Published date: 27 August 2025
Last edited date: 28 August 2025
Open early engagement - This means that a procurement idea is currently active, it is in the early stage of development and judging interest from potential suppliers.
Contract summary
Industry
Air/ground/sea launched cruise missiles - 35623100
Military research and technology - 73410000
Location of contract
BS34 8JH
Procurement reference
20250827-NIGHTFALL
Published date
27 August 2025
Closing date
18 September 2025
Contract is suitable for SMEs?
Yes
Contract is suitable for VCSEs?
No
Description
The User requires a cost-effective, tactical (>600km) ballistic missile, capable of being safely ground launched from a mobile platform in a high threat tactical environment, navigating to and accurately striking a user-programmed co-ordinate. It shall be: operable in harsh physical environments, day and night, of low multispectral signature, resilient in a complex Electromagnetic environment (EME), including within a GNSS denied & degraded environment, and resistant against targeted EW attack and spoofing.
Subject to potential future contract, manufacturing shall be scalable to meet operational requirements at a minimum of 10 units per month, with the ability to further increase."
Overview:
MOD requires the ability to deliver multiple (>2) effectors from a single ground vehicle. Each effector must carry a circa 300kg (high explosive) payload over 600km on a ballistic trajectory, with some basic manoeuvrability. Such solutions are commonly referred to as tactical ballistic missiles. The effector must be able to navigate in a GPS denied environment and strike within 5m of a provided GPS co-ordinate 50% of the time i.e. have a CEP50 of 5m.
Flight time must be rapid - able to strike targets within 10 minutes of an effector launch. Similarly, launch time must be rapid - we envision all NIGHTFALL effectors being fired from the same launcher within 15 minutes of stopping at a launch location. Post launch, the ground vehicle/launcher and crew must be able to rapidly leave the area, ideally in 5 minutes.
The target effector cost is £500,000 all-up per unit, excluding the warhead, launcher and any development costs. We are looking for technologies that can be packaged within 9-12 months to provide at least five all-up units for trials. The design should minimise and ideally be free from foreign government trade and usage restrictions, such as export control. The design must have the ability to be upgraded in the future, such as increasing the range, accuracy, in-flight manoeuvrability, fitted telemetry and other elements as required.
At this stage, MOD is keen to understand Industry's feedback to this challenge statement. We do not need to be presented with a complete solution. If your product answers part of the problem we encourage you to participate and network with other companies who can also part of the solution. If you are offering part of the solution, we need you to explicitly state which part of the problem you are answering within the categories of:
Propulsion system i.e. Rocket Motors or other systems.
Airframe
Navigation
Ability to scale
Mobile launcher systems
Systems Integration
The project will be prioritising scalability over exquisite solutions.
The following could be government furnished (Gfx):
Payload
Fuzes
Testing ranges/facilities
Support for scaling
Government SME (DSTL, DE&S) advice
Please use the following link to attend the Industry day.
https://forms.office.com/e/zUpjSPi06d
How to apply
Follow the instructions given in the description or the more information section.
About the buyer
Address
Ministry of Defence
MOD Abbey Wood South, 1261, Spruce 2B
Bristol
BS34 8JH
England
Share this notice
Closing date: 18 September 2025
All content is available under the
