SAM #N6660427RB700

Sole-source WHOI engineering support for Navy REMUS autonomous underwater vehicles

NUWCDIVNPT plans a sole-source award for engineering support to Navy REMUS autonomous underwater vehicles and undersea communications systems. - Government buyer: Department of the Navy, NAVSEA, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport (NUWCDIVNPT). - Named provider and technology developer: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), identified as the original developer and proprietor of key REMUS technologies. - Services requested: Research, development, engineering, and technical support to develop, evaluate, upgrade, modernize, and deploy REMUS systems and advanced undersea communications subsystems for submarines and surface ships. - Includes assessment of hardware, firmware, software, and prototype systems. - Approximately 113,000 labor hours are anticipated over a five-year ordering period. - Platforms and notable requirements: REMUS 600 and REMUS 3000 autonomous underwater vehicles; proprietary communications architectures and NSA-approved encryption software are cited as essential technology. - Sole-source rationale: The notice cites WHOI’s proprietary technology, the cost and technical difficulty of transitioning to another source, and the potential for a three-to-five-year mission delay.

Description

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) intends to award, on a sole-source basis under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.103-1, a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) and Cost Only, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity type contract to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), CAGE Code 88846, Woods Hole, MA. This requirement is to provide research, development, engineering, and technical services to support NUWCDIVNPT in developing, assessing, upgrading, modernizing, and deploying the Navy Remote Environmental Measuring Units (REMUS) Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) systems and advanced undersea communication subsystems across all classes of submarines and surface ships. Tasking includes evaluation of system hardware, firmware and software of the REMUS, as well as design analysis and assessment of prototype systems to meet system, operation and platform requirements. It is anticipated that 113,000 man-hours will be required over the five-year ordering period. The NAICS Code is 541715, and the size standard is 1,000 employees. WHOI is the sole designer, original developer, and proprietor of the core technologies embedded within the REMUS 600 and REMUS 3000 AUV platforms. WHOI developed, implemented, and owns proprietary rights and source code for the undersea acoustic and optical communications architectures operating across submarines, surface vessels, buoys, off-hull transponders, divers, and unmanned vehicles. Additionally, WHOI implemented dual-layered, National Security Agency (NSA)-approved encryption software embedded in these systems, requiring specialized and proprietary codebase access to maintain deployment compliance under Navy Authority to Operate (ATO), Interconnect Security Agreements, and Posture Transition Procedures. This requirement to any other contractor would be technically infeasible and cost-prohibitive, resulting in substantial duplication of costs not expected to be recovered through competition. Furthermore, awarding to another source would create an unacceptable delay of three to five years while awaiting redesign, fabrication, testing, and safety/security recertification of submarine-compatible vehicles, causing an untenable mission gap for fleet undersea operations. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A Competitive solicitation will not be issued. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Further details will be released upon issuance of solicitation# N6660427RB700, which is anticipated to be released in December 2026. Information or inquiries should be submitted via email to the primary point of contact: John.a.keech3.civ@us.navy.mil Additional Links:Department of Defense Procurement ToolboxPIEE Solicitation Module Link for N6660427RB700Registration Instructions for the PIEE Solicitation ModuleWeb Based Training for the PIEE Solicitation Module

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