UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement · Defence Equipment and Support (Mar 2026)

Introduction:

The Authority is inviting industry to provide information on Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (Spec C-UAS) for the Land GBAD Programme.

Land-GBAD (Ground Based Air Defence) Programme:

The Land GBAD Programme was established in response to Army’s requirement for a fully integrated Air Defence system of systems. This will be an enduring capability that will be delivered through incremental capability uplifts over the next 10 years. The Single Statement of User Need (SSUN) for Land GBAD is:

“Land-GBAD must provide sufficient, effective capability to warn, inform, deter and defeat selected air threats (including aircraft, missiles, munitions, and UAS), in order to prevent adversary interference from the air inhibiting Joint Force freedom of manoeuvre.  Land-GBAD will provide lethal and non-lethal defeat mechanisms and minimise the risk it presents to friendly and neutral air users.  It will be deployable on multi-domain operations, integrated, scalable up to divisional level, and in joint and multi-national operations to Protect, Engage, Constrain and Fight”.

Capabilities to be delivered and enhanced by the Land GBAD programme include:

Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD);

Medium-Range Air Defence (MRAD);

Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (S-CUAS) for SHORAD and MRAD; and

All Arms Counter Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (All Arms C-sUAS).

The capabilities which make up the Land GBAD System of Systems (SOS) will be incrementally procured and delivered through a number of related contracts over a 10-year period, these will require a high level of integration and SOS testing.

Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (Spec C-UAS):

Spec C-UAS will be an armoured vehicle mounted cannon capability, that can defeat aerial threats in the forward and rear area of the battlespace at short range. It shall supplement SHORAD (Short Range Air Defence) and MRAD (Medium Range Air Defence), providing cost-effective layering and a multiple engagement capability. Spec C-UAS will need to operate in a stand-alone mode and be able to network with SHORAD and MRAD.

The following general conditions should be noted:

The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement is for the Authority to gather information for the procurement strategy for the Specialist Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (Spec C-UAS).

The Preliminary Market Engagement Notice (PMEN) does not formally signify the beginning of a procurement process and does not constitute commitment to undertake a procurement exercise until the Tender Notice is issued.

Notices will be published on Find a Tender service (FTS).

The Authority intends to follow the principles of the Competitive Flexible Procedure under the new Procurement Act 2023.

All costs associated with producing a response and participating in the in-person meetings are the sole responsibility of the respondent.

The team will manage the process in an open and transparent manner, ensuring that participation or non-participation in the Preliminary Market Engagement will not give advantages or disadvantages to any supplier, nor impact their eligibility for future procurement processes.

All information provided by respondents shall be treated as commercially sensitive and not shared with any third parties.