Redacted Justification & Approval (J&A)

-- 1 of 7 -- SPRDL1-25-R-0232 (JA-01133) No Prior J&As are available 2 physically available. 5. Authority Cited: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this effort is 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 3204(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. 6. Reason for Authority Cited: This axle is the fourth rear axle on the HET A1 platform. Axles are a critical component of the vehicle’s drivetrain assembly, which transfers power generated by the engine from the transmission to the wheels. The wheels are mounted to the axle assembly, providing mobility to the vehicle. The HET A1 is designed and produced by Oshkosh Defense, LLC. a. Background: The Government does not have the pertinent Technical Data Package (TDP) or specifications to enable competitive re-procurement. Oshkosh developed the system-level requirements for the drivetrain system and possesses details regarding the design intent of this component. The performance characteristics, mounting details, materials, components, specifications, and certifications of this component are unknown. Oshkosh is the only vendor who possesses technical data and expertise to establish requirements for manufacture of this axle assembly. The Government does not have rights to the Technical Data Package (TDP) or specifications to enable competitive re-procurement. The axle is manufactured solely by Oshkosh, who owns all the data rights to the axle assembly. Only Oshkosh has the specific technical expertise and proper facilities to manufacture the axle. Additionally, Oshkosh has experience building axle assemblies that allow the HET A1 to perform its mission. Oshkosh has manufactured axle assemblies that have successfully operated in the field and have met all mobility requirements outlined in the Army Technical Purchase Description. Unlike other commercially produced axles, this axle has been designed specifically for use on the HET A1. Oshkosh and the Government conducted developmental and operational testing during the vehicle’s design and initial production phases, which proved that Oshkosh could manufacture an axle that meets the Government’s performance and reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) requirements. If the Government were to purchase axle assemblies that have not undergone proper verification, mission failures and potential loss of mission critical functions to the vehicle could occur. Without this proper verification, it is likely that the axle assembly would not fit or function properly, which could result in failure, Due to the lack of technical data available for the axle, Reverse Engineering (RE) is the only recourse for the Government to increase competition through the development of a -- 2 of 7 -- -- 3 of 7 -- SPRDL1-25-R-0232 (JA-01133) No Prior J&As are available 4 required, and a current contract does not exist for this item. c. Impact if not approved: If the Justification is disapproved, the Government would be forced to incur the unacceptable delay as described above. 7. Efforts to Obtain Competition: a. Effective competition: Due to the reasons cited in Section 5, the Government is limiting the competition to the sources cited in Section 2 above. Notices required by FAR 5.201 will be posted. Sole Source Notices required by FAR 5.201 will be posted. b. Subcontracting competition: Unless the contract is awarded to a small business, the solicitation and resulting contract will include FAR clauses 52.219-8, "Utilization of Small Business Concerns"; 52.244-5, "Competition in Subcontracting"; 52.219-16, "Liquidated Damages--Subcontracting Plan";" and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.219-7003, "Small Business Subcontracting Plan (DoD Contracts)," to maximize small business opportunities and utilization. Actions to Increase Competition: There are no plans to increase competition for future procurements due to the reasons cited above. There are no plans to increase competition for future procurements due to the reasons cited above. There are no current or planned efforts to qualify additional sources or reverse engineer the axle assembly to develop a competitive TDP due to the reasons cited in section 5. The Government does not possess a fully defined and validated TDP for this item. The source of supply, Oshkosh, owns detailed technical data regarding this item. 8. Market Research: A Sources Sought Notice was posted to SAM.gov on 18 July 2025 and was open for 15 days until 04 August 2025. Market research was conducted by the GVSC Heavy Tactical Vehicle Sustainment Team during July of 2025 to find suitable competition for the Oshkosh Axle Assembly. Axles are identified by characteristics such as weight rating, wheel end hardware and thermal characteristics, as well as interfaces with suspension and wheel/tire assemblies. The materials, dimensions, mounting details, and performance requirements are not available for this assembly. Due to the lack of a TDP or in-depth technical specifications of the sole-source part, the validity of researched axles is difficult to evaluate. Other manufacturers offer similar axles, but the form, fit, and/or function of alternatives are not identical to the sole-source part. Keywords searched: axle assembly, military axle, HET axle, heavy truck axle, and -- 4 of 7 -- -- 5 of 7 -- -- 6 of 7 -- -- 7 of 7 --