Land Based ISR and Common Operating Picture Managed Service

Channel Operations leads the overall response to clandestine entry to the UK. It is tasked with ending the viability of the small boats route as a means of entering the UK and preventing other forms of high-risk clandestine entry.

The land based ISR and common operating picture is required as part of a wider Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) package to support decision making and the tasking and coordination of operational assets; and to reliably and autonomously detect, track, and identify small boats at range, fusing this with data generated by existing platforms, and presenting it to end-users. The overarching requirement is to provide enhanced tactical domain awareness in the area of operations to autonomously support decision making and the tasking and coordination of operational assets.

This requirement will need to be delivered via a managed service that provides the domain awareness via a connection to HO owned TAK (Team Awareness Kit) server, this will provide a common operating picture that is made available to key decision-makers and operational first responders. This domain awareness will need to be provided through a web API and common operating picture and command interface that can also connect to HO owned TAK (Team Awareness Kit) server.

The service is to provide autonomous domain awareness in the area of interest (AOI), the waters of the Dover Strait from Ramsgate to Hastings, to include UK TTW out to 12 NM , to Channel Operations. Suppliers will be responsible for owning, siting, installing, securing, and operating any hardware in the UK.

This includes any commercial arrangements to utilise land to accommodate physical infrastructure. Most security and situational awareness systems used for maritime border security, such as coastal radar, cameras, or patrol vessels, simply collect data from their sensors and feed it ‘raw’ to an operator who assesses the situation and directs the system accordingly.

Monitoring and interpreting large volumes of data requires high communications bandwidth and places a high cognitive burden on the operator, potentially leading to missed threats or delayed responses. The overarching requirement is to provide enhanced tactical domain awareness in the area of interest by making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhanced data fusion and autonomous sensor management to support decision making and the tasking and coordination of operational assets.

The autonomous data fusion node must be supported by a network of advanced sensors with AI at the edge (edge nodes), combined with intelligent fusion and sensor management. The current operational tempo assumes a requirement for 24/7/365 service availability.

Suppliers will need to ensure the system is supported with sufficient personnel and process to resolve any issues promptly. The Supplier solution must : Be fully operational within six months from contract award.

An interim operational capability with additional functionality added incrementally may be acceptable where necessary, provided the interim capability provides a minimum viable product to be agreed with the Home Office. Information on the web interface will need to be generated by a network of existing and additional sensors capable of reliably and autonomously detecting, tracking, and identifying small boats at range, fusing this with data generated by existing platforms, and presenting it to end-users and to the TAK server.

Allow sensors to autonomously detect, locate, classify and respond to various situations, creating a cohesive and interoperable system. By using fusion nodes to facilitate real-time decision-making, this system will enhance situational awareness and operational flexibility.

The fused information and sensor feeds should be capable of feeding into the Home Office common operating picture within the command and control (C2) facility, and interface with wider HO operational situational awareness services as required. For the purposes of this procurement, a migrant vessel is defined as: A soft-hulled, single- or multi-chamber inflatable boat with a rigid or semi-rigid floor, typically 8 metres in length, 3 metres in width, and approximately 1.25 metres in height above the waterline.

These vessels are often overloaded with 40–60 individuals, lack Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, and are piloted by unskilled individuals attempting to cross the English Channel. Due to their low profile and construction, they present a very low radar cross-section, making them difficult to detect using conventional maritime surveillance systems.

Embarkations typically occur at all hours, day, and night, with wave heights 1 m or less. The potential length of this contract will be 12 months with a further 12 month optional extension period, with an estimated total value of up to c£12 million if the contract is awarded for 2 years, however, the Authority is seeking to ensure that an increase or decrease in contract capability is available, should the future demand change.

The content of this PIN, including the nature of works, services and estimated value, may be subject to change. We would also state that publication of this PIN does not guarantee launch of a formal procurement exercise.