The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published a transparency notice signalling its intention to award a four-year contract to ISTEC Services Limited for the supply of universal gun mount spares and associated items.
The deal, valued at £4.1 million excluding VAT (£4.92 million including VAT), is scheduled to run from 5 November 2025 until 4 November 2029.
The contract will ensure the continued availability of critical components for the C6 platform’s universal gun mount systems, which are used across a variety of UK Armed Forces weapon installations. These mounts provide stability, aiming precision and integration for crew-served weapons, and the supply of high-quality spares is essential to maintain their performance in demanding operational environments.
The MOD notes that ISTEC Services Limited is uniquely positioned to deliver the requirement, stating: “ISTEC Services Limited is the manufacturer and is the sole distributor of spares which support C6 Platform components. ISTEC Services Limited own the rights to the technical specifications required to undertake the manufacture, testing and supply and they do not share this knowledge/expertise with any third party.”
Because of this exclusive technical position, the MOD has opted for a direct award procedure, declaring that it is lawful “for technical reasons in accordance with section 41(6) of the Procurement Act 2023 utilising Schedule 5 paragraph 6.” The notice further states: “ISTEC Services Limited is the only contractor with significant niche expertise, technical ‘know-how’ and acquired specific experience to source quality spares and manage the supply chain/delivery process for this requirement.”
Under the arrangement, ISTEC will be responsible for manufacturing, testing and supplying the required spares, as well as managing the delivery process to ensure timely availability. This support is vital for sustaining weapon mount readiness and reducing downtime for front-line units.
Babcock Land Defence Limited is acting as the MOD’s agent for the procurement, with ISTEC continuing in its role as both the original equipment manufacturer and sole distributor. The transparency notice, issued under the UK5 procedure, is published after the award decision but before contract signature, and is intended to meet the disclosure requirements of the Procurement Act 2023.
I look forward to UKDJ’s I’m sure imminent announcement of a £4.1 billion contract for new escort vessels to fit on the end of these gun mounts.
Good luck with that😂. But I would put money on Glasgow and/or Venturer starting contractor trials by the labour party conference October 1st.
Not a chance, Labour have no interest beyond grandstanding and putting MoD into industry to boost jobs and the economy.
And what shipyard would build them? And when?
But talking of guns, could they not make an announcement that they have serious intent to make use of those wasted 200 odd CT40 guns that were to go onto Warrior?
Assume sitting in a DM depot as we speak?
They would be perfect for short range GBAD systems. There’s the Nexter/Thales Land RapidFire system, or perhaps a version of Tridon Mk2 with the CT40 gun.it would be better for army logistics to use the same rounds as Ajax rather than introduction another calibre (i.e. 40mm bofors, 35×228, etc).
I visualise them being distributed around CNI and main military nodes as a CUAS weapon?
How would that work in practice, beyond mere fantasy?
Who would operate them? And how complex are they?
£4 million? Assuming that there are 500 mounts (???) that’s £2000 per mount per annum. I have obviously spent a lifetime in the wrong business.