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Advanced Navigation Hydrus Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

Waiver type - Procurement: Nonavailability

Agency: NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (1330) • Product Service Code (PSC) : 5845 | Last Modified: 07/22/2025

Procurement Summary

NOAA NCCOS requires one (1) Hydrus 300 m rated AUV, which includes a camera, lighting, doppler velocity log (DVL), enhanced Integral Navigation System (INS), wireless charging and flight safe batteries for collecting georeferenced, optical imagery of the seabed to depths of <300 meters. The expected delivery date of this hardware is August 1, 2025 and is needed for immediate field work. The Hydrus AUV 300 is manufactured in Australia and therefore is not mined, produced, or manufactured in the Unites States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities.

Waiver Rationale Summary

Market research was conducted over the course of two years to identify potential vendors for this procurement request. Only one vendor (Advanced Navigation) is capable of meeting NOAA NCCOS requirements (listed above). Consequently, this requirement will be sole sourced to Advanced Navigation based upon the compatibility with the existing Hydrus AUV. Based upon the above, the Hydrus 300 AUV manufactured by Advanced Navigation is the only known source that can provide an AUV that can meet all requirements, and is a non-domestic manufactured product manufactured in Australia. Therefore, the Hydrus AUV 300 is manufactured in Australia and therefore is not mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities.

Did / Will the solicitation include one of the standard BAA provisions announcing the agency’s intention to provide a price preference for domestic end products and construction material?

Yes

Was a sources sought or Request for Information issued?

No

OMB Determination

Pending

Product

UNDERWATER SOUND EQUIPMENT

NAICS

334511 - Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing

Date Submitted

07/22/2025

Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID)

N/A

Solicitation ID

N/A

Procurement Stage

Pre-solicitation

Expected Maximum Duration of the Proposed Waiver

0 - 6 months

Waiver Coverage

Individual Waiver

Funding Agency

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION