715949481 - Provision of Targets for Exercise Formidable Shield 2027 UK5

The procurement of ICARUS drones is consistent with the policy test that permits procurement where a change of supplier would result in incompatibility or disproportionate technical difficulties in operation and maintenance. The exercise will use an existing Army UAS launcher and Ground Control Station, making ICARUS a compatible component of an already-selected launch, control and safety architecture rather than a standalone purchase.

Procuring an alternative drone system would create a material risk of interface mismatch, unproven operating procedures, additional integration and safety-case work, and increased maintenance burden. Those risks would be disproportionate for the exercise and could compromise safe and timely delivery; procuring ICARUS therefore preserves assured interoperability with the Army launcher and GCS, maintains the existing safety assurance baseline, and avoids unnecessary operational and maintenance risk.