I refer to your front-page and online web article with the above heading (TMIS, 13 November).

Your article on the tender for the supply of RHIBs and handheld thermal imagers reproduces significant tracts of the published technical specifications and expected roles of the RHIB dinghies and equipment for which the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) has issued a tender as part of a European Borders Fund (EBF) project.

For the benefit of your readers, it must be underlined that EU funded projects operate with a comprehensive set of procedures, which have to be followed by all beneficiaries and which include border control agencies in other EU countries. These procedures are designed to ensure the maximum transparency and clarity to tender procedures in order to provide for the best level of competition.

Thus, such tenders are extensively published and should contain all the information deemed necessary to allow commercial entities to make viable offers. However, the general roles listed in the published document are the roles assigned to the AFM. These are public knowledge and definitely no state secret.

The article makes a specific effort in implying that there is nobody in the AFM capable of drawing up the tender specifications because in the specifications themselves it is required that the contractor must provide training for four Maritime Squadron personnel in operational maintenance level. As professionals, we consider training on specific and new equipment necessary, not only because of warranty and operational efficiency issues, but because omitting this requirement would be a gross error as well on any health and safety front.

It must also be noted that the AFM has, in recent years, successfully completed EBF funded projects amounting to approximately €30 million. These projects include EBF Specific Action funds for which Malta competes with a number of EU member states.

The suggestion in the article that the tender specifications’ publication is giving away state secrets strongly relies on the assumption that a purely technical description of the minimum technical requirements for these craft reveals all the detail of their performance as well as the manner in which these craft are going to be deployed. There was also no effort by the journalist to factor into his argument the fact that operational success is primarily determined by how operations are conducted, rather than anything else.

The AFM also strongly objects to the article’s final paragraph, which states: “Which is why there is some muttering around this tender being very suited for a company that exists in Holland”. There has been no attempt during the lengthy project-design phase to favour any particular company in any way, thus this serious accusation is baseless, not to say libellous. The sole intention of this project is to procure the equipment that represents the best value for money to the Maltese and European taxpayer, while also providing the maximum level of capability to the AFM in the fulfilment of its national security roles.

Major Ivan M. Consiglio

(Staff Officer 2 –

Public Information)

for Commander,

Armed Forces of Malta