Navistar Defense, LLC v. United States

CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJanuary 10, 2020
Docket19-1417
StatusPublished

This text of Navistar Defense, LLC v. United States (Navistar Defense, LLC v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Navistar Defense, LLC v. United States, (uscfc 2020).

Opinion

In the United States Court of Federal Claims BID PROTEST Nos. 19-1268C & 19-1417C Filed Under Seal: December 13, 2019* Reissued: January 10, 2020

) NAVISTAR DEFENSE, LLC, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) Post-Award Bid Protest; Competition in THE UNITED STATES, ) Contracting Act (“CICA”); Sole-Source ) Award; 41 U.S.C. § 3304; FAR § 1.704; Defendant, ) FAR § 6.302-7; Motion For Judgment ) Upon The Administrative Record; RCFC v. ) 52.1. ) OSHKOSH DEFENSE, LLC, ) ) Defendant-Intervenor. ) )

) NAVISTAR DEFENSE, LLC, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) THE UNITED STATES, ) ) Defendant. ) )

* This Memorandum Opinion and Order was originally filed under seal on December 13, 2019 (ECF No. 62). The parties were given an opportunity to advise the Court of their views with respect to what information, if any, should be redacted from the Memorandum Opinion and Order. The parties filed a joint status report on January 10, 2020 stating that no redactions are necessary (ECF No. 64). And so, the Court is reissuing its Memorandum Opinion and Order, dated December 13, 2019. David R. Hazelton, Counsel of Record, Kyle R. Jefcoat, Dean W. Baxtresser, Of Counsel, Latham & Watkins LLP, Washington, DC, for plaintiff.

Albert S. Iarossi, Trial Attorney, Douglas K. Mickle, Assistant Director, Robert E. Kirschman, Jr., Director, Joseph H. Hunt, Assistant Attorney General, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC; Eugenée M. Gray, Of Counsel, United States Army Legal Services Agency, for defendant.

Scott Arnold, Counsel of Record, Justin A. Chiarodo, Luke W. Meier, Stephanie M. Harden, Michael J. Montalbano, Of Counsel, Blank Rome, LLP, Washington, DC, for defendant- intervenor.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

GRIGGSBY, Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

In these two directly-related post-award bid protest matters, Navistar Defense, LLC (“Navistar”) challenges the United States Department of the Army’s (“Army”) decision to procure certain tactical vehicles from Oshkosh Defense, LLC (“Oshkosh”), in connection with a 2019 sole-source contracting action. See generally 1st Compl. Navistar also challenges the Army’s alleged failure to comply with the automatic stay requirement under the Competition in Contracting Act (“CICA”) during Navistar’s Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) protest of the Army’s contracting action. See generally 2nd Compl. As relief, Navistar requests, among other things, that the Court require the Army to terminate and cancel any orders awarded pursuant to the 2019 sole-source contracting action and to declare that the Army’s failure to cease performance of the orders protested by Navistar before the GAO was arbitrary, capricious, or contrary to law. See generally 1st Compl.; 2nd Compl.

The parties have filed cross-motions for judgment upon the administrative record, pursuant to Rule 52.1 of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”). See generally Pl. 1st Mot.; Pl. 2nd Mot.; Def. Mot.; Def.-Int. Mot. Navistar has also moved to strike the Declaration of Lt. Col. Michael K. Riley; the Army’s Determination and Findings dated September 19, 2016; and certain references to a July 12, 2019, telephone call between counsel, filed in support of the government’s consolidated cross-motion. Pl. 1st Mot. to Strike; Pl. 2nd Mot. to Strike. Navistar has also filed motions for a temporary restraining order and for a

2 preliminary injunction, and to complete the administrative record and for leave to conduct limited depositions. Pl. Mot. for TRO and PI; Pl. Mot. to Complete AR.

For the reasons discussed below, the Court: (1) DENIES Navistar’s motions for judgment upon the administrative record; (2) GRANTS the government’s consolidated cross- motion for judgment upon the administrative record; (3) GRANTS Oshkosh’s cross-motion for judgment upon the administrative record; (4) GRANTS-IN-PART Navistar’s motion to strike the Declaration of Lt. Col. Michael K. Riley; (5) GRANTS Navistar’s motion to strike the Army’s Determination and Findings dated September 19, 2016, and certain references to the July 12, 2019, telephone call between counsel; (6) DENIES-AS-MOOT Navistar’s motions for a temporary restraining order and for a preliminary injunction, and to complete the administrative record and for leave to conduct limited depositions; and (7) DISMISSES the complaints.

II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND1

A. Factual Background

In these directly-related post-award bid protest matters, Navistar challenges the Army’s decision to procure certain tactical vehicles from Oshkosh in connection with a 2019 sole-source contracting action. See generally 1st Compl. Navistar also challenges the Army’s alleged failure to comply with the automatic stay requirement under CICA, during Navistar’s protest of the Army’s contracting action before the GAO. See generally 2nd Compl. 1. The FMTV Contract

As background, in 2009, the Army awarded Contract W56HZV-09-D-0159 (the “FMTV Contract”) for the production of the A1P2 variant of tactical vehicles to Oshkosh as part of the Army’s family of medium tactical vehicles program. See generally AR Tab 14. The tactical vehicles procured under the FMTV Contract are multi-purpose transport and utility vehicles that are rapidly deployable for worldwide operations, for use in both combat operations and civil disaster relief. AR Tab 106 at 5895.

1 The facts recited in this Memorandum Opinion and Order are taken from the administrative record (“AR”); Navistar’s motions for judgment upon the administrative record (“Pl. 1st Mot.” and “Pl. 2nd Mot.”); the government’s consolidated cross-motion for judgment upon the administrative record (“Def. Mot.”); and Oshkosh’s cross-motion for judgment upon the administrative record (“Def.-Int. Mot.”). Except where otherwise noted, the facts cited herein are undisputed.

3 The solicitation for the FMTV Contract provides that “the purpose of this Requirements contract is to provide the Government with the ability to acquire Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs) in any configuration as described herein.” AR Tab 5 at 337. While no minimum or maximum order quantity is specified in the FMTV Contract, the solicitation provides that an initial award of 875 trucks and 681 trailers is planned for FY09 and that a total of 23,341 vehicles is estimated to be required over the initial 5-year contract period. Id.

The FMTV Contract was initially set to expire on September 30, 2014. AR Tab 110 at 5948. But, the Army issued a series of contract modifications that extended the contract’s expiration date to August 25, 2019. See generally AR Tabs 48, 58, 64, 66, 74, 90, 106-110.

Specifically, on September 30, 2014, the Army issued a justification and approval to extend the term of the FMTV Contract from September 2014 to September 2015. AR Tab 110 at 5948. Thereafter, the Army issued another justification and approval to add an additional 1,262 vehicles to the FMTV Contract in June 2015. AR Tab 109 at 5935.

On July 24, 2015, the Army issued a justification and approval to further extend the FMTV Contract to September 2016. AR Tab 108 at 5926, 5932. On January 29, 2016, the Army issued yet another justification and approval adding an additional 1,551 vehicles to the FMTV Contract. AR Tab 107 at 5912, 5925.

2. The September 2016 Justification And Approval

Specifically relevant to this dispute, in September 2016, the Army issued a justification and approval that extends the FMTV Contract until August 25, 2019 (the “September 2016 J&A”). AR Tab 106 at 5895.

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