NORBIT WINGHEAD X ELITE MULTIBEAM ECHO SOUNDER

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S (NOAA) ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, EASTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-NORFOLK, NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE (NOS) OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY (OCS) NAVIGATION RESPONSE BRANCH (NSD), INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE AND AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF RFO FAR 6.103-1, WITH NORBIT US, LTD OUT OF PORTLAND, OR FOR A NORBIT WINGHEAD X ELITE MULTIBEAM ECHO SOUNDER. 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 NORBIT US, LTD IS THE SOLE, AUTHORIZED RESELLER OF NORBIT BRANDED EQUIPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. NORIBT US, LTD DOES NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORIZED PARTNERS OR RESELLERS.

NOAA’S NAVIGATION RESPONSE BRANCH NRB) REQUIRES A FULLY-INTEGRATED, HIGHLY-PORTABLE AND RAPIDLY-DEPLOYABLE MULTIBEAM SURVEYING SUITE OF EQUIPMENT TO BE USED ON VESSELS OF OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT NAVIGATION RESPONSE SURVEYS IN AREAS INACCESSIBLY TO TRADITIONAL NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAM VESSELS (I.E CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDS, ALASKA, AND REMOTE AREAS WITHOUT RELIABLE ROAD ACCESS.

THE ABILITY TO RAPIDLY DEPLOY A HYDROGRAPHIC MAPPING SONAR IS CRITICAL FOR A VARIETY OF AGENCY FUNCTIONS IN SUPPORT OF SAFETY OF NAVIGATION, INCLUDING HURRICANE/DISASTER RESPONSE AS WELL AS DOWNED AIRCRAFT AND SUNKEN VESSEL SEARCH OPERATIONS.

THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS SYSTEM ARE:

IT MUST INCLUDE ALL REQUIRED COMPONENTS TO MOBILIZE ON A TYPICAL VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY (MULTIBEAM SONAR, INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM, SURFACE SOUND VELOCITY PROBE, GNSS ANTENNAS, POLE MOUNT, MOUNTING HARDWARE, ETC.). WHEN PACKAGED, THE KIT MUST BE ABLE TO BE CHECKED ON TYPICAL COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS AND IT MUST BE HAND-PORTABLE IN ITS ENTIRETY BY TWO PEOPLE.

THE RESULTING DATA MUST MEET OR EXCEED NOAA’S HIGHEST HYDROGRAPHIC QUALITY SPECIFICATION (“EXCEPTIONAL”) AS OUTLINED IN THE HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS SPECIFICATIONS AND DELIVERABLES (VERSION 2025-0-01). SYSTEM MOBILIZATION, FROM PACKAGED TO DEPLOYED ON A TYPICAL VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY, MUST BE DOABLE IN 1.5 HOURS BY A PRACTICED TEAM AND WITH SIMPLE HAND TOOLS.. THE SYSTEM MUST BE DELIVERED “TURN-KEY” AND READY FOR DEPLOYMENT. THE SYSTEM MUST BE CAPABLE OF COLLECTING DATA AT 8 KTS.

MARKET RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE NORBIT WINGHEAD PRODUCT LINE WITH THE NORBIT PORTUS POLE IS THE ONLY SYSTEM THAT MEETS ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE. THE CUSTOMIZED, CARBON-FIBER MOUNTING POLE (THE PORTUS POLE) IS UNIQUE IN THE MULTIBEAM SONAR MARKET AND IS MADE BY NORBIT, SPECIFICALLY FOR NORBIT SONARS. NOAA’S NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAMS WILL BENEFIT FROM A PORTABLE, EASY-TO-USE EXPEDITIONARY SONAR SYSTEM.

IN DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATIONS, MOBILITY AND RAPID DEPLOYMENT ARE CRITICAL IN GENERATING TIMELY NAVIGATIONAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. THE CURRENT PORTABLE SYSTEM USED BY THESE TEAMS USES A MOUNTING ARM THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WOULD BE DELIVERED WITH ALTERNATIVE EXPEDITIONARY KITS ON THE MARKET. THE EXISTING SYSTEM, WHILE VERY CAPABLE AND STURDY, IS VERY HEAVY, SHIPS IN SEVERAL LARGE CASES, AND IS COMPLICATED AND TIME CONSUMING TO INSTALL COMPARED TO THE NORBIT PORTUS POLE.

NOAA’S NAVIGATION RESPONSE TEAMS REQUIRE THIS FULLY-INTEGRATED, HIGHLY-PORTABLE, AND RAPIDLY-DEPLOYABLE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION -1 (ESF-1) OF THE NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK WITHIN THE 24-48 HR RESPONSE TIMES AS SPECIFIED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRIMARY MISSION ESSENTIAL FUNCTION - 3 (PMEF-3). MARKET RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE AVAILABILITY OF SYSTEMS THAT MEET THE MISSION REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE AND NO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES WERE FOUND.

THE MARKET RESEARCH CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: INTERNET SEARCHES, DISCUSSION WITH VENDORS, REVIEW OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE PRODUCT-LINE INFORMATION FROM VENDORS, AND DISCUSSION WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS IN GOVERNMENT. THERE ARE SEVERAL “EXPEDITIONARY” MULTIBEAM KITS ON THE MARKET AT SIMILAR PRICE POINTS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF THE DATA QUALITY AND BATHYMETRIC PERFORMANCE OF THE NORBIT UNIT.

HOWEVER, WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY COMPLETE KITS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WEIGHT, PORTABILITY, AND EASE-OF-USE, WHILE ALSO MEETING THE DATA QUALITY SPECIFICATION. THE DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT AND PORTABILITY IS PRIMARILY TO THE CARBON FIBER POLE AND LIMITED MOUNTING HARDWARE. THE USAGE OF SUCH A LIGHTWEIGHT POLE AND MOUNT IS ENABLED BY THE LIGHTNESS OF THE SONAR.

WHILE IT MAY BE TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO ASSEMBLE A CUSTOMIZED EXPEDITIONARY KIT (WITH SEPARATE, OFF-THE-SHELF SONAR, INERTIAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, POLE, AND MOUNT), DOING SO FOREGOES THE ALREADY-VALIDATED NATURE OF THE TURNKEY SYSTEM. IT ALSO FORGOES THE END-TO-END PRODUCT SUPPORT PROVIDED BY A MANUFACTURER. IN THIS WAY, THIS SYSTEM REPRESENTS THE MOST COST-EFFICIENT MEANS OF ACQUIRING AN EXPEDITIONARY SONAR KIT THAT MEETS THE GOVERNMENT’S REQUIREMENTS. DELIVERY WITHIN 30 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.