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CF Weapons – New Canadian Ranger Rifle – MERX P&A/LOI – Sept 2011 Ranger Rifles – Replacing the 65 year old .303" No4 Lee Enfields With 'New Canadian Ranger Rifles' – MERX Price and Availability Update 17 Oct 2011:  This P&A has been cancelled. The Ottawa Citizen reported that potential suppliers objected to its requirement to supplying proprietary details to Colt Canada. No suppliers regarded this small order as worth surrending industrial secrets. This Price and Availability request for 10,200  New Canadian Ranger Rifles follows the pattern set by the NCRR's  Small Arms Modernization  Project  Phase 1 stablemate, the General Service Pistol. Indeed, much of the NCRR P&A is cut-and-pasted 'boiler plate'. The P&A is a bit wobbly on numbers, both 10,000 and 10,200 NCRRs being listed. But mention is also made of a possible purchase of  small numbers of  rifles for trials which could only explain the extra 200 NCRR if  DND anticipated 20 competitors (only 10 trial rifles of each type being required ). As revealed in the DRDC Human Factors report on the New Canadian Ranger Rifle,  DND regards NCRR as a least-modified 'hunting rifle'. This NCRR P&A requests a Commercial-off-the-Shelf  or COTS solution – implying that currently-offered hunting rifles can be easily adapted to meet the requirement with minimal changes. The P&A then says that these civilian rifles will be licence-made by Munitions Supply Program source, Colt Canada. This is the same arrangement used for the GSP but that  P&A insisted on a Military-off-the- Shelf  purchase. Why the different approach  when both weapons are to be produced by DND's preferred military supplier anyway ? NCRR, like GSP, replaces military weapons for military use. Rangers already have their rifle of choice but DND cannot get parts in the way they're used  to. Manufacturing New Canadian Ranger Rifles in Canada is a good idea while putting in- service support back into DND's comfort zone. So why continue banging-on about the difficulty of getting Lee Enfield parts? Whether DND knows it or not,  the real problem springs from design rights to in-service weapons. Colt Canada might support most CF small arms but only holds rights to the C7/C8 series. [1]  Let us take it as read that Colt can support a warmed-over hunting rifle. But Colt Canada and thus the Government of Canada will be paying royalties to a third party for design rights to said  hunting rifles. DRDC's survey of  Canadian Rangers revealed the rifle of choice to be  the Lee-Enfield. Their idealized update would include: reduced weight, a change in calibre, a modern synthetic stock, and  sight rails. DND quickly eliminated an Enfield 'clone', AIA's M10 in .308" / 7.62mm NATO. But the existance of that M10 rifle begs the question: who currently owns the rights to the Lee Enfield rifle? Most likely, patents have expired and the answer to NCRR is as simple as Colt Canada producing a militarized version of the M10 (or modernized Indian RFI ). [2] Let's face it,  this  New Canadian Ranger Rifle is no COTS job. If  military-quality finish is demanded; military-style In-Service Support required; non-commercial stocks, sight- mounts, magazines, etc., demanded;  then you have created a military requirement that cannot be met with a MOTS let alone COTS offering. This NCRR requirement won't be satisfied until DND chooses between browsing Jane's and shopping at Canadian Tire. [1] Ironically, rights to the C7 and  C8 were transferred  from the Canadian Government to Colt as an inducement to buy Diemaco. In direct contrast, the US Army took control of  design rights for the M4 carbine  (equivalent to the C8 )  from  Colt Defense in 2009. [2] The 7.62mm 2A RFI (Rifle Factory Ishapore) was built for the Indian Army between 1962 and 1975. Did RFI or the Indian Government pay any royalties? It seems doubtful. ________________________________________ NEW CANADIAN RANGER RIFLE – .303" Lee Enfield Rifle Replacement – MERX Price & Availability (P&A) ________________________________________ Reference Numbers              PW-$$BM-027-21790 Solicitation Numbers           W8476-123195/A Organization Name               Public Works and Government Services Canada                                                  Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux Canada Source ID                               FD.DP.QC.10077.C2 Associated Components     Yes Dates Published     — Revised         2011-09-16 Closing         2011-10-14  2:00 PM  Eastern Daylight Saving Time  EDT Details Category     Armament GSINS          N1095:  MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONS Region of Delivery  Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia,                                    New Brunswick, Quebec, National Capital Region, Ontario, Manit-                                    oba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest                                    Territories, Nunavut, Foreign Region of Opportunity     — Agreement Type                NONE Tender Type                       Price and Availability  ( P&A ) Estimated Value                  — Solicitation Method           — Notice Description NEW CANADIAN RANGER RIFLE Trade Agreement:  NONE Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid Attachment: None Competitive Procurement Strategy:  N/A - P&A/LOI Only Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No Nature of  Requirements: NEW CANADIAN RANGER RIFLE (NCRR) - Price and Availability Request (P&A) Introduction The Canadian Forces  (CF ) are looking  to replace  the current  Canadian Ranger Rifle (CCR) with a newer weapon and  is  gathering information on the price and availability of weapons that meet our requirements and the number of potential contenders as part of [the] planning and budget process. The current CF service Canadian Ranger Rifle is a .303["] calibre, No 4, Lee Enfield. These weapons were manufactured during the early 1950s and [these CRR Lee Enfields are] becoming increasingly difficult to support. The New Canadian Ranger Rifle (NCRR) [will be] a robust bolt action hunting rifle with minor customization that can fire both commercial .308["] Winchester and  7.62 x 51mm NATO ammunition. [The NCRR will be] used in the Canadian Arctic, (in extreme cold) and on [East and West Coasts] in (a salty/ corrosive environment). This procurement [is] part of the Small Arms Modernization (SAM) project and is expected to occur along [the following] approximate timelines: Activities and Timelines Price and Availability (P&A) published:            Summer 2011 P&A results received:                                           14 Oct 2011 Options Analysed and Requirements refined:  Fall 2011 RFP issued [...] likely preceded by a SOIQ:        Summer 2012 Weapon Selected and Contracted awarded:      Winter/Spring 2013 Start of delivery of new CRR:                               Fall 2013/Winter [20]14 Project Scope The aim of the SAM Project is to procure up to 10,200 NCRR weapons. For information only and not included in this P&A, the successful bidder will be requested to provide: o  Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) necessary to introduce the system and support     during the first two years of service, including:  •  Canadian Ranger and weapon technicians training;  •  User and maintenance bilingual (English and French) publications in Canadian     Forces Technical Order (CFTO) format;  •  Initial provisioning repair parts for two years usage;  •  Repair Parts;  •  Special Tools.  •  Project Management;  •  Provision of  engineering services to support the introduction, fielding and support     for the first two years of use. Munitions Supply Program (MSP) Some degree of weapons support shall be conducted by Canada's Small Arms Strat- egic Source and Centre of Excellence under the Munitions Supply Program, currently Colt Canada. [E]ventual bidders will be required to enter into an agreement to provide a Technical Data Package (TDP) to the Crown with the understanding that the TDP will be passed to Colt Canada in order that: a.  for National Security reasons, the [New Canadian Ranger Rifle] will be produced in      Canada by  Colt Canada under license; and b.  3rd  line depot-level maintenance and Life Cycle support can be provided to this      [New Canadian Ranger Rifle] weapons fleet by Colt Canada. Constrains Only robust Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products will be considered to limit the testing required to validate that the proposed NCRR is effective and robust enough to meet its intended role. Only rifles chambered for either the NATO C21 [ Canadian ball ] 7.62x51mm or commercial .308["] Winchester cartridges. Manufacturers will be required to certify that their rifle meet this mandatory requirement. Requirements The performance criteria for the weapon are listed in Annex A [but it] is likely that the criteria will [evolve] based on the results of this P&A. For planning and cost estimate purposes, approximately 10,200 rifles are required. This quantity will be refined before the Request for Proposals is released.  Prior to the RFP the CF may choose to acquire small quantities for testing and confirmation of the requirements. Suppliers are asked to complete the performance criteria table and provide cost estimates for the following:  •  10,200 complete Canadian Ranger Rifles (a complete rifle is defined at Annex B);  •  A separate quote is requested for trial quantities of 10 complete Canadian Ranger     Rifles with the accessories needed for cleaning and maintenance for a period of  6     months during which 2,000 rounds will be fired through each weapon; and  •  The CF is considering having the NCCR [stock] produced in a distinct colour with     the NCCR emblem engraved into the rifle stock. A separate quote is requested for     adding these features [colour and logo] to the 10,000 weapons to be acquired. The     colour has not been determined but [it] will be a single colour for the [...] stock only. Out of Scope items For the purposes of this P&A, ammunition development is considered out of scope. Security Contractors are requested to indicate their ability, and that of any subcontractors, to accommodate personnel and facility security requirements, together with[y] controlled goods restrictions (e.g. International Traffic in Arms Regulations), export licenses and 3rd party release requirements. Contractors are to clearly identify any implications that may affect delivery of the proposed solution in accordance with the Industrial Security Program of  Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) requirements. Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) [IRBs do not apply to any part of NCRR procurement conducted under the Munitions Supply Program. For parts conducted ] under the MSP, the contractor may be required to provide high-quality IRBs equivalent to 100% of the contracted value. Requested information This P&A is the first step in engaging industry to refine the NCRR requirements and support concepts, as well as defining budget, schedule and risk elements associated with a best-value approach. Industry is encouraged to be innovative in their proposed method(s) of capability delivery and support options. Based on the requirements de- tailed in this document, the P&A seeks vendors to provide the following information:  •  The unit cost and technical description of the NCRR. [...];  •  A statement of the delivery capability. Indicate whether or not the P&A delivery     milestones can be achieved, if not, provide the best possible delivery schedule;  •  Constraints and assumptions associated with the proposed solution.  [...]