The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced its intent to award a £3.3 million contract to Teledyne Instruments Inc. for the procurement of six Slocum G3 Gliders and associated unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) spares for the Royal Navy.
According to the transparency notice, the contract, which falls under the Procurement Act 2023, is set to begin on March 21, 2025, and will run until March 31, 2027.
The MOD states that the contract is being awarded without prior competition, citing technical reasons under Schedule 5, paragraph 6 and paragraph 7 of the Procurement Act 2023. According to the notice, Teledyne Instruments Inc. is the only manufacturer capable of providing UUVs and payloads that are compatible with the Royal Navy’s existing fleet.
The MOD argues that switching suppliers would create disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance, potentially impacting safety and interoperability. The procurement is expected to ensure seamless integration of payload data with the Navy’s current systems.
The contract covers:
- Initial procurement of six Slocum G3 Gliders and spares.
- An initial contract value of £1.8 million (inc. VAT), with options to increase to £3.3 million.
- Potential additional purchases, including further goods, training, and integration services.
The Teledyne Slocum G3 Glider is a long-endurance oceanographic UUV designed for surveying and data collection, typically used in naval hydrography and environmental monitoring.
According to the MOD, this procurement will enhance the Royal Navy’s operational capabilities in oceanographic surveying while ensuring continuity and compatibility with existing systems.
Slocum eh ?
You got to love that name.
Makes a change from a “we don’t want to spend any money, so we’ll have a 5 year project with an Admiral, fancy name, issue invites and then conclude we’ll need to order more but we spent the budget on the project”.
Moral is if it Ain’t broke don’t fix it !