Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-10-06
Buyer: International Guns, Missiles and Rockets PT
Country: UK
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 35300000: Weapons, ammunition and associated parts
Estimated value: 639000 GBP

Technical requirements: The IGMR PT, which is part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) is intending to place a contract with US Ordnance Ltd for the in-service support of the Chinook Crew Served M60D Weapon System.
The IGMR PT, which is part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MOD), is intending to place a contract with US Ordnance Ltd for the in-service support of the Chinook Crew Served M60D Weapon System.
The International Guns Missiles and Rockets Project Team (IGMR PT), which is part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) is intending to place a contract with US Ordnance Ltd for the in-service support of the Chinook Crew Served M60D Weapon System. The duration of the contract will be 5 years. The contract will have an estimated value of GBP 639 000 (VAT Inc) (not including option extensions).
It is considered that this contract can be placed using the negotiated procedure without prior publication pursuant to Article 28(1)(e) of Directive 2009/81/EC and Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011. This is for technical reasons.
The M60D weapon system is currently cleared, qualified and certified for use on the Chinook platform by the acting design authority, the US Government (USG). However, US Ordnance are the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for the M60D system having provided assurance that the gun design is fit for purpose, meets user requirements and is safely integrated and operated onto the Chinook Air Platform. The key underpinning safety assumptions, of the safety case, which covers the M60D system (throughout the manufacture to disposal phases), has been derived through information from US Ordnance and USG for 20+ years. Where all external information for this weapon system comes from US Ordnance in their role as the OEM and their underwriters, TACOM (US Army). The IGMR AIR primary safety claim, in the safety case, is that the M60D weapon system is tolerably safe within the context of the manufacture to target or disposal sequence (MTDS)/life cycle sequence. Changing the contractor would result in having to reassess safety claims, potential testing and qualification of the items to ensure that they are subject and qualified in military airworthiness environments, alongside certification from the USG.
Technically, the complexity of the components within a 7.62 mm machine gun (firing 200 rnds/min over a range of 3.75 km) prevents a ‘reverse engineered option’ and would not withstand the need to maintain a safety and airworthiness traceability to source certification documentation. US Ordnance already have the design information, technical skills and production facilities to produce and provide support for the M60D within the US Ordnance facility.
Therefore, for technical and airworthiness reasons relating to the design authority (DA) role, configuration control and safety case considerations, US Ordnance are the only organisation able to meet the performance of these requirements of the M60D support contract.
The authority reserves the right to amend any condition related to security of information to reflect any changes in national law or government policy. If any contract documents are accompanied by instructions on safeguarding classified information (e.g. a Security Aspects Letter), the authority reserves the right to amend the terms of these instructions to reflect any changes in national law or government policy, whether in respect of the applicable protective marking scheme, specific protective markings given, the aspects to which any protective marking applies or otherwise. The link below to the Gov.uk website provides information on the Government Security Classification.
Advertising regime OJEU: this contract opportunity is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), the MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin and www.contracts.mod.uk


Winner: U.S. Ordnance
Award value: 639000