Purchase and Operartion and Maintenance of Blocking Vessels

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) intends to award a sole source contract to Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. for the purchase and operation and maintenance (O&M) of four (4) offshore-supply vessels which are currently operating in support of the Transit Protection System Escort Program under Military Sealift Command time charter contract N00033-08-C-2007. The vessels function as "blocking vessels" (BVs) providing armed escort and security services for U.S. Navy and U.K. assets transiting in and out of ports on the east and west coasts of the United States. Competition has not been sought because market research conducted by MSC in 2011 and 2012 yielded results that there were no vessels currently available or that could be built that would meet the continued BV requirement by the end of the current contract, N00033-08-C-2007, which is 31 August 2014. A lease-purchase analysis performed by the Navy determined that purchasing the incumbent vessels is more advantageous to the Government than continuing to lease. The incumbent contractor already has highly trained crew members that can perform the BV requirement. There are no other contractors that have crew members with the trained skillset to perform the BV mission by the time the BVs will be purchased. An option to extend the term of contract N00033-08-C-2007 until 27 February 2015 will be executed no later than 31 August 2014 to allow MSC time to award the sole source contract. The total O&M period of performance is anticipated to be up to four years, consisting of a firm period of 215 days, which will end 30 September 2015, three one-year options and one 150-day option period. The follow-on requirement for the O&M of the purchased BVs will be competed with performance beginning no later than March 2019. This is not a small-business set aside. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement which shall be considered by the agency.