The UK is preparing to launch a major long term procurement programme for military tactical communications, with a newly updated pipeline notice outlining plans for a framework worth up to £8 billion excluding VAT, according to a pipeline notice.
The notice, published on 11 December, covers future procurement under the reference RM6393 and sets out an intention to establish a framework for specialised military grade tactical communication and information systems. The framework is expected to support UK defence and wider security users over an eight year period, running from June 2026 to June 2034.
According to the notice, the requirement will cover “specialised military grade tactical communication and information systems, including hardware, software and associated design and implementation and support services.” These systems are intended for use in active battlefield environments, where reliable and secure communications are essential for real time operational decision making.
The scope of the framework is broad. The description states that the systems are to be “deployed in active battlefield environments for critical real-time operational tactical communications” and may also have “potential cross government Defence and Security sectoral applications.” This suggests the framework could be used beyond the Armed Forces, potentially supporting other departments with security or operational responsibilities.
The pipeline notice indicates that the framework will expand on existing arrangements under Lot 1c of the RM6116 Network Services 3 agreement. Unlike that earlier framework, the new arrangement is expected to place greater emphasis on integrated solutions, including system design, implementation, ongoing support, and software provision.
In commercial terms, the programme represents one of the largest communications related procurements currently signalled by the UK government. The estimated total value is listed as £8 billion excluding VAT, or £9.6 billion including VAT, although pipeline notices do not guarantee that the full value will be committed.
The planned commercial tool is a framework agreement, rather than a single contract award. This would allow multiple suppliers to be appointed and enable departments to compete specific requirements over time, rather than relying on a single provider. The main category for the procurement is listed as services, reflecting the emphasis on integration, support, and lifecycle management rather than standalone equipment purchases.
While the pipeline notice does not name specific programmes or platforms, it provides early visibility to industry ahead of a planned tender notice. The estimated publication date for the tender is 7 January 2026, indicating that formal competition could begin shortly after the start of the next calendar year. Pipeline notices are used to signal future procurement activity and do not commit the government to proceed as described.
So we are preparing to launch a long term program with an updated pipeline notice outlining plans for a framework.
Is there some sort of Unidivercity place that teaches all this guff ?
Think I just spotted a Dolphin, might have been a Shag though, actually come to think of it, It’s probably just a Seagul !
There are bottle nose dolphins that live inside Portland harbour itself, apparently it’s slightly warmer than the sea itself so there is good fish.
A pair of them came round us once, which is slightly scary because they’re much bigger than common dolphins.
Thanks mate, I’ll go take a look in a bit.
Almost a billion a year for comms? I get it’s important but wouldn’t that money be better spent on something that can actually defend us/attack our enemies? For that kind of money you could double our frigate fleet surely?
How do you tell them to shoot?
We already have comms systems, especially on the mainland and on Frigates. Seems a bit pointless to spend so much on Comms if we have hardly anything to actually deploy.
Secure communications and datalinks vastly increases situational awareness. Which means you become vastly more effective with what you have that goes bang whoosh. He who has the best situational awareness wins the fight. Simple as. And to do that, you need very reliable communications, that the enemy will be doing everything to disrupt. So it needs to be top notch. Otherwise no matter how many troops, tanks, warships or fast jets you have. They become a little bit useless.
Yea, but wouldn’t it be a better idea to have something to communicate to, before deciding what you are going to communicate with? With that said, haven’t we been working on Morpheus for 10 years without success? How does that fit into this grand plan?
I don’t know. But we have many asset types that need secure communications. I the air, at sea, and on land.
Robert, with excellent SA, that means that you have excellent sensors. Coupled to superb comms, you can get that SA ‘picture’ to anyone who can do something about the threat…but you need sufficient, excellent quality effectors in the right place (in range) do that.
If the army has only, for example, 10 out of its 14 Archer SPGs available for action, then that is very much a limiting factor in being able to win the battle.
Exactly that is the purchase price of T26 and T31.
8 x T26 = £6,800m @ Batch II prices
5 x T31 = £2,000m
Total £8,800m ….. couldn’t make it up.
Can’t beat a good plan👍
We should get the MPU5 its what nato uses. We need to talk to NATO at all levels especially tactically over Comms. But then again if goes like bowman which is a epic tall of what ifs and it works in the right environment etc.
I am expecting something that looks like it, costs more dose less has a long and expensive upgrade package and so many despoke parts it costs hundreds of thousands of pounds for something that looks like an 90s wally tally with less range.
Bang goes a large armoured vehicle procurement for the British Army. By the time the Ajax fiasco is resolved, our troops could end up using restored US Bradleys or worse, due to expenditure such as this project. However, it must be deemed essential, and I’m not qualified to know otherwise. Surprisingly, a lot of taxpayers’ money is going on new missile systems at the moment, which could render conventional battlefield methods redundant, so maybe we don’t need large numbers of armoured vehicles as most of us think?
Nope, we just need a Tank, a “think tank” !
Interestingly, the latest US military budget gives land warfare just $4bn out of $900.6bn for FY26. Now that places a different priority on their force expenditure.
No way in hell is it juat $4billion?
They have tank and IFV programmes.
One could argue restored Bradleys ain’t so bad, but I would rather put the money into some Artillery and GBAD first.
£ 8 billion? How much is to be spent on meetings? .
That figure Is to be discussed in the next one.
It’s a billion a year on communications. Which considering that reliable communications can be the difference between losing and winning a fight. I’d say its a good investment.
Is there a revised procurement Master plan which takes account of the changing threat now and in the near future and prioritises purchases against that threat. I don’t get a sense of a big plan which looks across the 3 Services and decides which programmes are most needed against the threat and get the limited cash we still have for Defence. This latest procurement seems to follow on from previous attempts to provided the Army with Battle field comms system. Have we ever delivered a battlefield comms system which actually met requirements and was deliverd on time? I fear this will be another project which will be over- specified (trying to match US systems) for the available budget reulting in it being delivered late and be left with technical isssues which may never be fully resolved. Its clear now that the US will pull out of NATO and so NATO has to be rejigged so surely we have to work much more closely with the remaining European armies (and airforces and the Navy) and try to reduce the number of stand alone National systems and have more common NATO systems.
Personally I had no problem with Clansman. Even communicated quite regularly with Fort Hood from Germany.
1billion a year for a new wireless set? What kind of fekin ejit ok’d this??? We are short on tanks, apc’s, ships, bigger serious ships, aircraft, bullets, bombs oh and of course people to use the damn stuff. So everyone is hoping, praying for more kit, more money, more people and what do we get… new transistor radios!
I’m so angry, I could throw my keyboard down!
Crossing fingers that they don’t award this contract to a Chinese firm!
lets hope its for tactical nuclear weapons, because that’s the minimum we can expect from russia if starmer manages to provoke a war
better russian than dead i say
We plan a lot, talk a lot, promise a lot, but do nothing, state normal. If there is a war i hope the MOD can talk our enimies to death because thats about all the Army have to fight with. That and a wing and prayer.