General Dynamics UK has secured a £330m contract to develop the next-generation battlefield network for the British Army.
The contract was awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in support of the initial phase of the MORPHEUS programme.
UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "This £330m contract for the next-generation of battlefield communications, supporting 250 high skilled jobs, underlines the importance of Wales to our armed forces.
“Backed by a rising defence budget, last year MoD spent £870m with Welsh businesses helping to build a stronger economy and keep Britain safe."
The new tactical communication and information system will be used to plan, deploy, manage and monitor communications and information for the army, the company stated.
Under the contract, the company will implement a new architectural approach, known as Evolve to Open (EvO), which is said to evolve the Bowman tactical communication (BCIP 5.6) capability into an open, modular system.
The system will be designed to connect deployed tactical forces to their commanders, give improved access to operational IT and simplify the user experience.
The open system approach enables users to customise the system by adding new technologies in order to tackle emerging threats and enhance interoperability with allies.
The EvO contract is said to be the first to be awarded for the MORPHEUS programme, which will give UK Armed Forces across all three services modernised command and control networks using the latest technology.
Image: General Dynamics will develop the next-generation battlefield network for the British Army. Photo: courtesy of General Dynamics UK.
