Electronic intelligence system

Tender description

DE&S, on behalf of MoD, are looking to procure a tether system that can be integrated with a MoD air platform to support and enable trials of a tethered UAS to evidence and inform MarCap capability and decision making on the potential future use. DE&S, on behalf of MoD, are looking to procure a tether system that can be integrated with a MoD air platform to support and enable trials of a tethered unmanned air system (TUAS) to evidence and inform maritime capability and decision making on the potential future use. A TUAS could be a viable method of granting increased situational awareness and command and control capability for ships. The current sensor horizon on RN ships is limited by physical mast height. This could be extended many times if the sensor/payload was elevated further to support a range of potential future payloads/use cases. The Navy requires such capabilities be investigated to provide decision support to technology development and system procurement. This TUAS capability concept demonstrator (CCD) shall be conducted to investigate the physical limitations of tether height and impacts on power/data capacities as well as exploring and understanding technical feasibility. The tether system (i.e. tether, winch system, ground control segment, power) procured under this tender, shall be expected to be capable of integrating and interoperable with the MoD air platform of the Malloy Aeronautics TRV-80. Integration of the tether system to the TRV-80 is anticipated to be conducted by the design authority of the UAS. To establish a Navy ‘virtual mast’ the tether is expected to operate to a height of 300 m minimum, with a stretch target of 500 m in a maritime environment. In understanding the limitations of a tether, the tether system should aim to provide the optimum power/data at the height(s) to support the UAS in planned trial environmental conditions as well as providing additional spare capacity for potential future Payload. It is the intent that a series of incremental trials led by NAS 700X shall be conducted with the tether system and TRV-80 both on land and sea in a static and moving environment to explore the operational capabilities and limitations of the use of the Tether. The cyber risk risk assessment reference (RAR) is RAR-6FB8XCG6.