The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) delivers accurate and real time Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for the UK Government maritime security stakeholders.

This MDA is facilitated by the Royal Navy Maritime Domain Awareness Programme (RN MDAP).

JMSC provides the UK's maritime Common Operating Picture (COP) to all non-Defence users through the RN MDAP.

The COP provides accurate and timely situational awareness to decision makers across government and operational agencies.

Delivery of the COP requires a layered, pervasive, and non-pervasive data collection capability at multiple fixed and mobile sites to deliver accurate and timely information about users and activities within the UK Marine Area.

The data layer from shore-based systems is limited to a few tens of miles from the sensor installations hence there are large areas of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (UKEEZ) that require alternative aerial surveillance to provide data to the COP.

The aerial surveillance is the subject of this notice.

A map of the UK EEZ is available here https://data.admiralty.co.uk/portal/apps/sites/#/marine-data-portal.

To date the JMSC has utilised the services of the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and Marine Scotland to acquire aerial surveillance data.

However, the JMSC is now seeking to engage with a commercial aviation organisation to replace this current arrangement and provide the JMSC with the required levels of aerial surveillance as a fully managed service, including day and night imagery covering the UK EEZ.

The aerial surveillance service provider will be expected to perform covert and non-covert surveillance sorties across all areas of the UK EEZ using either rotary, fixed wing manned or unmanned aircraft to locate and identify targets including vessels that are not broadcasting an Identification Signal.

Aircraft sensor fit shall include Radar and Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) with cost-effective communication systems to allow the provision of the surveillance data to the JMSC in as near real time as practicable.

The potential length of this contract will be 3 to 5 years in total (including any extension periods), with an estimated total value of up to £19 million if the contract is awarded for 5 years.

The purpose of this market engagement is to assess the interest and capability of the market to meet the requirement and is not a call for competition and as such potential providers will need to express an interest in any future tender opportunity once a notice is published in Contracts Finder.

It should also be noted that this notice invites individuals and organisations to express an interest in this market engagement exercise only and is NOT part of any pre-qualification or selection process.

What to do to express an interest in this opportunity is contained within the Notes section of this notice.