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31--NOAA radar antenna bearing assemblies.

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1406-08-05-RQ-21010Federal

Contract Overview

Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.

AI Contract Overview

The Government requires replacement bearing assemblies for the WSR-88D (NEXRAD) Doppler weather radar system, which is a critical tri-agency network of 158 high-resolution radars used for weather monitoring across the United States. The NEXRAD system, operational since the late 1980s, has experienced significant wear and failures in its Pedestal bull gear and bearing parts, which are essential to its performance. These replacement parts, originally designed and manufactured by Avon Bearings, Inc., and owned by DRS Surveillance Systems, Inc., are proprietary, and the Government does not hold rights to their designs, making it impossible to procure these parts from alternative manufacturers or sources without legal and financial consequences. There are no suitable substitute parts due to the unique physical characteristics of the assemblies. The contract performance period is set for five months from the award date, with a deadline of September 8, 2008, for interested parties to express their interest and capabilities. Although this notice is not a solicitation for competitive proposals, the Government will consider all responses to decide whether to conduct a formal competitive procurement. This procurement effort is managed by the Department of the Interior's Ibc Acq Svcs Directorate in Herndon, VA. The replacements are necessary to ensure the continued operation and reliability of the NEXRAD system, which plays a vital role in weather surveillance and forecasting.

General Info

Government seeks proprietary replacement bearing assemblies for NEXRAD radar system, five-month performance period.

Agency

Department Of The Interior → Ibc Acq Svcs Directorate (00004)

NAICS

332991 - Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing

Place of Performance

Muskegon, Michigan 494413421 USA, VA

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

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Timeline

PhasePresolicitation

PostedSep 2

Presolicitation

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyDepartment Of The Interior → Ibc Acq Svcs Directorate (00004)

ContactsNo contacts available

OfficeHERNDON, VA, 20170, USA

Organization / AgencyDepartment Of The Interior → Ibc Acq Svcs Directorate (00004)

Office AddressHERNDON, VA, 20170, USA

ContactsNo contact information available

Full Description

The Government has a requirement for replacement bearings for its WSR-88D (NEXRAD) system, a tri-agency Doppler weather radar. An engineering analysis by the Radar Operation Center has determined that replacement parts as listed above are necessary to the continued operation of the system. The NEXRAD is a network of 158 high-resolution Doppler weather radars. The WSR-88 was developed to replace the WSR-74 and was first deployed in 1988, becoming fully operational nationwide in 1997. The radar system operates in two basic modes: a slow-scanning clear-air mode for analyzing air movements when there is little or no activity in the area, and a precipitation mode with a faster scan time for tracking active weather. NEXRAD has an increased emphasis on automation, including the use of algorithms and automated volume scans. Since deployment, this system has aged and is now suffering significant failures of Pedestal bull gear and bearing parts. In order to continue service, the NWS requires additional stock of the above items to repair the NEXRAD. These parts were designed and manufactured by Avon Bearings, Inc and the data rights to the design are owned by DRS Surveillance Systems, Inc. As the Government has no rights to the design, it cannot fully specify the design to another manufacturer. Any attempt to duplicate the design would be cost-prohibitive and infringe on the rights of the current owner. Due to the unique physical characteristics and physical form of the assembly, there are no acceptable alternative parts. The period of performance for this effort is for 5 months from date of award. Interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities by Monday, September 8, 2008. This is NOT a request for competitive proposals. However, all information received will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this action based on this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.