P-8A Cyber Security Services

On Thursday March 03, 2022 a Sole Source Task Order award (N6134022F7003), in the amount of $5,365,228.08, was issued to The Boeing Company, CAGE: 0PXV4 for Cyber Security Services in support of the P-8A Training Developmental Devices on-site at Boeing facilities in St. Louis, MO and Huntington Beach, CA. These services include physical security, cyber security updates and scheduled and unscheduled maintenance necessary for the devices to maintain authorized operability.

This effort is issued under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” 

As the current sole designer, developer, integrator, manufacturer and supplier of P-8A Systems and subsystems; hardware and software components, only Boeing possesses the requisite knowledge, engineering expertise, and data rights required to design, build, modify, upgrade and deliver P-8A aircrew training systems and supporting services to ensure concurrency with Fleet aircraft within the Government’s requisite delivery schedule.  Similarly, the associated Cyber Security Services require access to multiple trainers and components unique to the P-8A systems, in which only Boeing possesses the requisite knowledge, engineering expertise, and data rights to modify and deliver.  Further, the training systems require concurrent incorporation of advanced and emerging technologies specific in design or application to the P-8A aircraft.  Boeing is the only contractor that can build and upgrade P-8A trainers concurrently with changes being made to the aircraft; because only Boeing has access to the requisite aircraft design data, aircraft specific software and simulated models during the design/development of the aircraft.  Lack of concurrent training and qualifications will negatively impact Fleet readiness, mission accomplishment and the Fleet's ability to use the capabilities safely.  Specifically, aircrews will not be proficient in procedures to effectively execute communications, weapons deployment and precision targeting, all of which are currently in high demand in theater.

Because the contract and associated services require in-depth knowledge of the current trainer design and proprietary data rights, award to any other contractor would result in substantial duplication of costs to the Government that would not be recovered through competition and would create unacceptable delays in fulfilling P-8A mission training requirements.  A competitive acquisition would introduce a new system to the field that may not be integrated and interoperable with the existing systems due to the restricted rights and limited data rights that resulted from the original competitive award.  This would require the Government to have two infrastructures in place for life cycle support or would require significant rework of the current design and development that would cost the Government additional non-recurring engineering (NRE) effort for the first article development testing, and retrofit of existing training systems.  As the current sole designer, developer, integrator, manufacturer and supplier of aircrew training systems and hardware and software components that are common to the P-8A, only Boeing possesses the requisite knowledge, engineering expertise, and data rights of the design required to design, build, modify, upgrade and deliver P-8A training systems and to maximize the capabilities amongst the P-8A platforms to include common component acquisitions, modifications and upgrades within the Government’s requisite delivery schedule.