By George Allison,
Published by UK Defence Journal, 8 December 2023
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an ambitious initiative to advance its Hypersonic Strike Capability, as detailed in a recent contract notice on the GOV.UK ‘Find a Tender’ service.
Published on December 8, 2023, under the reference 2023/S 000-036268, the notice details the “Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework”.
This framework, as stated in the notice, is “to accelerate development of the United Kingdom Hypersonic Strike Capability and to provide a route to market for future operational elements of hypersonic and adjacent technologies.” The initiative, estimated to be worth £1 billion and spanning up to seven years, is not just focused on developing advanced weaponry but also aims to “facilitate collaboration between MoD, industry, and academia.”
The procurement will cover a broad range of services and supplies across eight distinct lots. It includes “research, systems, components, technology, the provision of infrastructure, testing, and other related expertise and materials.” These will encompass both ‘functional components’ such as “propulsion systems, airframes, flight control computer systems, guidance systems and sensors” and ‘non-functional components’ like “test and evaluation, platform integration, academic research.”
The framework is designed to be flexible, allowing for the “periodic onboarding of new suppliers approximately every 6 to 12 months,” ensuring it remains relevant in a “fast changing political, technological and regulatory landscape.”
Here’s the description.
“As part of the Team Hypersonics (UK) delivery strategy, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) intends to establish a multi-supplier Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework Agreement (the Framework). The aim of the Framework is to accelerate development of the United Kingdom Hypersonic Strike Capability and to provide a route to market for future operational elements of hypersonic and adjacent technologies. The Framework will be used to facilitate collaboration between MoD, industry and academia to accelerate the acquisition of an advanced Hypersonic Strike Capability.
The nature of the procurement will involve the provision of services and supplies across 8 (eight) distinct lots. Descriptions of each of the lots are further identified within this notice and the draft Invitation to Tender (ITT) documents, accessible through the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP). The Framework will be used to appoint suppliers to deliver services and supplies to support the research, development and testing of hypersonic technologies with varying Technical Readiness Levels (TRLs). The maturity of the services and supplies provided under the resulting Call Off contracts will be up to TRL 9.
Services and supplies to be procured through the Framework are likely to include, but will not be limited to research, systems, components, technology, the provision of infrastructure, testing and other related expertise and materials across two categories, ‘functional components’ and ‘non-functional components’. Functional components could include liquid propellants, solid propellants, propulsion systems, airframes, flight control computer systems, guidance systems and sensors, communications and data links systems, system and parts integration, physical flight control systems, warheads, power supply and distribution, battery, actuators (fin & thrust control), high temperature materials and seekers. Non-functional components could include test and evaluation, platform integration, academic research, system design authority, modelling and simulation, specialists, integrated solution, thermal management, infrastructure, mission planning, assurance.”
Applicants for the framework will also participate in a “Restricted” procurement process, initially responding to a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), accessible through the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP). Successful applicants will then be invited to the Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage.
The notice specifies that “Task orders under the Framework will be awarded as Call-Off contracts, either through a Mini-Competition or, in certain circumstances, through a Direct Award process.”
See: Original Article
