62057251 - TacSys Manufacture of Modular Platform Processing Suite Tactical Networking Devices

The Authority has a manufacture to plan opportunity for network and audio distribution hardware in connection with the portfolio of capability known as Bowman, the Common Battlefield Applications Toolset (ComBAT), Infrastructure and Platform Battlefield Information Systems Application (PBISA), and collectively known as BCIP.

The Authority has an opportunity for the manufacture of two candidate network and audio distribution hardware products that form part of the Modular Platform Processing Suite (MPPS) family of products.

The purpose of this this RFI is to confirm the ability of the industry base to manufacture the two devices and identify all possible opportunities or constraints for Defence.

The MPPS hardware will be hosted on a range of tactical platforms (including armoured fighting vehicles) and dismounted for headquarters use. As such, there is a particular focus on quality control for the units, including ability to:

- Operate within a challenging in-platform electromagnetic environment. - Manufacture within the strict physical tolerances of the design given the platforms' constraints on size, weight and power. - Meet the significant environmental performance requirements for operating in a wider range of deployed environments. The key outputs of the RFI are: 1. Validate the hardware design material to enable manufacture of the units. This RFI seeks to validate whether the completeness and quality of the design documentation is sufficient to allow suppliers to respond to the future competition to manufacture and deliver the units to the required standard and quality. 2. Determine what support may be required by the existing OEM (General Dynamics) to enable manufacture by a third party. 3. Obtain indicative method statements for delivery of an initial order quantity of 500 TLAs and 2000 TCS, to include timescales, manufacturing locations, indicative costing. 4. Confirm the availability of the components that are required to manufacture the two units, this will include lead times for components. 5. Assess the market appetite to respond to a competition for manufacture of MPPS units at this initial order quantity and future MPPS manufacturing requirements, potentially up to 7500 additional units.

Additional information: The Authority invites interested parties to contract the email address: [email protected] and request access to the MPPS datapack of technical information related to the hardware products; the Tactical Local Area Subsystem (LAS) Adapter (TLA) and the Tactical Crew Station (TCS). The Authority retains full discretion to disclose technical information following the completion of due diligence activities. Any such disclosure will be limited in scope, provided for a defined purpose only, and subject to restrictions intended to prevent misuse, unauthorised dissemination, or conflicts of interest.

The Authority may wish to invite respondents of this survey to a face-to-face engagement session to discuss further details around technical aspects of the product or capability. It is acknowledged that some aspects can only be discussed in detail at UK Information Classification higher than Official-Sensitive, in which cases special arrangements can be made. Please indicate in your response if this applies.

All content within this survey is classified as Official. Please ensure your responses and any supporting information / reference materials are also at Official level. Do not include Official-Sensitive information as part of your responses. If you have material above Official-Sensitive that you could share with us to clarify your responses, please indicate this in your answers.

Please submit all responses and associated documentation to the contact email address below, where you have indicated the need to do so as per the above statement. Respondents are invited to submit only Official or Official-Sensitive responses using the MS Form (Link: here) or alternatively responses should be sent to the e-mail address: [email protected].