FMDG Persistent Oceanographic Data Collect

Location

Description

The Royal Navy intends to award a 2-year contract to Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research for up to 15 gliders and supporting systems.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• None found

Legal Justification

The Royal Navy intends to award a 2-year contract to Teledyne Instruments Inc. d/b/a Teledyne Webb Research for up to 15 gliders and supporting systems. This approach is lawful under Schedule 5, paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Procurement Act 2023, as competition is absent for technical reasons and a change in supplier would result in incompatibility and disproportionate technical difficulties. Compatibility Context: Teledyne is the original equipment manufacturer and sole holder of proprietary design and integration protocols for the Royal Navy’s existing glider fleet (nine Teledyne Slocum Gliders). These gliders are integrated into MOD’s underwater battlespace architecture, including command-and-control systems and secure data exchange with strategic partners. Disproportionate Technical Difficulties: • Interoperability: Alternative gliders may fail to meet NATO-standard interoperability and encryption requirements, creating vulnerabilities in classified mission data exchange. • Safety Risks. Currently only Teledyne Gliders have a safety Case for Royal Navy Operations. New gliders will require new safety policy and permissions. • Operational Delays: Integration with existing systems would require extensive re-engineering and validation, delaying capability potentially up to 12–18 months. • Cost Impact: Additional costs for bespoke middleware, retraining, support, and duplicating spares inventory would exceed the contract value. Note: RN has a funded two year sole Teledyne Glider Support Contract. A different glider contract will require additional funds for support and interoperability provision. Not scoped currently. • Mission Continuity: Introducing a second platform would double logistic complexity and increase failure points during deployments. These difficulties are disproportionate because they would compromise safety, delay delivery, and impose costs far beyond the contract value, with no operational benefit. Teledyne remains the only supplier able to guarantee seamless interoperability, security compliance, and mission readiness into the Current RN Glider Fleet.

Other Information

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