UK MoD renews Supacat’s Contractor Logistics Support for the Mine Protected Vehicle Fleet
Supacat's contract to provide Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the British Army's fleet of Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV) has been renewed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The new CLS contract was finalised in 2007 and extends to 2010. It follows on from a 2002 MoD Urgent Operational Requirement, in which Supacat was selected to procure the MPV fleet from Force Protection Inc, modify it to meet British Army requirements and bring the vehicle into service in 2003.
The new contract improves terms for both parties and optimises the support Supacat provides in guaranteeing availability and through life support for the eight vehicle MPV fleet, 4 of which are currently being used in Afghanistan. Supacat acts as Design Authority for the UK fleet, designing and installing modifications and upgrades, of which 34 have been performed to date. The MPV is the British variant of the 4x4 Cougar H in service with the US Marines.
"The new CLS contract is working well for both MoD and Supacat in that it is providing a military capability to the customer when and where it is needed. MPV is our first CLS contract and the renewal is important as it shows we are proving our ability to deliver on CLS contracts. The contract also illustrates the value of our specialist vehicle design and engineering capability in assuming the design authority role over vehicles other than our own", says Nick Ames, Managing Director of Supacat.
The contract meets the MoD's stated aim of acquiring a total capability by partnering with industry. The revisions in the new contract with Supacat for MPV are a good example of MoD and industry working together successfully to improve support for the armed forces", said Roger Pidgeon, MoD Project Leader, MPV Fleet, Manoeuvre Support IPT.
Under the contract Supacat guarantees availability of 2 vehicles at 24 hours notice and additional pairs of vehicles incrementally at 48 hours and 76 hours. Supacat is responsible for maintaining all vehicles and ensuring they are regularly serviced both in the UK and when deployed with the British Armed Forces. The vehicles are based at Supacat's Dunkeswell, Devon, facility, where there is a dedicated workshop, including secure housing for all spares. A 24/7 hotline is operated to respond to spares requests and a Web Portal gives the MoD instant access to the service history and status of each vehicle from anywhere in the world. Supacat has also deployed personnel in theatre to Camp Bastion to support driver and maintenance training, carry out modification upgrades and retrieve Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) data.
The baseline value to Supacat for the CLS contracts is in the region of £2.2 million, with provision for additional service levels and upgrades