The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £19.68 million contract to SixWorks of Farnborough to sustain and grow the NEXUS to Core (N2C) Air Information Platform (AIP).
The award, published on 2 October, will ensure the long-term development of a cloud-based data fabric designed to give aircrews decision superiority by connecting sensors and effectors across domains.
According to the award notice, the AIP is the fundamental enabling component of NEXUS architecture. It delivers integrated solutions for secure processing, connectivity, and data management, supporting time-sensitive operational decision-making in complex environments.
Sustaining the platform includes maintaining the integrity of the existing infrastructure, while growth will focus on onboarding new information sources, integrating additional customers, and expanding to allied networks.
The contract continues work first developed under the Titan II agreement in 2021, which established the initial solution. Officials said that switching suppliers at this stage would risk “capability regression” and create “disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance.” SixWorks has developed bespoke interfaces and orchestration mechanisms for ingesting and disseminating mission-critical data, making them uniquely positioned to sustain and grow the platform.
The NEXUS programme consists of five mutually dependent work packages, with the AIP described as essential to delivering the overall capability. It underpins interoperability not only within the RAF but across UK services through integration with programmes such as Army ZODIAC and Navy StrikeNet. The platform is also aligned with NATO’s Data Fabric for Shared Situational Awareness and the US Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System.
NEXUS will, it is hoped, enable a single data layer to generate a common operating picture for allied forces.
Yep, understood all that 🤦