The Ministry of Defence has published a pipeline notice for a £42 million in-service support contract covering key defensive systems used on UK military aircraft.
The five-year contract is expected to run from February 2028 to January 2033 and was announced via Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) on 21 May 2025.
The notice outlines plans to sustain the AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS), the ALE-47 and M147 Countermeasures Dispenser Systems (CMDS), and the ALQ-157 Infrared Countermeasure System (IRCM) — all designed to protect aircraft from missile threats.
These systems are essential to survivability in contested airspaces.
- AAR-57 CMWS detects incoming missiles and alerts pilots, automatically triggering defensive measures.
- ALE-47 and M147 CMDS are flare and chaff dispensers that help mislead heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles.
- ALQ-157 IRCM emits infrared energy to jam or confuse infrared-guided threats.
The contract falls under the UK’s defence and security procurement regime and is open to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The total estimated value is £42,158,000 including VAT, and it applies across UK military operations.
The publication of this UK1 pipeline notice, under the Procurement Act 2023, signals the MOD’s intention to tender the contract within the next 18 months. It is a statutory requirement for contracts over £2 million if future tender or transparency notices (UK4 or UK5) are anticipated.
By flagging its intentions early, the MOD aims to provide industry with greater visibility and preparation time, particularly in specialist areas like airborne countermeasures where long-term sustainment is critical to operational effectiveness.
We got a lot of Pipelines lately.
Looking forward to some hardware being announced in the SDR.
“If chasing a pipedream secures our future, then so be it”.
It shows you where all the money goes, every day on here we see a new multi million pound and some times billion pound support contract for one thing or another.
But then look at the Russian arm forces and you see just how ineffective a military built around raw numbers of tanks, planes and guns is.
It’s the “for one thing or another” that’s the worry though. It’s ok having billions to spend on such little numbers in times of peace and another when it comes to war.
“War is a game of numbers”.