MOD awards £3.5m for radome maintenance

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a £3.5 million contract to Brody Forbes Ltd for technical support and safety assurance of 23 radomes used for Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Defence (AD) radars.

The five-year contract—structured as an initial three-year term with two potential one-year extensions—covers maintenance, inspections, and through-life support for radomes located across the mainland United Kingdom, Scottish Islands, the Falkland Islands, and Cyprus.

The contract, managed by the Air Defence & Windfarm Mitigation Systems (ADWiMS) Delivery Team at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), MOD Abbey Wood, aims to keep critical defence radar enclosures operational and compliant with industry standards.

The radomes—protective enclosures for radar systems—vary in construction, with some using composite sandwich materials and others solid Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). The MOD also plans to introduce air-supported radomes, though it remains unclear whether these will fall under the scope of this contract.

Brody Forbes Ltd, headquartered in Plymouth, was selected following a negotiated procurement process that considered both cost (40%) and technical/social value criteria (60%). The company will provide inspection, maintenance, and support services to ensure the radomes remain fully operational in extreme environments.

These radar enclosures play a vital role in national security, supporting air traffic control and early warning air defence systems. The maintenance contract ensures they continue functioning reliably in strategic locations, including UK sovereign bases overseas.