The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a tender notice for the provision and support of Self-Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE), with a contract valued at up to £782,000.
The tender seeks to modernise the current open-circuit system used by military divers, improving surface demand capability and enhancing the core diving system.
According to the tender notice, “Self Contained Air Diving Equipment (SCADE) will be an improvement on our current in service capability.” The project will deliver approximately 600 modular self-contained compressed natural breathing air diving systems to support the defence sector’s diving demands, including training operations.
These systems are required to be usable in various environments, including the world’s oceans, harbours, and inland waterways, and must withstand all climatic conditions.
The new systems are designed to be rugged, lightweight, and compliant with UK safety standards.
They will also be rapidly configurable and have a minimal form to enhance the diver’s efficiency underwater. “The system design will also offer a permanent and contingent surface supply capability, as well as interoperability with in water alternate air supply connections and charging,” the MOD specified.
To ensure the systems remain effective throughout their service lifespan, they will be compatible with existing diver communication systems like the OTS MilCom 6000D and future telemetry monitoring systems.
The equipment will include buoyancy-controlled jackets, regulator assemblies, mask variants, air cylinders, gauge assemblies, tool and test kits, and transportation cases. “The systems will allow for coherent through-life upgrades,” the MOD noted, ensuring they meet evolving requirements.
The deadline for submission of tenders is 3 November 2024.
Apologies UKDJ for this is off topic. Do you have a story being prepared on your Prime Minister and Home Office ceding sovereignty to the British Indian Ocean Territories? The very location and timing makes this potentially the largest strategic blunder – I’m scratching my head to think of a folly so large in peacetime in previous history – that any nation could make. For us in Australia, this territory sits half way between our liquid fuels, and us (Australia’s vulnerability to having liquid fuels cut off is dire – only 2 refineries left running in the country and perhaps… Read more »
Yeah, one more strange subject censorship by UKDJ
Foreign Office. Opened a whole can of worms for no good reason. This country will regret this decision long after Labour have gone.
I spend a lot of my time trying to explain to folks why parts of the UK Defence industry is still excellent and defend it against knockers. That is primarily related to Ship and Submarine building and their associated supply chains. I also happen to be fairly well qualified Open circuit Diver and it’s always amazed me that virtually no one ever mentions the UK Dive equipment industry and how it relates to Defence. Our equipment hasn’t got any Sexy adverts or a posh Italian name, it tends to be reliable, long lasting, high performance and generally built “like a… Read more »
Thanks for that Rod. A nice, informative, quality piece.
Nice post mate!
I had not heard of any of those companies, or knew of our big slice of the market.
I do keep track of our military dive capability though.
I’m not sure why this is not bought out of the MOD equivalent of petty cash. I suspect much of the kit is ‘off the shelf’ therefore the RRP is known it is merely the discount which needs to be negotiated.