF THE GYROCOMPASS PARTS SPECIFIED FOR ACQUISITION. THEY OWN THE PROPRIETARY RIGHTS TO THE PRODUCT, SUPPORT AND INSTALLATION. THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS. MARKET RESEARCH FOUND GYROCOMPASS MANUFACTURERS INCLUDE SPERRY, RAYTHEON, TELEDYNE (MERIDIAN), EXAIL, KVH AND OTHERS. THE MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURE (MTBF) RELIABILITY OF ALL GYROCOMPASSES OTHER THAN EXAIL WERE UNDER 50,000 HOURS FOR THE SYSTEMS THAT MET THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. EXAIL’S GYROCOMPASSES HAVE A MTBF OF 150,000 HOURS.

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT 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 IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH 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.