USNS KANAWHA_J&A New Work

Background
The Department of the Navy, Military Sealift Command (MSC) Norfolk is issuing a Class Justification and Approval (J&A) for the award modifications under contract N3220526C1217 for the Mid Term Availability of the USNS KANAWHA (T-AO 196).

The contract was awarded to Alabama Shipyard Inc. for $21,499,729 based on adequate competition. The modifications are necessary to comply with regulatory requirements set forth by the U.S. Navy and the American Bureau of Shipping.

Work Details
The work items detailed in the enclosure are essential to meet regulatory requirements and include corrective actions to address deficiencies identified by the American Bureau of Shipping and USNS KANAWHA Officers.

These repairs must be completed before the vessel can be cleared for departure. The contract consists of 135 work items that ensure operational availability, mission readiness, and maintain vessel configuration.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for this contract modification is from August 5, 2026, through November 19, 2026.

Place of Performance
Alabama Shipyard Inc.

Bidder Requirements
No specific bidder requirements are mentioned; however, it is noted that competitively soliciting these work items is not feasible due to the urgency of repairs needed to return the vessel to a mission-ready posture.

Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail)
This opportunity appears to have a confirmed incumbent based on the prior contract N3220526C1217 for the FY26 Mid Term Availability (MTA) of the USNS KANAWHA (T-AO 196), awarded to Alabama Shipyard for approximately $21.58M with performance running through November 19, 2026. The prior work involved preparing for and accomplishing the MTA, including maintenance and operational readiness tasks and associated technical data/software access and controls, which aligns closely with the “FY26 New/Additional Work” scope as a continuation of the same vessel’s ongoing availability period and readiness requirements.