25--Noun: Steel Apron, Vehicle: M9 ACE, First time procurement, drawings not defined.

NA Status of the Drawing: THE DESIGN HAS NOT YET BEEN DEEMED STABLE. SIMILARLY, THE DRAWING PACKING IS NOT YET FULLY DEFINED. SINCE THE DRAWING IS NOT YET FULLY DEFINED, IT IS BY DEFINITION NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION. PROCUREMENT OF THIS ITEM IS RESTRICTED TO ROCKLAND MANUFACTURING UNTIL THE APM CONSIDERS THE DESIGN STABLE. ALL OTHER SOURCES WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE PRE-QUALIFICATION TESTS, WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN DEFINED. GIVEN THE SIZE AND CRITICAL NATURE OF THE APRON, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT A FFORD THE POTENTIAL OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL RISK OF PROCURING FROM ANOTHER SOURCE AT THIS TIME. THE ITEM IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE M9 ACE. THE APRON FOR THE M9 ACE IS AN EXTENSIVE COMPONENT OF THE END ITEM, COMPRISING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE VECHICLE. BEING A CRITICAL ITEM, IT IS NECESSARY THAT A SUPPLIER BE QUALIFI ED PRIOR TO BEING AWARDED A CONTRACT TO ASSURE THERE WILL NOT BE AN ADVERSE SITUATION WITH QUALITY OR DELIVERY. THE APPROVED SOURCE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS DEVELOPED AND SUBMITTED A PROTOTYPE STEEL APRON. IT IS NOTED THAT ROCKLAND WAS SELECTED TO DEVELOP THE STEEL APRON BECAUSE THEY SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED AND ARE PRODUCING THE STEEL BLADE (WHICH MATES WITH THE APRON). ROCKLAND WAS SELECTED TO DEVELOP THE STEEL BLADE THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS. ROCKLAND HAS SUCCESSFULLY PASSED PRE-QUALIFICATION TESTING A ND DURABILITY TESTING. HOWEVER, SINCE ROCKLAND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT PROCURE FROM A SOURCE OTHER THAN ROCKLAND UNTIL THE DESIGN IS CONSIDERED STABLE AND A DRAWING PACKAGE REFLECTING THIS DESIGN IS APPROVED. UPON DELIVERY OF THE TECHNICAL DATA FROM ROCKLAND, REVIEW OF DRAWINGS, ACCUMULATION OF SUFFICIENT FIELD USE TO VERIFY THE DESIGN, AND INCORPORATION OF ANY REQUIRED DESIGN CHANGES INTO THE DRAWING PACKAGE, THE NEXT PROCUREMENT WILL BE COMPETED.