Communications equipment

Tender description

The Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Underwater Electronic Warfare (UEW) Delivery Team (DT) is considering procuring a sub-surface/surface communications system to enable text-based duplex communications between military divers, their safety support vessel and a third party land-based unit. A small, on-the-man, diveable communications system is required to provide secure two-way messaging between divers whilst submerged and their surface safety boat, it must also provide encrypted beyond line of sight messaging via Short Burst Data (SBD) services to a third party land based unit, preferably whilst the divers remain submerged. An easily transportable and suitably marinised boat located on the surface safety vessel must be able to communicate with the submerged divers and automatically relay messages sent between the divers and the third party land-based unit. The system must be user-configurable, easy to operate and not compromise the safety of the military divers equipment. Continued from short description above: Please be aware that this requirement is exempt from the PCR and DSPCR. This prior information notice (PIN) is open to responses from companies who hold List-X status, or have the potential to secure List-X status in order to receive a more detailed PIN. The competition documents and requirement will also be restricted. Companies who cannot comply with these security requirements are not suitable for this procurement. If you are interested in receiving the more detailed PIN and meet the above criteria, please respond to the email address below by 24 May 2020. This PIN has been issued in order to better understand the market, the authority is inviting interested parties to provide details on their capabilities in this field. This PIN is not a means to seek formal expressions of interest; that opportunity may become available when the UEW DT has an improved understanding of the market.