Heavy Equipment Transporter Interim Capability Solution

The HET ICS Requirement:

6. The Authority is seeking potential providers who have the experience, capacity, and capability to deliver the HET ICS by the 6th July 2024. The HET ICS must provide a trialed and tested fleet of militarised HET trains which can safely move a variety of heavy logistics loads, Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) and the Main Battle Tank (MBT) in peacetime, on training exercises, during the transition to war and in war fighting scenarios. The HET is a key logistical vehicle for Defence and is further utilised in the global movement of various cargos across a number of tactical and operational scenarios.
7. The requirement requires the potential provider to deliver a manning structure that embraces the Army’s concept of Whole Force Approach (WfA) with the capability being delivered by an integrated combination of regular, reserve (both Regular Reserve and Sponsored Reserves (SR)), civilian & industry resources.
8. In particular reference to the SR requirement, potential providers are to provide:

a. 85 SRs in the following professions:

i. 68 x Driver Tank Transporter Operators (DTTO)

ii. 9 x Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (REME) Maintainers

iii. 8 x SR float.

9. The HET fleet is based at the following locations in the numbers shown below but can be flexed between those locations to meet operational demands, but will not exceed the total availability requirement:

a. Up to 40 trains at Bulford

b. Up to 40 trains at Catterick

c. Up to 6 trains in Germany

d. Up to 7 trains on Operations.

10. To deliver the HET ICS, the potential provider is to provide a managed service to meet the Army’s availability requirements of:

a. 89 HET Tractors,

b. 86 HET Trailers and

c. 3 recovery systems.

d. To Note:

i. regarding points 10. a-c, there is an existing HET fleet currently providing the capability. The Authority does not intend to procure this fleet and offer it as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) to fulfil the HET ICS requirement.

ii. The potential provider may also have to provide Heavy HET trailers as part of the HET ICS.

e. 85 SRs (Operators and Maintainers) as detailed in paragraph 8.

f. An integrated logistics support service including fleet management, inventory management, supply chain management, servicing, maintenance, regeneration services and repair and inspection of a fleet of military vehicles.

g. Supporting tasks performed in the firm base, deployed benign and deployed tactical environments.

h. Sponsored Reserve training.

i. Publication and updating of service documents.

j. Safety management, including safety documentation.

k. A Fleet Management Information System (MIS).

11. HET trains must also meet the following summary technical requirements:

a. Comply with the weight / transport requirements within limits of Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003. Special Types; General Order (STGO) Guidance and Highways Regulations.

b. Have the ability to move on gravelled / prepared tracks occasionally, alongside the primary ability to move loads via highways and paved roads;

c. Remain within STGO guidance for acceptable axle load limitations Gross Axle Weight (GAW);

d. Follow the NATO single fuel policy

e. Recover non task-worthy vehicles including but not exclusively the MBT with loss of Mobility