{"id":23471,"date":"2020-05-07T13:49:50","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T13:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/07\/britain-to-restart-competition-for-fleet-solid-support-ships-but-whos-allowed-to-bid\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:03:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:03:55","slug":"britain-to-restart-competition-for-fleet-solid-support-ships-but-whos-allowed-to-bid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2020\/05\/07\/britain-to-restart-competition-for-fleet-solid-support-ships-but-whos-allowed-to-bid\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain to restart competition for fleet solid support ships, but who\u2019s allowed to bid?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LONDON \u2014 Britain is set to restart a competition later this year to build up to three large logistics ships to support deployment of the Royal Navy\u2019s new aircraft carrier fleet, having suspended the procurement effort last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministry of Defence officials are refusing to give an exact date for the restart, despite Defence Secretary Ben Wallace recently telling the parliamentary Defence Committee that he thought it would take place in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt will be, I think, in September, but I can correct that if I am wrong. We are hopefully going to reissue the competition sooner rather than later,\u201d he told lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Defence Committee spokeswomen said the panel is still waiting on a concrete date from the MoD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFollowing the session with the secretary of state for defense, Ben Wallace, the committee wrote to the department asking for clarification on a number of issues, including the timing of the Fleet Solid Support program. The committee has not yet heard back from the Ministry of Defence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition to build up to three 40,000-ton vessels in a requirement known locally as the Fleet Solid Support program was expected to have been worth as much as \u00a31.5 billion (U.S. $1.9 billion) at the time the competition was unexpectedly terminated Nov. 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MoD said at the time that it took the action due to a failure to find a value-for-money solution in negotiations with shipbuilders. In his evidence to the committee, Wallace described the program as \u201c effectively delinquent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The warships, which will be operated by the Royal Navy\u2019s logistics supplier, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, are a key element of Britain\u2019s plan to replace aging Fort-class ships with modern support ships to supply ammunition, dry stores and spares to aircraft carrier strike groups and other maritime task groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program had been mired in controversy since the Conservative government opted to open the design to international competition, rather that adopt a \u201cBuy British\u201d policy. The move caused an outcry from politicians, industry and unions who believed naval logistics vessels should be included in the list of warships, like frigates and destroyers, that are off limits to foreign shipbuilders.<\/p>\n\n\n\t