MHC Block 2 Remote Command Centre (RCC) Integration and Supply

CPV: Command, control, communication systems · Purchase · Tactical command, control and communication systems

Procedure method

Negotiated without publication of a contract notice

Legal basis

CELEX · 32009L0081 Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (Directive 2009/81/EC)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Competitive procedure

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

8 Apr 2025, 17:35 BST

Last source update

19 Dec 2025, 15:53 GMT

Authority reference

713095450

FTS notice number

2025/S 000-085058

Classification (CPV)

Command, control, communication systemsPurchaseTactical command, control and communication systems

Delivery area

North West (UKD3)South East (UKJ11)South West (UKK23)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-04ff2e Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator due to absence of competition for technical reasons

Published justification

The Secretary of State for Defence, acting through DE&S (the “Authority”) intends to award Thales UK Limited (“Thales”) a direct contract for the supply of up to a maximum of 8 (eight) [Remote Command Centre(s) (“RCC ”)] as part of the Authority’s Mine Hunting Capability (“MHC”). The proposed contract duration will be for a maximum of 72-months, comprising a fixed 36-month period with three 12-month (consecutive) options. The total value of the proposed contract is up to a maximum of £100,000,000.00 (one hundred million pounds).

The requirement for the Authority’s MHC team covers:

1. The requirement to integrate the currently disparate and separately controlled range of key MHC platforms and autonomous capabilities into the Thales MMCM RCC to deliver a single, unified RCC, thereby allowing integrated command, control and operation of the full range of MHC platforms, systems and sub-systems.
2. The potential provision of additional unified RCCs – to the same or slightly amended specification.
3. The provision of associated software, training and SME technical advice in support of the integration activities and wider MHC capability delivery.

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). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate.

It is considered that the award of a contract to Thales using the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (in accordance with the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 (as amended) for technical reasons.

This is because the Authority has identified a strict technical impracticality for a supplier other than Thales to achieve the Authority’s technical requirements as it is necessary to use specific knowledge, tools or means which only Thales currently has at its disposal. More specifically, the Thales RCC has been developed as part of the International collaborative Maritime Mine Counter Measures (“MMCM”) programme and makes extensive use of Thales’ background Technical information and know-how, to deliver a technically complex and mature capability, providing the essential safe-to-operate and operationally-secure remote command and control for the complex MMCM system of systems. This pre-existing RCC will form the basis for the new combined RCC, into which other hardware and software elements will be integrated.

The absence of the specific knowledge, tools or means to achieve the Authority’s technical requirements prohibits other potential suppliers from effectively delivering the requirement and thus also prohibits meaningful competition. Subsequently, given the high degree of technical and safety-related complexity involved within the scope of the proposed RCC integration, and the necessity for the modification of Thales’ existing RCC to ensure all software and hardware operates safely and collaboratively, Thales are the only commercial entity that possess both the relevant expertise and suitably qualified & experienced personnel to effectively deliver the totality of this requirement.

Publisher note: 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 Thales UK Ltd on a Single Source QDC basis and is published for the purpose of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named in this notice.

• Thales UK LimitedAwarded supplier00868273 350 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, Reading, South East, RG2 6GF
• Thales UK LtdAwarded supplier00868273 350 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, Reading, RG2 6GF

No document links were published on the notice.