---
title: "704942450A -Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03e4e9"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03e4e9"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03e4e9.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03e4e9.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MINISTRY OF DEFENCE"
published: "2023-07-24"
---

# 704942450A -Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN

Buyer: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03e4e9

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence in the UK has awarded a contract titled "Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN" to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Ltd for the manufacture and supply of 400 modified Firing Needle Assemblies (FNA) for the Challenger 2 main battle tank. This contract was awarded under a limited procurement method, negotiated without publication of a contract notice. The contract is valued at 578,899 GBP and was signed on 20th July 2023. The procurement stage is at the award phase, with a mandatory ten-day standstill period ending on 3rd August 2023 in Bristol.

This tender creates business opportunities for firms specialising in goods manufacturing, particularly those with expertise in safety-critical components for military equipment. The single-source contract with RBSL was awarded due to technical reasons concerning safety requirements for the 120mm L30A1 CR2 gun. Businesses with experience in supplying defence-related equipment and meeting strict safety standards would be well-suited to compete for similar contracts in the defence sector. The contracting authority, the Ministry of Defence, aims to ensure the safe functioning of the Challenger 2 tank through this specialised procurement process.

## Notice

Modification to Lipless Firing Needle Assembly VTN

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Defence Equipment & Support Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team (VST), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a single source contract to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) ltd for the manufacture and supply of quantity 400 modified Firing Needle Assemblies (FNA) for the L30A1 (120mm) gun of the Challenger 2 (CR2) main battle tank. It is considered that this Contract can be placed under Regulation 16 (1) (a) (ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations on a Single Source basis with RBSL for Technical Reasons. The FNA is a safety critical internal component of the 120mm L30A1 CR2 gun and requires modification to the current design to prevent obturation failure. This modification is a safety requirement that must be fulfilled to ensure the safe functioning of the L30A1 CR2 Main Armament during operation. RBSL are the Design Authority (DA) and the Original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the CR2 and have been the sole supplier of FNAs throughout the life of the L30A1 gun. They have been involved in the development of the L30A1 Weapon System from its inception and possess technical information relating to the Weapon TVE Monitoring system, of which the FNA forms part of. In addition to the Firing Needle Assembly (FNA), the Weapons TVE Monitoring system consists of two interfacing units which interact with the Weapon: * Tube Vent Electrical Display Unit (TVEDU) * Tube Vent Electrical Contactor unit (TVECU) These two units are both procured and/or repaired through RBSL, and the Authority does not have access to the full technical information relating to their design specification. This information is required to ensure that the FNA is built to the correct standard as required to interact with the Weapon TVE Monitoring system and RBSL is the only supplier with this necessary technical information. Without the necessary technical information, there is the risk of misfires, causing a safety issue that would put the crew at risk during Operations. This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above. The Authority is conducting a mandatory ten day standstill period ending at 17:00 on Thursday 3rd August 2023.

### Procurement Information

The Defence Equipment & Support Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team (VST), part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a single source contract to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) ltd for the manufacture and supply of quantity 400 modified Firing Needle Assemblies (FNA) for the L30A1 (120mm) gun of the Challenger 2 (CR2) main battle tank. It is considered that this Contract can be placed under Regulation 16 (1) (a) (ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations on a Single Source basis with RBSL for Technical Reasons. The FNA is a safety critical internal component of the 120mm L30A1 CR2 gun and requires modification to the current design to prevent obturation failure. This modification is a safety requirement that must be fulfilled to ensure the safe functioning of the L30A1 CR2 Main Armament during operation. RBSL are the Design Authority (DA) and the Original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the CR2 and have been the sole supplier of FNAs throughout the life of the L30A1 gun. They have been involved in the development of the L30A1 Weapon System from its inception and possess technical information relating to the Weapon TVE Monitoring system, of which the FNA forms part of. In addition to the Firing Needle Assembly (FNA), the Weapons TVE Monitoring system consists of two interfacing units which interact with the Weapon: * Tube Vent Electrical Display Unit (TVEDU) * Tube Vent Electrical Contactor unit (TVECU) These two units are both procured and/or repaired through RBSL, and the Authority does not have access to the full technical information relating to their design specification. This information is required to ensure that the FNA is built to the correct standard as required to interact with the Weapon TVE Monitoring system and RBSL is the only supplier with this necessary technical information. Without the necessary technical information, there is the risk of misfires, causing a safety issue that would put the crew at risk during Operations. This notice is not a request for expressions of interest so please do not apply to be invited to tender. This notice advises that the Authority has decided to negotiate a contract with the named supplier on a single source basis and is published for reasons of transparency. If you are interested in becoming a sub-contractor for this requirement, you should apply directly to the supplier named above. The Authority is conducting a mandatory ten day standstill period ending at 17:00 on Thursday 3rd August 2023.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021360-2023 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Negotiated without publication of a contract notice |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 24 Jul 2023 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 19 Jul 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £578,899 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MINISTRY OF DEFENCE |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Not specified |
| Postcode | N/A |
| Country | Not specified |
| ITL 1 | Not specified |
| ITL 2 | Not specified |
| ITL 3 | Not specified |
| Local authority | Not specified |
| Electoral ward | Not specified |
| Westminster constituency | Not specified |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | RHEINMETALL BAE SYSTEMS LAND (RBSL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment

### Codes

- 35411100 - Main battle tanks

## Release History

- 24 Jul 2023 at 15:43 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021360-2023

## Notice URLs

- http://DES.MOD.UK
- https://www.rbsl.com/

## Provenance

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