701578537 - M-SET (Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team) VTN (CF)

The Maritime Combat Systems Team, part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to Thales UK Limited for the in-service support (including maintenance and obsolescence and stock management) of the following items of equipment fitted across the United Kingdom Royal Navy submarine and surface ship fleet (the Equipment): Sonars 2050, 2054, 2076, 2087, 2093, 2193; UAA4, UAT, UAT(16); T&V Class Periscopes; AJU,AJN & AXA Masts; AVS; Orphan MRE and NEP Cabinets (the Contract). Such in-service support includes the provision of spare parts, repair and maintenance activity and safety certification. The Contract has an estimated value of £2.9 billion (two billion, nine hundred million pounds sterling) and a term of fifteen years (subject to the Authority's exercise of break options in the Contract) to align with the Authority's technical refresh programme in respect of the Equipment.

It is considered that the Contract can be placed with Thales UK Limited using the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the United Kingdom Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (SI 1848) on the basis that for technical reasons the Contract may be awarded only to Thales UK Limited. Thales UK Limited is the original equipment manufacturer of the Equipment and alone has the accumulated know-how required to support, and certify the safety of, the Equipment in accordance with the technical requirements of the Contract.