---
title: "UK5 - Transparency Notice"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT"
published: "2026-05-22"
---

# UK5 - Transparency Notice

Buyer: DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd

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## Summary

Defence Equipment and Support, a central government public authority in the UK, has completed a procurement process with a direct award contract given to BAE Surface Ships for the Sting Ray Mid-Life Upgrade (SRMLU) Demonstration and Initial Manufacture Phase. This contract, valued at approximately £600 million including VAT, pertains to the defence and security industry. The purpose is the refurbishment of existing stockpiles of the Sting Ray Mod 1 Lightweight Torpedo to the enhanced Mod 2 design. The contract was officially awarded on 22nd May 2026 and has a projected start date of 1st July 2028, lasting until 30th June 2032, with the possibility of an extension up to 30th June 2036.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for large-scale defence sector enterprises, specifically those involved in advanced weapons manufacturing and refurbishment, given its exclusive nature and orientation towards an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The contract's substantial value signifies a substantial investment into technology upgrades and long-term partnerships, ensuring a continuation of cutting-edge solutions. With BAE Surface Ships being the lead supplier owing to its technical expertise and existing relationship with the equipment, related businesses with similar technological competencies may consider roles in supplementary services or future tender collaborations.

## Notice

Defence Equipment and Support, part of the Ministry of Defence, intends to award a Defence and Security contract to BAE Surface Ships (BAES) for the Sting Ray Mid-Life Upgrade (SRMLU) Demonstration and Initial Manufacture Phase. The contract also includes an option for full manufacture to facilitate refurbishment of existing stockpiles of the Sting Ray MOD 1 Lightweight Torpedo to the enhanced Sting Ray MOD 2 design. The initial contract is for a period of 4 years with an option to extend by up to a further 4 years for full manufacture. The estimated value of the Contract is PS600m (incl. VAT).

### Procurement Information

It is considered that this contract can be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, as the direct award justification specified in Paragraph 6 of Schedule 5 (single supplier - technical reasons) applies. BAES is the current Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), having acquired the original manufacturer and has significant expertise relating to the weapons system dating back to its initial design. Only the OEM has access to the necessary technical knowledge and documentation to fulfil this requirement. Another supplier would be required to investigate, recreate and trial the design on legacy equipment due to go out of service in 2030. This would lead to significant project delays, with an unacceptable impact on operational capability and potentially introducing unacceptable safety and quality risks. There are no reasonable alternatives.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048004-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Planning, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Award date | 22 May 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2028 - 30 Jun 2032 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £450,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £450,644,949 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS34 8JH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK52 Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire |
| Local authority | South Gloucestershire |
| Electoral ward | Stoke Park & Cheswick |
| Westminster constituency | Filton and Bradley Stoke |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | BAE SURFACE SHIPS |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 35332100 - Torpedoes

## Release History

- 22 May 2026 at 13:34 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048004-2026
- 31 Oct 2025 at 11:56 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070044-2025

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/048004-2026
  22nd May 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/070044-2025
  31st October 2025 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-equipment-and-support
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05d7dd.json.