On Friday, April 26, 2024, the Polish Armaments Agency published information about signing a contract worth 41,703,150.00 PLN (approximately 10.3 million USD) with Siltec from Pruszków for the delivery of an aircraft data exchange system.
Photo: Michał Adamowski, MILMAG
The announcement regarding this matter, conducted through a negotiation procedure, was published on June 25, 2019. As previously stated, the subject of the order is an aircraft data exchange system, which will be used to provide IT support for the process of directing the fire of strike aircraft and artillery, transmitting information in near real-time, ensuring detailed coordination of fire support. Detailed tactical-technical requirements were only revealed to contractors due to the inclusion of the order under RESTRICTED and NATO RESTRICTED clauses.
The initial estimated value of the order was 21,788,617.89 PLN net or 26,800,000 PLN gross (ca. 5.5 million USD and 6.75 million USD respectively). The maximum number of entities that could participate in the procedure was limited to ten. The criteria for selecting the offer were price (85%), additional technical requirements met (10%), and warranty (5%). Initially, the deadline for submitting offers was set for July 25, 2019 (later extended to August 30, 2019, and then to September 17, 2019).
However, the information from the opening of the bids was only published on December 28, 2023. The bids were submitted by Siltec for the amount of 41,703,150.00 PLN gross (ca. 10.3 million USD) and Teldat from Bydgoszcz for the amount of 33,999,319.29 PLN (ca. 8.4 million USD).
On February 27, 2024, information about the selection of Siltec’s bid was published. They scored 69.30 points for price, 4.74 points for warranty, and 9.77 points for additional technical requirements met – totaling 83.30 points out of 100. Teldat’s bid was rejected. The contract was signed on April 9, 2024, and the work is scheduled to be completed by April 9, 2027, for the Command and Communication Directorate of the Armament Inspectorate.
Link 16 is the standard tactical data link network used by Polish Air Force. Its implementation was completed in mid-2015 with the the introduction into service of F-16 Falcon aircraft equipped with this system.
Additionally, according to the agreement of December 7, 2023, Lockheed Martin will integrate four-channel data link modules, operating in this standard, with Polish F-16 aircraft, along with MIDS JTRS (Multifunction Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio System) radios featuring three additional communication protocols.
The Link 16 system is also planned to be integrated with the newly acquired light combat aircraft FA-50GF Fighting Eagle.