The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a contract valued at £3,224,465 for the provision of a Post Flight Analysis (PFA) tool to enhance the acoustic Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth.
The awarded contract was published on 7 August 2024, according to the official contract summary.
The PFA tool is intended to augment the existing capabilities of the Tactical Mobile Acoustic Support System (TacMASS), which currently offers limited functionality.
According to the contract description, the MOD’s P8 Delivery Team aims to procure three units of the PFA tool—one for a fixed installation at the Main Operating Base and two deployable kits.
The contract also includes a repair and maintenance support package to ensure ongoing functionality.
The contract, which runs from 21 June 2024 to 20 June 2027, is categorised as a service contract and was procured through a restricted procedure.
This procurement effort reflects the MOD’s commitment to enhancing the operational capabilities of the P-8A Poseidon fleet, which plays a crucial role in the UK’s maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare missions. The enhanced PED capability is expected to provide more comprehensive post-flight analysis, thereby improving mission effectiveness and operational readiness.
The contract was awarded, say the MOD, following a competitive tendering process that concluded with a closing date of 7 December 2023.
PFAT, another acronym for us all to use in the future. 😁
PFAT to enhance P-8A’s PED, augmenting limited TacMASS. What more needs be said?