A new competition is underway with the release this week of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure an integrated soldier system.
The formal RFP will close Aug. 1, with a contract award contemplated in December 2014.
The Integrated Soldier System Project (ISSP) is to provide soldiers with an integrated suite of equipment that includes weapon accessories, electronic devices, sensors, individual equipment and operational clothing. The different elements will be networked and will work seamlessly together, giving soldiers more comprehensive situational awareness, real-time tactical information and an increased ability to synchronize activity, a government release said.
An earlier solicitation was canceled Jan. 25 and the government said no compliant bids were received. That RFP launched in February 2012 and closed in June to buy equipment and in-service support under the ISSP.
This RFP is to acquire up to 6,624 integrated suites of cutting-edge equipment under the project over four years. The RFP includes a requirement for up to 11 years of associated in-service support.
The RFP, released by Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of the Department of National Defense, appears on Canada’s public tendering service, known as MERX (www.merx.com).