The Ministry of Defence intends to place a single-source contract for the Sharpshooter enabling requirement, with delivery running for two years from October 2026, according to a pipeline notice published on the Find a Tender service.
The notice, identifier 2026/S 000-074493, appeared on 6 August 2026 and sets out estimated contract dates of 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028. A tender notice is expected to follow on or around 1 September 2026. The procedure is listed as a direct award, with the estimated value placed above the relevant threshold.
According to the notice, delivery will continue through a single-source arrangement with Qinetiq under the T3E framework, an approach the MOD attributes to what it describes as the unique and specialised capability of the MOD Aberporth instrumented range.
Work falls under the common procurement vocabulary code for specialist training services and is categorised as a services requirement. The contracting authority is the Ministry of Defence, with the requirement handled by Navy Commercial at Navy Command Headquarters on Whale Island in Portsmouth. The listed region for the authority is Portsmouth, and enquiries are directed to the Navy pre-sourcing commercial mailbox.
MOD Aberporth sits on the Ceredigion coast in west Wales and forms part of the West Wales range complex, one of the largest instrumented ranges in Europe. The range extends over the Cardigan Bay danger area and has long been used for guided weapons trials, gunnery serials and uncrewed air systems testing. Range services and instrumentation across the MOD’s test and evaluation estate, including Aberporth, are delivered by QinetiQ under the Long Term Partnering Agreement, a 25-year arrangement signed in 2003 and subsequently amended, which covers the operation and maintenance of ranges at Aberporth, Hebrides, Boscombe Down, Shoeburyness and elsewhere.
The Aberporth range has supported firings by Royal Navy surface combatants operating in Cardigan Bay, alongside trials work for missile systems in development. Adjacent to the MOD site, the ParcAberporth facility has hosted uncrewed aircraft flight testing within the associated segregated airspace.
Pipeline notices of this type are published under the Procurement Act 2023 and are intended to give the market advance sight of forthcoming requirements. They are required for contracts above £2 million where a tender or transparency notice is expected within the following 18 months, though authorities may also use them to flag lower-value requirements, work to be awarded under existing frameworks, and procurements further in the future.
Not an overly expensive contract in the grand scheme of things but would love to know the logic on why core stuff like this is outsourced and not provided directly by the MOD. Seems odd.
All the T&E infrastructure was privatised when Labour privitized most of DERA in 2001, with the most sensitive bits retained as DSTL, reportedly only because the US insisted, thank God.
The usual imbecilic desire to sell off strategic assets to save money short term.
As part of that, the T&E stuff fell under the then DT&EO, Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation, which I recall fell under the DERA umbrella.
At least MoD still own all the sites, QinetiQ just run the operations, using expertise and knowhow that was once all in house, as QinetiQ once was.
But yes….agree, yet more self mutilation by our superb politicians who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Not strictly true; QQ own Portsdown Technology Park – the land and everything
Thanks.
I’ve heard differing views on that site re ownership.
And even if they do, I don’t believe that site was a legacy location from the days of DERA/DRA regards LB test and evaluation, which was included in the spilt between QinetiQ/DSTL.
No munitions or aircraft T&E is conducted there.
The DERA site at Portsdown, Portsdown Main, was next door, further along Portsdown ridge, and is now demolished. The MoD side of Portsdown Tech Park/LBTS is/was elements of the MWC which I think still has a presence there.
DSTL remains in an expanded site at Portsdown West.
And of course, the JMSC.
Yep. Most activities at PTP nowadays relate to RN Combat System test reference facilities as well as MWC and, as you say, JMSC, NMIC etc
Concur. 👍
Ok so the land was sold off. Was thinking if it was just providing the staff then I was struggling to see the short term or any saving.