UK MoD Project LANCA - RAF 'Loyal Wingman'

Estimated value of requirement: Category C: 20M – 100M GBP
Short description of the contract: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is undertaking pre-sourcing activity for a potential future requirement for the preliminary system design and assessment of cost-capability trade-offs for a low cost Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator. This UCAS would see a significant reduction in its cost and development time compared to traditional combat air systems, and a potential future requirement would include the development and manufacture of the proposed design, and the conduct of a limited flight test programme. The Ministry of Defence is holding an Industry day for interested parties on 13 March at RAF High Wycombe. Places will be limited to 2 per company.

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GB-High Wycombe: Project LANCA
July 31, 2018
Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom

Notice Type:MOD Contract Notice

GB-High Wycombe: Project LANCA
Region Codes: UKJ31

Section I: Contract Title
1. Contract Title: GB-High Wycombe: Project LANCA
2. Section (DIO only):

Section II: Identification Numbers
1. MOD Contract Notice Nr: ACT/RC1014

Section III: Relevant Dates
1. Deadline for Expression of Interest: 20/08/2018
2. Proposed/Estimated ITT Issue Date: 27/08/2018
3. Proposed/Estimated ITT Return Date: 05/11/2018
4. Proposed Issue Date of Contract: Not Provided
5. Proposed Completion Date of Contract: 01/01/2020

Section IV: Issuing Branch / Organisation Details
1. Notice Address
Ministry of Defence, Combat Air, Other
L10 Bldg 47 HQ Air Command, RAF High Wycombe, Walters Ash, HP14 4UE, United Kingdom
Tel. 01494 494630, Email: Amanda.Day596@mod.gov.uk

Section V: Product / Service Descriptor Code
1. Industry Codes:
73100000 – Research and experimental development services.

Section VI: Summary of Requirements / Description of Work, Goods and Services
1. Summary of Requirements / Description of Work: Research and experimental development services. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is undertaking a competition for the preliminary system design and assessment of cost-capability trade-offs for a low cost Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS). This UCAS would see a significant reduction in its cost and development time compared to traditional combat air systems, and a potential future requirement would include the development and manufacture of a demonstrator for the proposed design, and the conduct of a limited flight test programme.

There are two planned Phases: Phase 1 is for the preliminary system design, and up to three bidders will be contracted. Phase 2 is for the further development and manufacture of a Phase 1 contractor’s design, and the conduct of a limited flight test programme; either one or two contracts will be awarded for Phase 2The Authority reserves the right not to award any of these contracts in Phase 1 or 2 should it deem that it is not practicable, viable or affordable.

Interest is sought from contractors able to deliver both Phase 1 and Phase 2, whether as a single contractor or as team, partnership consortia or specialist procurement vehicle.

Due to the nature of the project, only UK registered companies with an ability to achieve List X status may submit a tender.
2. Main Place of Performance or Delivery: Portsmouth
3. Can a supplier bid alone for only a part of the contract?: No
Section VII: Reverse Auction
1. Reverse Auction: No. A Reverse Auction, conducted using electronic means, will not be used as part of the procurement process for this requirement.

Section VIII: Estimated Value of Requirement
1. Estimated Value of Requirement: Category F1c: 870K – 4.5M GBP

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the RCO also issued a RFI (Request for Information) to industry earlier this year under project LANCA for a ‘Loyal Wingman’ class of lower-cost attritable combat UAV. This RFI, is open to UK and international companies, is also open to academia and SMEs or ‘combinations’ of those, says Rochelle, adding: “the conversation is open; that’s why the RFI is written in the manner it’s written. It’s for everybody to come and show us what can be delivered its effectiveness. We are truly looking for disruption in that area too.” On LANCA, he notes: “we are interested in exploring it as a potential part of the future combat air system.” On the broader FCAS concepting work, a MoD industry day was held on 13 March, with Flight Global reporting that a consortium called Team Tempest, comprising BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce, had been formed to develop FCAS concepts.

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Team Tempest pursues UCAS demonstrator deal

04 APRIL, 2018 SOURCE: FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM BY: CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

The UK Ministry of Defence plans to conduct a future test campaign using a low-cost unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator, with the work to build on the lessons learned from previous activities including its BAE Systems-led Taranis programme.

"This UCAS would see a significant reduction in its cost and development time compared to traditional combat air systems, and a potential future requirement would include the development and manufacture of the proposed design, and the conduct of a limited flight-test programme," says the MoD, which held an industry day for interested parties on 13 March.

These include BAE, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce, which have formed "Team Tempest" to pursue the opportunity.

Royal Air Force chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier tells FlightGlobal that the UK-only initiative will run alongside an existing Anglo-French future combat air system activity. "We are a powerful aviation nation: we can do platforms, propulsion, sensors, weapons and information," he says, adding: "It's a vital industry for the UK."

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Three bidders have been selected to pursue a UK contract to build and fly a lightweight affordable novel combat aircraft (LANCA) demonstrator: a class of unmanned vehicle which could potentially one day be used in coordination with assets such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 or Tempest future combat air system.

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RIAT: UK takes wraps off unmanned LANCA concept

Three bidders have been selected to pursue a UK demonstration-phase contract for an unmanned lightweight affordable novel combat aircraft (LANCA) capability.

www.flightglobal.com

Hood said:

Thanks flateric.
Looks like the Black Dawn team (as it was originally known) won this contract in the end, which is probably good as it doesn't distract Team Tempest from their work.
Given Boeing's work in Australia this shouldn't be an impossible ask it should be feasible to see a production version.
A Mosquito eh? A potential jack of all trades in the offing?

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Air Commodore Jez Holmes, Head of the Rapid Capabilities Office said:​

Through Project Mosquito and other experimentation activities the Royal Air Force has made substantial progress and gained significant value in understanding and harnessing a range of future uncrewed capabilities. This decision maximises the learning accrued to date and enables a change of direction for the LANCA programme. The Rapid Capabilities Office will now quickly launch activities to aggressively pursue the RAF’s unchanged firm commitment to integrate advanced uncrewed capabilities into the near-term force mix with more immediate beneficial value.

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Future RAF will mix crewed fighters, UAVs and swarming drones: CDS

General Sir Nick Carter said that by 2030 a Royal Air Force(RAF) tactical formation could be made of up two Typhoon Fighter Jets, ten Mosquito uncrewed fighter aircraft and 100 Alvino swarming uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).

www.airforce-technology.com

Mosquito is the Raf’s name for a programme to build the UK’s first uncrewed fighter aircraft, able to target and shoot down adversaries aircraft. The project is currently being led by Spirit AeroSystems with an aim for full-scale flight tests in 2023.

Mosquito is designed to fill the role of a ‘Loyal Wingman’ flying alongside crewed fighter jets, increasing combat mass at a lower cost.

Commenting on the future mix of aircraft, Carter told the IISS thinktank: “I think by 2030, it’s entirely respectable for us to posit a view that a tactical formation in the Air Force will move from being eight Typhoon to being two Typhoon, 10 Mosquitoes and 100 Alvino, because that is another way of generating significant mass, and you can see that playing out both in the land and maritime domains as well.”


Alvina is to be a swarming drone platform and was mentioned by the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston at the Royal United Services Institute Lord Trenchard Memorial Lecture earlier this year.

Speaking at the RUSI event earlier this year, Wigston described the future Royal Air Force as being made up of Tempest, F-35, Mosquito, Alvina, and Protector remotely piloted air system (RPAS) and 80% uncrewed or remotely piloted.

[snip]

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