Viasat and CDW win NATO contract for the agile C3 project

NATO has awarded Viasat and CDW a two-year technical innovation contract for Command, Control and Communication (C3) support for Programme LELANTOS.

This agile experimentation initiative will provide NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) headquarters, located in Gloucester, UK, with “superior decision-making, cross-domain integration, and fast manoeuvre/survivability in adversarial conflicts.”

"This is a defining moment,” said Lt. Col. Steve Short, lead, ARRC Programme. “We have looked at the whole ecosystem of the deployed working environment and see opportunities to harness best-of-breed technologies that will deliver real advantage to our Commanders and their staff in the field.

Equally important is the development approach we are taking with our industry partners, Viasat and CDW, which is innovating both technical and commercial processes."

Under Programme LELANTOS, the two companies will work with ARRC, the Ministry of Defence and industry partners to apply agile development processes to test new capabilities in the C3 domain. The collaboration will support the experimentation of secure wireless military networks involving enhanced battlefield command and control capabilities.

“Programme LELANTOS provides an opportunity to challenge the status quo and drive agile C3 innovation across NATO and its allies,” said Steve Beeching, managing director at Viasat UK.

“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.”

Nick Garland, director of defence at CDW, added: "It is an honour to be collaborating with Viasat UK, as we lead technological change across multiple domains that will see real-time benefit to a strategic headquarters through agile C3 experimentation.

“We believe Programme LELANTOS will deliver technological transformation aligned to the core objectives of both the MoD and ARRC."

CDW is a multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and health care customers in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. The company has an international presence in private and public sector IT, and provides products and services in more than 130 countries.

Viasat is a global communications company providing internet, satellite, mobile and related services to consumers, businesses, governments and militaries. The company is developing a 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.”