News

July 2nd 2009 - MOD Places £231M Contracts to Boost Battlefield Communications

Two contracts, together worth £231M, have been awarded to General Dynamics UK to upgrade the UK Armed Forces’ Bowman military communications system, the Ministry of Defence announced today.

The contracts will provide:

• Improved performance and sustainability through proactive obsolescence management;
• Increased quantities of equipment to meet user needs;
• Optimisation of Bowman system performance through improvements to planning and system management applications;
• Improved interoperability with other UK and Allied systems;
• Improved synergies with Bowman CIP support solution.

The first contract, known as Capability Release 1.5, is worth £119M and will update and refresh the system’s capabilities over its lifetime to reflect advances in technology. The second contract, value £112M, will provide longer term technical support for the Bowman programme and will include repair, field services and the provision of spares.

Quentin Davies MP, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said:

“Bowman has been used successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan, where secure, faster communications and data exchange is saving lives on the front line. It is a key element of a comprehensive suite of communications systems to provide a robust network that allows commanders to exercise command and control effectively.

“These contracts are testament to our work with industry which allows us to rapidly adapt to technological advances and the evolving operational demands of our front-line troops.”

The work will help sustain several hundred jobs at the General Dynamics’ Oakdale site in South Wales.

Dr Sandy Wilson; President and Managing Director of General Dynamics UK said: "Bowman has allowed General Dynamics UK to grow a valuable engineering capability in communications and vehicle integration. That capability is a good example of the industrial benefit to the UK that comes from the close partnership between MoD and General Dynamics UK, working together on the future of Bowman and vehicle electronic architectures."

Bowman’s secure radio communications, declared in service on time in 2004, have been used on operations since 2005, together with a basic data capability. The Bowman system has been developed and integrated by General Dynamics UK into over 13,000 British Army vehicles, together with headquarters, ships, and helicopters. The MoD recently purchased an additional 2139 radios, with an option for a further 437, in order to meet the demands of current operations and their associated training needs.

MoD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) buys and supports all the equipment used by the Armed Forces and supports all current operations including Iraq and Afghanistan. Continued support for operations now and in the future remains paramount.

Notes to Editors

• Bowman CIP (BCIP) is a tactical command and control system employed by the three Services. It is a fully secure digital system that provides the Armed Forces with secure voice communications, battle management applications and improved situational awareness in the Land Environment.
• BCIP comprises the Bowman radio system and the ComBat battle management application together with specialist IT equipment to allow its use in Headquarters and vehicles.
• Bowman CIP is delivering major benefits to our Forces deployed on operations today. Operational experience in both theatres demonstrates that BCIP 4 (the current in-service version) is delivering a vital capability that has improved the speed and quality of tactical communications, thus enhancing the tempo of operations.
• Bowman CIP is a continuing programme that will update and refresh the system’s capabilities over its lifetime to reflect the advance of technology and the evolving needs of our people on operations. The Capability Release (CR) 1.5 and Long Term Support Solution acquisition will provide a capability refresh, replacing obsolete equipment and technology with a modern through-life supported capability.