1.38 The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) has been part of the Major Sharers' Forum from its inception and is likely to become the first sharer on Airwave. It is a police force in its own right and interacts frequently and closely with other police forces across the country. However, the MDP is not the only part of the military with a primary public safety function or a legitimate need to act in consort with local police forces. Others such as the Navy's Fire and Police Services, the Provost Branch and the Armed Forces' bomb disposal teams are also included as allowable sharers in the Airwave licence.
1.39 As the Airwave project progressed, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) entered into negotiations with O2 about the terms of a framework agreement. This was finalised in July 2001 and allows MOD purchasers to select Airwave from a range of possible alternatives on offer through the Defence Communications Services Agency. Current MOD policy is that as existing radio systems for MOD emergency services are replaced, the new system should be Airwave. O2 considers that there are in the region of 17,000 potential MOD users. If they all take the service for 10 years this would cost the MOD more than £6 million a year. Only the MDP has a firm intention to join Airwave immediately. It has around 3,500 officers and expects to spend £1.5 million a year on Airwave.