Mobile test facility planned for air and sea data links

Defence Equipment and Support is preparing to compete a contract worth an estimated £4 million for the provision and support of a mobile test facility used to fit and assure tactical data links on maritime and air platforms, according to a pipeline notice published on the Find a Tender service.

The notice, identifier 2026/S 000-074147 and carrying the reference SACC/00123, appeared on 5 August 2026. Estimated total value is put at £4 million excluding VAT, rising to £4.8 million with VAT included. Contract dates are estimated to run from 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2032, with a possible extension to 30 April 2035, giving a maximum term of eight years. A tender notice is expected on or around 26 October 2026.

The project covers the purchase and outfit of a vehicle to be converted into a mobile test facility. According to the notice, the vehicle is to be fitted with three modern workstations along with Link 22 HF and UHF, satellite and Link 16 capabilities, and will employ Battlefield Operations Support System software as a test tool supporting test and assurance activity. The facility is required to be capable of concurrent testing and of operating throughout the United Kingdom.

Test and assurance is described in the notice as a mandatory requirement set by the Royal Navy Command Acquisition Support Programme, and the department states it is essential to maintaining assurance across all tactical data link fitted platforms in the UK.

Tactical data links allow warships, aircraft and ground stations to exchange track and command information in near real time. Link 16, the NATO standard carried by fast jets, maritime patrol aircraft, air defence destroyers and airborne early warning platforms, operates in the L-band and forms the backbone of allied air picture sharing. Link 22 was developed by a multinational programme to replace the older Link 11 in the HF and UHF bands, offering improved throughput and network management for beyond line of sight maritime communications, and has been progressively introduced across NATO navies.