Tunisian military to receive Ultra command-and-control system

The US Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) announced on 13 October that it has awarded a contract to Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems to provide the Tunisian Armed Forces with a common operational picture (COP) system and related services.

A notice published via the US government's System for Award Management website said Tunisia's Joint Operations Command Centre (JOCC) requires a COP system that “provides integrated data from multiple sources to enhance the ability to securely share information across the Tunisian military”.

In its justification for awarding the sole-source contract to Ultra, it said Tunisia requires a system that allows joint interoperability with US forces and meets US cybersecurity requirements, including Type 1 encryption.

It said the COP system will include Ultra's Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI), which is “currently the only C2 [command-and-control] system that meets the requirements for this effort, including interfacing with Tunisian infrastructure”.

It said only Ultra Electronics could deliver the capability in the two-year timeline required to fund the project using the US Building Partner Capacity programme. A failure to meet this timeline will degrade US relations with Tunisia and result in an inability to share information, which will impact missions, specifically with US Navy carrier strike groups, it added.

The estimated total cost of the project was redacted from the document.

Ultra announced the contract on 8 October, saying the initial order is worth USD11 million for a “full suite of command, control, and intelligence (C2I) systems to integrate sensors and remote sites and provide a state-of-the-art common operational picture for the Tunisian Armed Forces”.