Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) intends to award a sole source firm-fixed price purchase order to AeroVironment, Inc., 900 Enchanted Way, Simi Valley, CA 93065 for the procurement of 6 RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Air Vehicle (SUAV) rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, part number 54677. The purchase order will include an option for up to an additional 14 batteries of the same make and model. Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) interoperability has become of great interest to the UAS operator community and the Department of Defense. The Marine Corps is pursuing procurement of the RQ-11B Raven through the U.S. Army’s contract W58RGZ-05-C-0338. The Raven B Small Unmanned Air Vehicle (SUAV) is powered by a re-chargeable lithium-ion battery, part number 54677. To maximize the full mission capability, the batteries intended for use in the SUAV must be authorized for Naval Shipboard interoperability. To receive this authorization, the batteries intended for usage with the SUAV must pass Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity (NOSSA) safety certification testing conducted at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Carderock, Maryland. AeroVironment is currently the only source producing batteries for the Raven B, therefore it is necessary they provide the batteries for certification testing. If the AeroVironment batteries are not tested for NOSSA certification, they w! ill not be eligible for transport aboard Naval vessels when the Raven B SUAV system is fielded by the Marine Corps. No Request for Proposal (RFP) is available for competitive bidding, however, interested parties may submit a statement of capability for satisfying this requirement no later than close of business on 18 September 2006 to the contact person listed above. Numbered Note 22 applies to this acquisition.

Bid Protests Not Available