The multi-round tendering procedure for the delivery of 210 new tracked infantry fighting vehicles has advanced to the next phase. All four suppliers will participate in it. Surprisingly, including Puma which hasn’t met parameters till now. How will the procedure and time schedule continue?

Picture: New infantry fighting vehicles for the Army of the Czech Republic are offered by BAE Systems, General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), Rheinmetall Landsysteme and PSM

After expiry of the time for possible objections (with regard to the “Announcement of acceptance of applications to participate in the multi-round tendering procedure for tracked IFV“ dated 7/15/ 2019), on Thursday, 1st August 2019 Deputy Minister - Head of the Armaments and Acquisition Division of the Ministry of Defence Filip Říha signed the “Call of the submitter to submit preliminary quotations”. All four potential suppliers of new infantry fighting vehicles for the Army of the Czech Republic obtained this call. 

Together with the main part of the document, the Call also includes 16 thematic annexes and detailed description for the suppliers regarding the structure of the preliminary quotation to be submitted, and how and when they have to submit it.

Picture: IFV CV90

The Ministry expects the suppliers to accept and concretize technical parameters of the offered vehicles in the preliminary quotation, to approve the time schedule of deliveries and to propose a price of the goods (first of all of the vehicles, but also training, simulators, etc.), life time of the vehicles and spare parts. The suppliers will also have to accept the procedure rules and submit a proposal of involvement of the Czech industry into the procurement. MoD expect that preliminary quotations will be submitted at the beginning of October 2019.

Picture: IFVLynx

After evaluation of the preliminary quotations, the proper multi-round tendering procedure with the suppliers will be performed with the aim of improvement of the quotations, especially in the field of the offered price of the goods and technical parameters. After that, companies will be called to submit final quotations, which will be evaluated with the use of a mathematical multi-criteria model. The proposal of the successful supplier will be consequently presented to the Minister of Defence and the Government of the Czech Republic.

Picture: IFV ASCOD

Participation of Puma from Germany is relatively surprising. Although this company gained new abilities according to the German Federal Office for Armament (BAAINBw - Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr), which was entrusted for the creation of a work group with the German armouries, Rheinmetall and KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann), with an aim to extend abilities of the mechanized infantry that will become a backbone of so-called the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force of NATO (VJTF) in 2023.

Picture: IFV Puma

Thus, the Puma infantry fighting vehicle, thanks to the preparations to VJTF 2023, will obtain significant extension of its combat capabilities, namely new abilities in the fields of survey, command and fire power, and will contribute, by this, to the growth of the capabilities of the whole mechanized infantry. Apart from that, additional day- and night-vision cameras were installed on this fighting vehicle to achieve excellent view during the day and at night. It increased mobility and, above all, even more enforced the protection of the crew. But so far, we haven’t had answers regarding the size of the landing party and the crew gun turret. So, let's hope that MoD will obtain quotations in time and we will be able to familiarize ourselves in detail with their actual wording and especially with a price of the future IVFs.