---
title: "Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Operational Control Satcom Data Link Service - UK5"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078edc"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078edc"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078edc.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078edc.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Ministry of Defence"
published: "2026-10-23"
---

# Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Operational Control Satcom Data Link Service - UK5

Buyer: Ministry of Defence  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078edc

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## Summary

The Ministry of Defence is buying continued licensing and support for the C-17 aircraft’s air traffic control and operational control satellite communications data-link service. The requirement covers the software and system support on which the C-17 Satcom Datalink Service relies, including its use within the RAF C-17 fleet. The service supports air traffic control and operational control communications. Delivery is for the United Kingdom. This is a specialist software and technical support requirement, rather than a general air traffic control service or a supply of aircraft. The procurement relates to the service configuration already incorporated into the C-17 fleet.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded by direct award to ARINC Incorporated. The Ministry’s rationale is that ARINC holds the relevant software and licensing rights and system-specific technical knowledge; the existing configuration relies on ARINC software and code and cannot be changed or replaced without significant technical intervention. The Ministry previously issued an invitation to tender and then terminated that procurement to review the requirement before proceeding with the direct award. The award is valued at USD 778,944, with a gross value of USD 934,733. The contract period runs from 17 January 2027 to 16 September 2031, with a planned signature date of 4 December 2026. The requirement is a single lot. No separate scored evaluation criteria are stated; the stated basis for selecting the supplier is its exclusive rights and technical expertise.

For suppliers considering similar Ministry of Defence requirements, this award indicates that established, platform-specific software rights and technical knowledge can determine the procurement route. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate lawful access to the relevant C-17 Satcom Datalink software and licensing, detailed knowledge of the existing system configuration, and the ability to provide sustained support without disrupting the RAF fleet. The requirement favoured continuity with the incumbent because the system configuration was embedded in the fleet and could not be modified or replaced without substantial technical intervention. Businesses without those rights or comparable system-specific expertise are unlikely to match the stated justification for this direct award. The work is suited to a specialist provider with the capacity to maintain a defence aviation communications service over a multi-year contract.

## Notice

Provision of C-17 Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Operational Control Satcom Data Link Service valued at USD 778,944.00 for 56 months to be paid on a monthly basis.

### Procurement Information

The Define and Procure team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a contract to ARINC Incorporated ("ARINC") for continued licencing and support to the C-17 Satcom Datalink Service. The contract will be for a term of 5 years with an estimated value of USD 778,944.00 The Authority originally issued Invitation to Tender number 715779462. It then issued a UK12 procurement termination notice to allow for review of the requirement. Following that review, the Authority is satisfied that the requirement is such that only ARINC holds the relevant software and licensing rights and system-specific technical knowledge required. The C-17 Satcom Datalink Service relies on ARINC software and associated code. The software configuration was incorporated into the RAF C-17 fleet by Boeing and cannot be modified or replaced without significant technical intervention. Accordingly, it is intended that the contract be directly awarded to ARINC under section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023 and paragraph 6 of Schedule 5

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100427-2026 |
| Notice type | UK5 - Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 17 Jan 2027 - 16 Sep 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £778,944 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Ministry of Defence |
| Locality | WOLVERHAMPTON |
| Postcode area | Wolverhampton |
| Postcode | WV7 3EX |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLG22 Shropshire |
| Local authority | Shropshire |
| Electoral ward | Shifnal Rural |
| Westminster constituency | The Wrekin |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Arinc Incorporated |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 48 - Software package and information systems
- 63 - Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services

### Codes

- 34962200 - Air-traffic control
- 34962220 - Air-traffic control systems
- 48121000 - Air traffic control software package
- 63732000 - Air-traffic control services

## Release History

- 23 Oct 2026 at 12:26 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100427-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100427-2026
  23rd October 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078edc. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078edc.json.