708049451 - Provision of five (5) sonars s2150 for Type 26 Batch 2 Frigates

The Secretary of State for Defence, acting through the Maritime Combat Systems Underwater Electronic Warfare team of the UK Ministry of Defence ("MOD"), intends to enter into an eight (8) year contract (due to the expected service life of the s2150 Sonar system) with Ultra Sonar Systems Limited (UK Reg.: 14355663, the original equipment manufacturer of the s2150 Sonar system) for the supply, support to installation, setting to work and trials of five (5) additional s2150 Sonars to be fitted on five (5) Type 26 Frigates. The contract value is estimated to be between £27million to £30million (excluding VAT).

In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450).

It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service is lawful in accordance with Regulation 16(1)(b)(i) of the DSPCR 2011 (as amended) because the five (5) s2150 Sonars are required in addition to the existing s2150 Sonars fitted onto other Type 26 Frigates and purchasing bow sonars from any other supplier would oblige the MOD to acquire sonars having different technical characteristics which would result in incompatibility between the additional sonars and the existing s2150 Sonars fitted onto other Type 26 Frigates and incompatibility with the customised shared computer infrastructure into which the sonars on all Type 26 Frigates are required to connect. Such other sonars would also be incompatible with the Type 26 Frigate hull modifications made specifically for the s2150 sonar and with the existing Type 26 Frigate sonar dome modifications made specifically for the s2150 sonar.