UK DPA announces CATS short list

The UK's Defence Procurement Agency has shortlisted three consortia to compete for the UK Combined Aerial Target System (CATS) programme. The three consortia are:

• BAE SYSTEMS (BAE Systems, STN Atlas, Cranfield, Microsystems Inc.)
• QinetiQ Consortium (Qinetiq, Meteor Spa, Raytheon) and
• Team Firecat (Serco, EADS, JRA)

CATS is a significant departure for the MOD in terms of combating the modern aerial threat. The programme winner will need to produce a system that can cope with the requirements of the three branches of the armed forces. Sustaining an up to the minute emulation of aerial threats in order to meet customer needs, in terms of procuring aerial targets and payloads, will be the prime aim. Furthermore, the system will need to address logistical concerns, namely range locations, clearance, recovery, and environmental protection.

Initial gate approval is scheduled for the middle of next year with the service commission deadline set for the end of 2004. Between now and then, the process will develop via a number of test and evaluation stages with the emphasis on evolution. The procurement is intended to be more streamlined than those previous, employing combined targets for the public-private partnership.

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