Command Management System (CMS) Joint Support Solution 2 (JSS2).

The Ministry of Defence (‘the Authority’), intends to place a contract amendment to the Joint Support Solution 2 (JSS2) contract (MCS/1041) with BAE Systems Limited (‘BAES’) to provide additional Shared Infrastructure (SI) nodes to host Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) Increment 1 hardware for use on the Type 31 platform. The estimated value of this contract amendment is £10M. In accordance with regulation 4 of The Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (DSPCR 2011) as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that this contract amendment can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice in the UK e-notification services (as required by the relevant legislation) and is lawful in accordance with regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for Technical Reasons. This is because MEWSIC is required to be hosted upon the SI and Combat Management Systems (CMS) across the Royal Navy (RN) fleet. BAES are already on contract with the Authority for the provision of SI, and to undertake the integration of MEWSIC increment 1 hardware, with T26 SI contracted under the T26 build contract (SHIPACQ036) and QEC and T45 platforms contracted under the JSS2 contract. It is imperative to have a single and common approach covering Electronic Warfare Operators, to ensure that MEWSIC works in the same way pan-fleet (i.e., the same Form, Fit and Function plus maintenance). Having provision of SI nodes for MEWSIC and integration undertaken by a third party would not allow T31 to adopt the technical design approach of the aforementioned platforms, greatly increasing the risk of design deviation, and exposing the Authority to intolerable safety risks as well as impacting operational effectiveness, capability availability and training. Furthermore, introducing platform design differences would require different operator and maintainer guidance, thus creating issues for the Authority and RN around interoperability and safety assurance which could lead to a level of risk that is not acceptable to the Authority.