Wildcat

Background and requirement

In 2006, the MOD ordered a fleet of 70 Wildcat Helicopters from AgustaWestland. MOD recognised the requirement for a support solution for the Wildcat and determined that an Integrated Operational Support solution (WIST) should be put in place, which would encompass, for the first time on a rotary platform, the aircraft, engine, and training. WIST went ‘live’ on 1st April 2012 and will support the Wildcat to Out of Service date, The WIST contract is divided into 5-year price periods which require re-proposal from industry and re-approval by MOD. Finally, WIST became a qualifying Defence Contract (QDC) and is subject to Single Source Contracting Regulations (SSCR) on transition from PP1 to PP2 in 2017.

TP Group was tasked by MOD to assist in the Wildcat support solution definition for the next WIST price period beginning in 2022. This assistance included creation of a Should Cost Model (SCM), determination of Whole Life Costs (WLC), assessment of industry proposal for compliance and affordability, support to commercial negotiations, and support to the MOD scrutiny and assurance process.

Approach

To meet all client requirements TP Group undertook a detailed and through approach across all Defence Lines of Development (DLoD):

• Support to Statement of Requirement creation including investigation in Front Line Command Concepts of operation.
• Creation of logistic modelling data for the Wildcat capital spares and Equipment.
• Determination of Consumable spares costs.
• Determination of recurring costs including:
  • Training Service
  • Service Management
  • Technical Support Services including Information management and provision.
  • Aircraft Periodic Maintenance including Personnel levels.
• Input of Logistic cost data to the Should Cost model.
• Analysis an estimation of RNAS Yeovilton Infrastructure optimisation options.
• Identification and quantification of risk.
• Project Master Data and Assumption capture and management.
• Support to CAAS investigation, Validation and Verification (V&V).

Outcome

The Should Cost Model will form a direct comparator with the industry proposal, due at the end of October 2020, for the next five years of Wildcat support. This will be used to assist in the commercial negotiation of the contract price and form a basis to conduct an Allowable Cost Investigation (in accordance with Single Source Contract Regulations) which TP Group will support. The Should Cost Model includes estimates beyond the five-year price period to encompass Wildcat to its Out of Service date of 2045 and so provides a forecast of Whole Life Cost for use by the Wildcat Delivery Team.