The Royal Navy intends to award a two-year contract worth up to £10 million to Teledyne Instruments for the supply of underwater gliders and supporting systems, according to a UK contract notice.
The procurement, listed under the title FMDG Persistent Oceanographic Data Collect, covers the planned purchase of “up to 15 gliders and supporting systems” and is being run through the Ministry of Defence in Portsmouth.
The notice states the award is being pursued as a direct award, citing “single supplier – technical reasons” and the need for additional equipment compatible with existing systems.
According to the justification, Teledyne is the original equipment manufacturer for the Royal Navy’s current fleet of nine Teledyne Slocum Gliders and is described as the sole holder of proprietary design and integration protocols required to ensure compatibility with the MOD’s underwater battlespace architecture, including command-and-control systems and secure data exchange arrangements.
The notice states that changing supplier could create incompatibility and lead to disproportionate technical difficulties, including integration delays and increased costs. It also notes that only Teledyne gliders currently hold a safety case for Royal Navy operations, meaning alternative systems would require new safety approvals and policy work.
The MoD said introducing a different platform could add logistical complexity and delay delivery of the capability, with the justification referencing potential delays of 12 to 18 months to integrate alternative systems.
The contract approach is described as lawful under Schedule 5, paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Procurement Act 2023, with the notice stating that competition is absent for technical reasons and that a change in supplier would cause significant technical and operational disruption. The listing is published through the Find a Tender service under reference FTS 009716-2026.
