Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract and Sources Sought for FMS Vertical Deployment Tube (VDT) Technical and Tooling Package

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Keyport is seeking sources for a technical and tooling package for the SSN-AUKUS Vertical Deployment Tube (VDT) component. The package should be based on the U.S. VIRGINIA Class program and adapted for the United Kingdom's VDT design. The contractor will be required to develop tooling, deliver procurement-ready drawings, and provide a comprehensive list of tooling with its life expectancy, cost, and schedule for production. The contractor should also provide preliminary production documents and a plan for prototype testing. • The contractor must possess immediate, authorized access to the U.S. VIRGINIA Class submarine VPM proprietary design data, tooling manufacturing processes, and testing standards. • The contractor should demonstrate an existing, validated Production Readiness Level (PRL) of 9 for manufacturing large-scale, HY-80 submarine hull-integrated components. • The contractor must guarantee the ability to meet an accelerated timeline of contract award by September 2026 and initial production unit delivery within 12 months thereafter.