PRESS RELEASE : Armed Forces to benefit from £89 million battlefield network [August 2023]

• UK Armed Forces to benefit from enhanced battlefield connectivity
• Contract will boost connection with allies on operations
• Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy by backing dozens of UK jobs

Military personnel deployed on the battlefield will benefit from enhanced connectivity, following the award of an £89 million contract.

The five-year contract has been awarded to BAE Systems to design and manufacture a deployable tactical Wide Area Network (WAN) known as ‘TRINITY’ – delivering a highly secure and state-of-the-art battlefield internet capability to UK forces.

This contract named Design and Systems Integration Delivery (DSID) will directly support the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy by backing 60 UK jobs based in Dorset. It will also see further investment into UK skills from BAE Systems, their partners and across the supporting supply chain.

Working together with trusted partners, including L3 Harris, KBR and PA Consulting, BAE Systems will combine its defence communications systems expertise and experience to develop, deliver and deploy world-leading network capability to the UK Armed Forces.

Trinity’s resilience is based on its composition. It is made up of a series of nodes, each able to add, access and move data in a secure network. If a number of nodes are damaged in warfare, the rest automatically re-route to maintain optimum network speed and flow of information, making it highly effective.

Replacing the existing Falcon network, due to be retired in 2026, ‘TRINITY’ will ensure UK Armed Forces on land can interact faster with allies, whether operating as a single nation or as part of an international coalition, across different battlefield domains.

Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said:

In this continually evolving, multi-domain environment it is vital that our personnel have access to world-leading communications capabilities while on operations.

We remain committed to working closely with the best of British industry as they support our endeavour to better connect with our allies and their assets in theatre.

The £89 million will be dedicated to the research and development phase of the programme, with ‘TRINITY’ due to be delivered from December 2025.

David Armstrong, Group Managing Director at BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business, said:

In an increasingly complex and fast-paced threat landscape, Trinity will empower the UK Armed Forces with a greater and more efficient view of what is happening, enabling them to make swift, informed decisions when and where it matters most.

By providing this advantage to front-line decision makers, Trinity reinforces our commitment to equipping the UK Armed Forces with the right tools to stay ahead in the ever-evolving battlespace.

‘TRINITY’ is one part of the Land Environment Tactical Communications and Information Systems (LE TacCIS) programme, which is working to provide the next generation of tactical military communications in the land environment.