Denmark – Communications equipment – Acquisition of Multi Link Processors (MLP), including support for sustainment and training

The acquisition concerns the procurement of systems intended to support a military build-up and significantly enhance battlefield awareness for the Royal Danish Navy and the Danish Defence. It also aims to ensure that Denmark can continue to participate in coordinated NATO operations through Link capabilities. The new Multi-Link System (MLS) will support tactical information exchange via the Multi-Function Information Distribution System (MIDS)/Link 16, Link 22, and the Joint Range Extension Application Protocol (JREAP)-C/Link 16. The most essential feature of the new MLS is to provide the Royal Danish Navy with Link 16, JREAP-C, and Link 22 capabilities, thereby enabling cooperation both within the Royal Danish Navy and with coalition partners. These capabilities will support communication in both Line of Sight and Beyond Line of Sight scenarios. Furthermore, current operational requirements necessitate achieving a limited level of interoperability with national and coalition forces as a matter of urgency, ahead of full MLS integration, hence only suppliers which previous have delivered link22 to other comparable navies have been preferred. The MLS will be installed on 12 ships over the duration of the contract, which is expected to run for 30 years. To safeguard Denmark’s essential security interests, the procedure has been conducted pursuant to Article 346(1)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and is therefore exempt from the general EU public procurement rules. Based on the above, the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) intends to conclude a contract with Tecnobit for the acquisition of the Multi-Link Processor (MLP), including support for sustainment and training.