AN/SSQ-36B BATHY Sonobuoys Procurement

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. Definition of the requirement
The Department of National Defence has a requirement for the supply of quantity 600 AN/SSQ-36B BATHY sonobuoys installed in LAU-126/A Sonobuoy Launch Containers built for aircraft /shipboard training and operations in accordance with the Production Sonobuoy Specification for Bathythermograph Transmitting Set AN/SSQ-36B and Sonobuoys AN/SSQ-53F, 62E, 77C and 101A (PSS) dated 1 October 2008 (Revised 03/17/2016 REV C CHG 1).
To eliminate the requirement for qualification and stores clearance testing, the sonobuoys must be currently flight qualified on either the P-3 Orion or CP-140 Aurora aircraft. The specific product requested is as follows:

Stock Code - 6655-01-607-7360
Part Number – 130-9454-101
Description - AN/SSQ-36B BATHY

There are no security requirements associated with this requirement.

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its product meets the following requirements:
The product must be a NATO A-size sonobuoy installed in LAU-126/A Sonobuoy Launch Containers built for aircraft /shipboard training and operations in accordance with the Production Sonobuoy Specification for Bathythermograph Transmitting Set AN/SSQ-36B and Sonobuoys AN/SSQ-53F, 62E, 77C and 101A (PSS) dated 1 October 2008 (Revised 03/17/2016 REV C CHG 1).

To be compatible with DND’s CP140 aircraft stores release systems, the sonobuoys must be configured for air deployment within a cylindrical Sonobuoy Launch Container with a diameter of 4 7/8 (+0, -1/8) inches and a length of 36 (+.125, -187) inches. The sonobuoys as configured for air deployment (bare buoy) shall pass with no force other than gravity through a vertical right cylinder having an inside diameter of 4 15/16(+1/64, -0) inches and 4 feet long. Air descent of the sonobuoy must be stabilized and slowed by a parachute allowing for deployment within the Production Sonobuoy Specification (PSS) Altitude/Speed Launch Envelope. The sonobuoys must be currently flight qualified on either the P-3 Orion or CP-140 Aurora aircraft to eliminate the requirement for qualification and stores clearance testing. The sonobuoy must be capable of being deployed from the deck of a surface vessel.

4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s)
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
Sonobuoy Tech Systems (STS) is the only supplier capable of meeting the government requirement since STS are the only known manufacturer that is currently producing the AN/SSQ-36B BATHY sonobuoy.
Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s) The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection 6 (d) as only one supplier is capable of performing the work.

6. Limited Tendering Reasons
The limited tendering reasons are invoked under the (section of the trade agreement(s) specified):
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article 513 b (iii).
• World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) – Article XIII b. iii.
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – Article 1912.12 b iii.

7. Ownership of Intellectual Property
Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

8. Period of the proposed contract
The proposed delivery date is no later than 31 October 2023.

9. Cost estimate of the proposed contract The estimated value of the contract, is $900,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

10. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Sonobuoy Tech Systems
4868 East Park 30 Drive
Columbia City, Indiana
USA 46725-8861

11. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

12. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is 2 August, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
13. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Aaron Brown
Department of National Defence
Directorate of Aerospace Procurement
101 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K2 Telephone: 819.939.4559 E-mail: aaron.brown@forces.gc.ca