On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the 1st Regional Logistics Base in Wałcz (1. RBLog) published the results of an accelerated restricted tender procedure for repair and maintenance services covering BridgeMaster E-series and VisionMaster FT radar systems, as well as their parts and components, operated by the Polish Navy in 2026–2030.
Photos: Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine
The tender was announced on April 27 this year, with amendments published on April 30 and May 13, and the final deadline for submitting requests to participate was May 15. The bid evaluation criteria were price (80%), the warranty period for work performed under the contract on components, subassemblies, and assemblies restored to service as part of repairs (10%), and the warranty period for components, subassemblies, and assemblies that were modified (10%).
Details concerning the subject of the contract and the bid evaluation criteria were included in the procurement specifications, which, together with the description of the subject of the contract, were provided to contractors invited to submit bids. As part of the contract, the contractor is required to provide full operational support in accordance with the Operational and Technical Requirements for the repair and maintenance of radar equipment.
The accelerated procedure was justified by the need to ensure continuity of radar station operations, taking into account the current geopolitical situation and the need to maintain maritime situational awareness.
The only bidder was Gdańsk-based Else Technical and Research Service, which valued its services at 2,845,528.45 PLN. The bid was accepted on July 22, and the relevant contract was signed on August 7. The work will be carried out over a period of 49 months at a repair facility designated by the contractor and at the user’s premises. The company is the Polish representative of US manufacturer Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.
The contract covers repair and maintenance services for the specified radars in each year of the agreement, including:
- repairs,
- technical condition assessments,
- installation and removal of radar system components,
- support for OO-2 maintenance activities and performance of maintenance tasks exceeding the capabilities of the ship’s regular crew, including maintenance of processor unit motherboards, transmitter-receiver components, the rotary joint, and the antenna system,
- radar modifications, including updates to technical documentation,
- software monitoring and maintenance,
- keeping operational statistics,
- remote operational support.
Since the late 1990s, Polish Navy ships and auxiliary vessels have operated 110 BridgeMaster C- and E-series navigation radars and 43 VisionMaster FT systems, which are a modified derivative of the former. In the case of the latter, five units were initially ordered on November 21, 2011, another 11 under a contract signed on February 13, 2014, and 27 under a contract signed on December 21, 2018 (although their 15-year technical service life should be taken into account – editor’s note). Between 2008 and 2010, spare parts packages for the earlier systems were purchased for 4 million PLN gross.
The VisionMaster FT operator has access to a high-resolution panoramic display providing a 360-degree view from two independent radars. This eliminates blind sectors and improves detection performance, increasing situational awareness. The system can track up to 100 radar and Automatic Identification System (AIS) targets, which are displayed on a multilayer user chart.
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