Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom

MOD Voluntary Transparency Notice
GB-HELSS/0061: Replacement Apache Mission Support System

Region Codes: UKH14
Section I: Contract Title
Contract Title: GB-HELSS/0061: Replacement Apache Mission Support System

Section II: Issuing Branch / Organisation Details
Notice Address
Official Name: Ministry of Defence, Helicopters, Apache Project Team
Address: Centenary House, Lysander Road
Town: Yeovil
Telephone: 01935 703153
Email: Danielle.Cornick100@mod.uk
For attention of: Danielle Cornick
Postcode: BA20 2YB
Country: United Kingdom
Contact Point:
Fax:
Internet Address:

Section III: Object of The Contract
Location of Works, place of delivery or of performance
Main Place of Performance or Delivery: Suffolk

Short description of the contract or purchase(s): The current Apache Mission Support System (MSS), which populates the aircraft with air navigation and communications data, is beyond its Out of Service Date (OSD). The Apache Project Team, part of the Ministry of Defence, intends to procure the Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) purchase from the United States Department of Defence (US DoD).

Industry Codes:
34710000 – Helicopters, aeroplanes, spacecraft and other powered aircraft.

Additional Information:
This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis, and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above.

Section IV: Identification Numbers
Contract Number: HELSS/0061

Section V: Selected supplier
Details of Selected supplier:

Official name: United States Department of Defence
Postal Address: 1400 Defence Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1400
City: Washington
Postcode: 20301-140
Country: United States
ContactPoint:
For Attention Of: Danielle Cornick
Telephone: 01935 703153
Email:
Fax:
Internet Address:

Reason for Award: The current Apache Mission Support System (MSS), which populates the aircraft with air navigation and communications data, is beyond its Out of Service Date (OSD). The MSS Software does not reflect the current modification state of the aircraft or reflect the current performance status. The MSS requires constant `workarounds? to enable it to be used effectively by Aircrew and `fixes?, in the form of close Project Team (PT) technical support, to maintain its viability in current operational use. The planned joint Apache and Wildcat Common Mission Support System (CMSS) Programme, which would have replaced the current MSS, did not deliver a solution for Apache due to commercial and technical difficulties. This system, if successful, would have been supplied as GFE for the Apache Capability Sustainment Programme for use with the UK AH64-E (Mk2). The Authority has decided that the US DoD Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) will be the MSS solution for the UK AH64-E. This decision is based mainly upon the unsuitability of the current MPS, as used on AH64-D, as GFE into the Apache CSP programme due to obsolescence and inability to re-configure the system to AH64-E specification. A replacement MSS for the UK AH64-D must be delivered by mid-2018 to relieve the risks to operational tempo and effectiveness.

Value of Contract: 2,400,000
Justification For Non-Competitive Decision: The Apache Project Team, part of the Ministry of Defence, intends to procure the Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) purchase from the United States Department of Defence (US DoD). It is considered that this contract can be awarded under the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC (Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) for technical reasons. The principle justification being commonality of systems, improved cost-effectiveness and life cycle support costs. The UK AH64-E, procured via FMS, will use AMPS in order to maintain the US common configuration to avoid increasing through life costs of ownership. The UK Attack Helicopter Force is not equipped to operate and administrate two differing MSS solutions. Competing the requirement could potentially lead to the delivery of a different solution for the AH64-D platform to AMPS resulting in two different MSS solutions for the AH64-E and AH64-D. This would lead to a training and currency burden which would impact on safe operation of the air system. It is considered that for reasons of operational commonality and cost-effective through life support, that there is an unequivocal case for placing a single source contract through Foreign Military Sales on the grounds that AMPS will guarantee interoperability within the UK Apache Fleet and with our closest allies in order to ensure the functioning of the armed forces.