Thales Wins Deal to Operate Britain’s Link 16 Network

According to a contract award notice published by the UK Government on 10th August 2026, the agreement was concluded on 7th August 2026. The contract covers an initial 24 month period, with the option of extending the arrangement by a further two, one year periods.

Additional options are also available to provide out-of-hours support during periods of crisis or heightened operational activity.

The work will be carried out at Thales UK's facility in Templecombe, Somerset, which is one of the company's major UK sites.

Managing Britain's Link 16 Network

The Ministry of Defence says it has an ongoing requirement to manage and monitor Link 16 activity throughout the country, while also supporting as many as two deployed operations simultaneously.

The Network Management System allows operators to monitor activity across the Link 16 network and make adjustments to its architecture, to ensure that it continues to operate effectively.

The system also has an important regulatory role. It monitors Link 16 activity to ensure that transmissions comply with the terms of the frequency clearance agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority.

The agreement governs the use of the Link 16 waveform within UK airspace and is necessary because the frequencies used by the system, must be carefully coordinated with other users.

Why was the contract awarded to Thales?

The contract was awarded without a competitive tender process, with the Ministry of Defence providing a detailed explanation for its decision.

The department received only one tender and described the existing equipment configuration as unique. The software installed within the system is owned and supported by Thales in its capacity as the original equipment manufacturer.

According to the contract notice, Thales holds proprietary rights over the system and is therefore the only company with access to the technical information, tools and specialist expertise required to provide the necessary support.

The MoD warned that replacing or substantially changing the system in the short term could have significant consequences.

In particular, disruption to the existing system could prevent the UK from using Link 16 across all platforms operating within the UK Flight Information Region. This could significantly restrict the ability of military platforms from different domains to train together and prepare for operations.

What is Link 16?

Link 16 is NATO's standard tactical data link and provides a secure digital means of exchanging information between compatible military platforms.

Operating in the L-band, the system allows aircraft, ships, ground stations and 'Command & Control', systems to exchange information such as tracks, positions and commands in near real time.

A wide range of British military platforms are equipped with Link 16, including Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35B Lightning, P-8A Poseidon and E-7 Wedgetail aircraft.

The Royal Navy also uses the system aboard its Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, while ground based air 'Command & Control', systems also participate in the network.

This interoperability allows forces operating in different environments to exchange tactical information and develop a more comprehensive picture of activity across the battlespace.

A network that requires careful management

Although Link 16 allows a large number of military platforms to exchange information, it is not an unrestricted communications channel.

The system operates using a predefined structure of time slots, which determine when participants can transmit. Before a platform can participate in a particular network, its transmissions must be incorporated into a network design.

Managing these network designs is therefore a critical task and operators must ensure that different exercises and military operations do not interfere with one another, while also making sure that transmissions remain within the frequency limits agreed with the relevant authorities.

The Network Management System provides the tools required to coordinate these activities and maintain effective use of the UK's Link 16 capability.

Protecting Civilian Aviation Interests

The management of Link 16 is also important because the system operates within a section of the radio frequency spectrum that is shared with civilian aeronautical systems.

This makes coordination between military and civilian users essential, with a formal agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority providing the framework for managing Link 16 transmissions within UK airspace. Monitoring compliance is therefore an important function of the Network Management System.

The Role Of Thales

Thales has a long and established presence within the UK's defence industry, with its Templecombe facility having a particular history in underwater systems and sonar technologies developed for the Royal Navy.

The site also supports work involving communications and 'Command & Control', technologies.

The company employs thousands of people across its UK operations, with other major locations including Crawley, Belfast, Glasgow and Bristol.

The new contract will ensure that Thales continues to provide the specialist support required to keep Britain's Link 16 Network Management System operational.

For the Ministry of Defence, maintaining this capability is increasingly important as the UK's armed forces rely on networked operations involving aircraft, ships, ground forces and command systems.

With Link 16 connecting many of these platforms, the infrastructure responsible for managing the network is itself becoming an important component of Britain's wider military communications capability.