UK Government Invests in MOD and NATO with Significant Agile IT and Digital Transformation Contract for CDW and Viasat UK
CDW has secured a two-year contract with the Ministry of Defence and NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) for the LELANTOS Command, Control and Communication (C3) program. This collaboration aims to enhance the HQ’s survivability, maneuverability, and deployability through technological innovations. The program will leverage state-of-the-art technology and foster digital transformation. The partnership with Viasat UK will challenge existing capabilities and drive agile C3 innovation, reflecting the UK’s commitment to NATO.
- Secured a two-year contract for the LELANTOS program with the Ministry of Defence and NATO, indicating strong government ties.
- Partnership with Viasat UK enhances technological and innovative capacities.
- Focus on digital transformation and agile processes could lead to improved operational efficiency.
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LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IT solutions specialist CDW announced an agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) headquarters in Gloucester, UK, to deliver a two-year Agile technical innovation contract for a Command, Control and Communication (C3) programme named LELANTOS.
ARRC is NATO’s rapidly deployable headquarters that acts as a nerve centre for operations and crisis response. CDW – the world’s largest IT technology enabler – and Viasat UK Ltd, a global leader in communication technologies, have partnered on the two-year programme, which will enable a more survivable, maneuverable and deployable HQ.
Programme LELANTOS will involve regular technological innovation, as well as the wider digital transformation of HQ ARRC, and is part of a range of initiatives that demonstrate the UK’s continued commitment to the NATO alliance.
Lt Col Steve Short, ARRC Programme Lead, commented: “This is a defining moment. We have looked at the whole ecosystem of the deployed staff working environment and treated it as a capability in its own right.”
“We will be harnessing best of breed technologies that deliver real advantage to our commanders and their staff. Equally important is the development approach we are taking with our industry partners, which is innovating in both technical and commercial processes.”
The programme will exploit multiple streams of state-of-the-art and SME technology and will deliver enhancements to the battlefield both at home and deployed. Over the course of the programme, decision-makers and technicians at the MOD, ARRC, CDW and Viasat will collaborate and develop integrated systems, making use of agile technical and commercial processes.
Nick Garland, Business Development Director for Defence at CDW UK, commented: “It is an honour to be at the forefront of leading technological change across multiple domains that will see real-time benefit to a strategic headquarters. The LELANTOS programme will deliver technological transformation aligned to the core objectives of both the MOD and ARRC.”
The programme, originally referred to as ‘Agile C3 Experimentation’, was put out to open tender on the UK government’s procurement platform, the Crown Commercial Service. CDW and Viasat partnered to win the contract in a competitive tender.
Steve Beeching, Managing Director of Viasat UK, said: “Programme LELANTOS provides an opportunity to challenge the status quo and drive agile C3 innovation across NATO and its allies. This partnership will leverage Viasat’s deep breadth of defence experience and innovative technology approaches, alongside CDW’s proven track record for delivering digital transformation solutions across multiple industries to bring ARRC rapidly-deployable, highly-secure and scalable land formation capabilities – which are critically important in a rapidly evolving battlespace.”
About CDW UK:
CDW UK is the UK-based arm of the world’s leading IT services and solutions specialist. The company works with customers in the private and public sector to provide vendor-agnostic IT solutions and manage major IT infrastructure projects. Find out more about the company at www.uk.cdw.com, and you can also follow the company on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Viasat:
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com.
