Huge £8bn tactical comms framework opens to industry

The government has established a set of frameworks for the supply of military-grade tactical communications systems worth around £8 billion, according to a contract details notice published on the Find a Tender service.

The notice, published by the Government Commercial Agency under reference RM6393, describes the requirement as covering “specialised military-grade tactical communication and information systems, including hardware, software, associated design, implementation, and support services.” According to the notice, the systems are to be “deployed in active battlefield environments for critical real-time operational tactical communications, with potential cross-government Defence and Security sectoral applications.” The scheme expands on the offering previously available under the Network Services 3 agreement.

The competition establishes the first of a scheme of frameworks. Framework one runs for 36 months from 26 June 2026 to 25 June 2029, with a second framework intended to follow to 2032 and a final framework running to 2034, giving the open framework an eight-year total lifespan.

The requirement is divided into three lots. Lot 1, Services, covers “architecture design, system integration, field support, training, and system sustainment activities.” Lot 2, Systems, covers “end-to-end rapidly deployable, secure Information and Communication Services” including vehicle-mounted and dismounted solutions. Lot 3, Components, covers “discrete hardware and software components.”

The three contracts signed on 26 June carry a combined value of just over £8 billion excluding VAT. According to the notice, Lot 2 is the largest at £4.7 billion, followed by Lot 1 at £2.6 billion and Lot 3 at £727 million, with the notice cautioning that framework lot values may be shared between lots.

The frameworks admit a broad field of suppliers, with 68 named on Lot 1, 55 on Lot 2 and 74 on Lot 3, and many companies appearing across multiple lots. The named suppliers span established defence primes including BAE Systems, General Dynamics UK, Thales UK, QinetiQ and Rheinmetall Electronics UK, major IT and telecommunications firms such as BT, Vodafone, Fujitsu, Capgemini, CGI and Ericsson, and a large number of smaller specialist communications and technology companies. Also present are firms including Elbit Systems UK, Helsing, Roke Manor Research, Viasat UK and L3Harris.

Being placed on the framework does not itself guarantee work, though, as readers will know. The notice sets out that individual requirements will be awarded through competition among the admitted suppliers, using a range of processes from catalogue-enabled further competition to multi-stage competitive procedures, with Lot 3 structured around a capability matrix allowing buyers to identify suppliers able to deliver specific capabilities.