The Ministry of Defence is seeking to install two modular acoustic pods at MOD-owned Kentigern House in Glasgow, intended to support secure verbal communications at Secret classification level.
A public tender published on 4 August lists the £30,000 contract under Find a Tender, with delivery expected between late September and March 2026. The bidding window closes on 19 August.
According to the notice, the pods must be “acoustically rated to prevent eavesdropping and meet MOD standards for Secret-level verbal communication.” They are also required to be self-contained, modular, and relocatable, allowing for future reconfiguration or redeployment depending on operational needs. Each unit must include ventilation, lighting, and power suitable for extended use and comply with brilliantly named GovS 007 standard, the government standard for functional and secure public sector operations.
While the MOD does not specify the exact use case, acoustic pods are increasingly used across defence, government, and corporate environments to provide enclosed, sound-dampened spaces within larger office or operations centres. These enclosed units offer a degree of soundproofing that enables private meetings, phone calls, and secure briefings without requiring permanent structural changes to a building.
The modularity of these pods allows them to be repositioned or redeployed as mission requirements evolve. In high-security settings like defence establishments, they offer a cost-effective alternative to building purpose-built secure rooms, especially in leased facilities or areas undergoing modernisation.
Acoustic pods can support a variety of operational needs, from secure communications and planning meetings to one-on-one interviews or temporary command functions. The inclusion of Secret-level voice isolation suggests a focus on enabling classified briefings or consultations without compromising acoustic security.
The contract includes a minimum two-year warranty and assurance of full compliance with government regulations, suggesting a focus on long-term utility and operational resilience.
Image Kentigern House by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ah, the Army Personnel Centre.
Always wondered what other spooky stuff may go on there.
It’s a secret
I could tell you but then I would have to kill you …
You would! Though I have an idea. 😉
Acoustic pods are nothing new they were around in the Cold War era.
Part of the reasoning was that they were constructed in such a way that you could not secrete surveillance devices in the structure and it was possible to visually inspect the whole structure so there was no way to use a wired device.
Sometimes civil servants do have a sense of humour too!
I don’t have anything valuable to contribute, but that is one fugly building.
A typical example of the modernist or brutalist approach seen in UK public-sector architecture during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It reminds me of Swansea Civic Centre—an eyesore in its own right.
So, Do these padded cells come with straight jackets ?
No mention of TEMPEST standards, to prevent electronic signals getting out… OK, a bit geeky but…
Bound to have Faraday cages in parts?
The umbrella of silence
Army Personnel Centre?