Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (W58RGZ-21-R-0084)

B-421359,B-421359.2 Apr 06, 2023 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, of Stratford, Connecticut, protests the award of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Weapon System Development (WSD) contract to Bell Textron Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas, under request for proposals (RFP) No. W58RGZ-21-R-0084, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal (Army). Sikorsky challenges multiple aspects of the agency's evaluation and source selection decision, including the agency's evaluation of its proposal as technically unacceptable. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation File: B-421359; B-421359.2 Date: April 6, 2023 Michael F. Mason, Esq., Stacy Hadeka, Esq., Christine Reynolds, Esq., Thomas Hunt, Esq., Taylor Hillman, Esq., Lauren Olmsted, Esq., and Maya Desai, Esq., Hogan Lovells US LLP; Scott M. McCaleb, Esq., Jon W. Burd, Esq., Scott Felder, Esq., Cara L. Sizemore, Esq., and Lisa Rechden, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP; David Rikkers, Esq., Rikkers Technology Law PLLC; and Heather A. Bloom, Esq., Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the protester. Jason A. Carey, Esq., Kayleigh M. Scalzo, Esq., J. Hunter Bennett, Esq., Andrew R. Guy, Esq., Chanda L. Brown, Esq., Anna M. Menzel, Esq., Jennifer K. Bentley, Esq., Emma C. Merrill-Grubb, Esq., and Daniel H. Raddenbach, Esq., Covington & Burling LLP; and John G. Sams, Esq., Bell Textron Inc., for Bell Textron Inc., the intervenor. Jonathan A. Hardage, Esq., Patrick Nelson, Esq., Stacy Wilhite, Esq., Alexa Bryan, Esq., Jeremy Tillman, Esq., and Wade L. Brown, Esq., Department of the Army, for the agency. April Y. Shields, Esq., and Christina Sklarew, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Admission of counsel and consultant to a protective order was appropriate over objections, where the record showed that the applicants did not participate in competitive decisionmaking and that there was not otherwise an unacceptable risk of inadvertent disclosure of protected information. 2. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation of the protester’s proposal as technically unacceptable for failing to provide the level of detail required by the solicitation is denied where the record shows that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable procurement law and regulation. 3. Protest challenging the agency’s evaluation and the acceptability of the awardee’s proposal for allegedly departing from administrative requirements is denied where the record shows that the evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation and applicable procurement law and regulation. 4. Protester is not an interested party to raise other challenges to the agency’s evaluation and award decision where, due to its technical unacceptability, it would not be eligible for award. DECISION Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation,[1] of Stratford, Connecticut, protests the award of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Weapon System Development (WSD) contract to Bell Textron Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas, under request for proposals (RFP) No. W58RGZ-21-R-0084, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal (Army). Sikorsky challenges multiple aspects of the agency’s evaluation and source selection decision, including the agency’s evaluation of its proposal as technically unacceptable. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND The FLRAA program, initiated in 2019 as part of the Department of Defense’s future vertical lift initiative, seeks to produce new vertical lift aircraft to augment and ultimately replace the aging H‑60 Black Hawk utility helicopter fleet,[2] with the goal of deploying the first aircraft in fiscal year 2030. Specifically, FLRAA was commissioned to “develop and field the next generation of affordable vertical lift tactical assault and utility aircraft” and “provide the warfighter with long-range, high-speed options that are survivable in contested environments.” The aircraft, with its “increased speed, range, and maneuverability,” will be used in various mission sets including “air assault, tactical resupply and logistics, medical evacuation, and Special Operations Command utility missions.” The aircraft will service the Joint Force, which includes all of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force). Agency Report (AR), Tab 19, RFP (Conformed) at 2;[3] AR, Tab 21, RFP attach. 1, Statement of Work (SOW) at 1; AR, Tab 106, FLRAA Source Selection Decision Document (SSDD) at 8; COS/MOL at 2. Both Sikorsky and Bell have been involved with FLRAA for a number of years.