The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a Voluntary Transparency Notice declaring its intention to award a £22 million contract to Anschuetz UK Ltd for the in-service support of the Type 45 Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS).
According to the MOD, the proposed contract will provide critical repair, maintenance, and upgrading services for the INBS on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers. The agreement will run for an initial three years, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
The Sense, Decide, Communicate Project Team within Defence Equipment & Support explained that the INBS encompasses “a range of equipment and systems, including navigation radars, other sensors and navigational aids, emergency navigation and maritime distress systems, display consoles, workstations and indicators, and data distribution on Type 45 Class platforms.”
The MOD justified the decision to award this contract without a prior competitive tender under Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011. The notice cites “technical reasons” as the basis for proceeding with Anschuetz UK Ltd, which was deemed necessary to ensure continued operational availability of the system.
The contract specifically covers:
- Repair and maintenance services of military electronic systems;
- Reconditioning and upgrading services for ships;
- Services for floating structures and platforms.
The Type 45 destroyers are central to the Royal Navy’s air defence capabilities, with the INBS serving as a vital component for navigation and operational effectiveness. The system integrates advanced sensors and radar technology to provide situational awareness and safe navigation in challenging operational environments.
Anschuetz, based in Portsmouth, will deliver the support services under the new contract. The company specialises in navigation solutions and has prior experience in maintaining complex maritime systems, making them a logical choice for this critical role.
The MOD outlined the significance of this procurement, stating that “the User (‘Authority’) requires a capability that is optimised for strategic lift in the maritime environment,” while ensuring high availability and reliability throughout the contract term.
The Type 45 destroyers have faced challenges in recent years, including propulsion issues and operational strain. Ensuring the reliability of the INBS is seen as a priority to maintain the operational readiness of the fleet.
Should be an easy contract, most of the Type 45’s never go any where.
I hear the OS do custom maps. All they need to do is print one in a large scale with the North West Wall at the centre. Job jobbed.
£22m seems a lot but I’m guessing that half if the existing systems have been STOROBed so it will involve replacing quite a few bits on all six [for commonality and using parts that are current].
This is the painful aspect of having such small classes of ships. The contract cost to sustain this system probably wouldn’t have been much different for 12 units.
Actually, compared to what we are forking out for someone to run four Ro-Ro ferries, it doesn’t seem that expensive considering the nature of the beast.
Just buy two. pointless buying six when the damned things are tied up most of the time.
“The Type 45 destroyers are central to the Royal Navy’s air defence capabilities”
That may be so. But one of them has been laid up for 17 years and the others are in bits, except for two currently available or at sea. This is embarrasing for the RN and the country. Healey needs to sort out this sort of MoD incompetence PDQ – and get our current capabilities working instead of cutting more ships
No Type 45 has been laid up for 17 years – that would be significantly longer than the time they have been in service 🤔.
I just had a look on amazon and you can get the hardback version of the complete world atlas for under £29.
What more do you need?