The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £86m contract to BlackTree Technologies to equip soldiers with AI-enabled radios, headsets and tablets.

Known as the dismounted data system (DDS), the system integrates soldiers’ kit into a shared network and will improve situational awareness and enable faster decision-making.  

Through DDS, soldiers will receive precise voice and visual data about their surroundings. As inference runs directly on the AI-enabled hardware, rather than in the cloud, it marks a shift toward edge computing in front-line operations.

The equipment uses waveforms specifically engineered for military communications in harsh combat environments. It supports self-forming, mobile wireless networks that allow troops to maintain connectivity and share situational data even under conditions of interference, jamming or limited bandwidth.

The new systems have already been tested by soldiers on deployment in Estonia. According to the MoD, the testing, on Nato’s eastern flank, saw the visual information element allowing soldiers to be less distracted by loud noises on the battlefield.

Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness and industry, said: “The ability to receive, share and deploy accurate information is crucial to battlefield advantage, and this state-of-the-art technology will make our soldiers more integrated and more lethal.” 

DDS will be delivered to the army in multiple tranches from September, with the full roll-out of equipment set to be complete in 2027. An initial £46m contact has been made by the Army with BlackTree Technologies, with options for a further £40m.

Neil Clements-Hill, founder and managing director of BlackTree, said: “BlackTree are excited to be working with the TacSys team to field this cutting-edge technology to the British army. Waveforms ensure that the army can operate in the most demanding environments, when nothing else works.  

“We have been working closely with the army for many years and are very happy to continue this close relationship and help ensure that they can achieve their vision of modernising their tactical networks.”

The government says that as part of the newly announced Defence Office for Small Business Growth, it plans to spend an additional £2.5bn with UK SMEs through May 2028, bringing total annual MoD spending with SMEs to £7.5bn.