Dstl Launches Lightweight Portable Oxygen System
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in partnership with Defence Medical Services (DMS), has developed a compact, 5kg portable oxygen delivery system aimed at improving survival rates for soldiers and civilians.
Unlike traditional heavy, high-risk oxygen cylinders, the new device extracts nitrogen from the air to deliver oxygen-rich gas and includes a rebreather system that scrubs carbon dioxide, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. It also supports patients who cannot breathe unaided, all within the same weight class as a standard cylinder.
“This is a game-changer for battlefield medicine, reducing logistical challenges while improving critical care,” said Major Andrew Maggs, Dstl Military Advisor.
Currently undergoing design refinement for mass production, around 15 prototype units are expected to be deployed soon. Though initial costs are around £15,000 per unit, efforts are underway to create a more scalable and cost-effective version.
Dstl Chief Executive Dr. Paul Hollinshead emphasized the system’s potential to ease supply chain burdens and provide flexible, reusable oxygen delivery in critical situations.
BAE Systems Unveils Breakthroughs in UK Munitions Production
BAE Systems has announced major advancements in munitions production, boosting the UK’s supply chain resilience through new technologies in energetics and propellants manufacturing. Following more than £150 million invested since 2022, the company’s new explosive filling facility at Glascoed, South Wales — set to open this summer — will increase 155mm artillery shell production capacity sixteen-fold.
An additional £8.5 million has been invested over five years into novel manufacturing methods, including continuous flow processing to create explosives without relying on globally scarce materials like Nitrocellulose and Nitro-glycerine. This innovation will help meet UK Ministry of Defence and export demands, with initial industrial capacity targeted for late 2026.
“Our leap forward in synthetic energetics and propellant manufacture will strengthen the UK’s supply chain resilience and drive economic growth through skilled jobs and export opportunities,” said Steve Cardew, Business Development Director at BAE Systems.
The technology has already been proven at pilot scale, allowing explosives to be produced in smaller nodes rather than requiring large factories. This approach promises lower investment costs, enhanced safety, and broader application across small arms and large-calibre munitions.
BAE Systems, the UK’s primary ammunition producer, manufactures a range of munitions at sites across Cheshire, Monmouthshire, and Tyne and Wear.
Rolls-Royce Secures £563M Typhoon Engine Support Contract
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Rolls-Royce a £563 million contract to provide long-term maintenance and repair of the EJ200 engines powering the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fleet.
Announced on 23 April 2025, the Typhoon Engine Support Solution (TESS) deal confirms Rolls-Royce’s Bristol site as the sole provider, citing the company’s exclusive technical expertise, equipment, and airworthiness certification under the Eurojet consortium agreement.
The direct award ensures continued operational readiness for the RAF’s Typhoon squadrons into the 2030s, supporting national defence, NATO missions, and global deployments. While no programme duration was specified, the contract solidifies Rolls-Royce’s central role in sustaining the UK’s fast jet capability.
Serco Wins New Contracts to Support RAF Cadet Gliders
Serco has been awarded two new contracts to continue maintaining the Royal Air Force’s Air Cadet glider fleet. Under the Glider Support contract, valued at around £8 million over two years with an option for a further year, Serco will maintain 52 Viking T Mk1 gliders operated by No. 2 Flying Training School, which provides flying experiences for cadets aged 13–17 across nine UK sites.
The company will also continue providing aerotow services with its Pierre Robin aircraft and support for the Sky Launch winch system. Additionally, Serco secured a separate contract to supply spares for the gliders over the next three years, extendable by two more years.
Doug Umbers, Managing Director of Serco’s defence business, said the company is proud to continue supporting the training of over 5,000 Air Cadets annually, a role Serco has fulfilled since 2008.
SYOS Secures £30M Drone Deal to Support Ukraine
SYOS Aerospace has been awarded a £30 million contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to supply drones to support Ukraine’s armed forces.
The deal coincides with a new UK-New Zealand military cooperation agreement. Headquartered in New Zealand, SYOS opened a production facility in Fareham, Hampshire in May 2024 and currently employs about 100 staff, with plans to add 45 more due to the contract.
SYOS CEO Sam Vye confirmed the company’s UK production is expanding rapidly and hinted at potential U.S. expansion. Producing over 1,000 UAVs a month, SYOS’s portfolio includes aerial, ground, and maritime unmanned systems, featuring its proprietary MuV-NaP navigation technology for GNSS-denied environments.
While the specific systems for Ukraine were not disclosed, SYOS’s drones have already proven effective in contested environments. This order supports a broader multinational effort to deliver 30,000 drones to Ukraine amid its ongoing defence against Russian aggression.
MASS and Hadean Partner to Enhance UK Military Training
Defence support company MASS, part of Cohort plc, has partnered with AI and spatial computing specialist Hadean to enhance the UK Ministry of Defence’s Joint Command and Staff Training (JCAST) programme. The collaboration aims to deliver a more immersive, realistic training environment for UK Strategic Command, supporting operational headquarters across a range of missions from humanitarian aid to combat operations.
By combining MASS’s expertise in large-scale training exercises with Hadean’s AI-driven scenario generation, the partnership will integrate new layers of realism, including simulated civilian behaviour and social media dynamics, into training environments. This approach will modernize JCAST’s capabilities, ensuring exercises reflect today’s complex operational challenges.
Keith Norton, Managing Director at MASS, said the collaboration will future-proof military training by embedding emerging technologies like AI to mirror real-world defence landscapes. Craig Beddis, CEO of Hadean, added that the partnership will deliver the most immersive, real-world simulations, improving operational readiness and enabling cost-effective, flexible exercise delivery.
By automating scenario creation and reducing manual workloads, the partnership will allow for larger, more frequent, and more complex exercises, helping UK forces adapt quickly in a rapidly changing global security environment.
UK-Built Biomass Satellite to Map World’s Forests in 3D
A groundbreaking British-built satellite, Biomass, is set to become the first in the world to map Earth’s forests in 3D, providing vital data on carbon storage and deforestation. Developed by UK academics and engineers and led by Professor Shaun Quegan of the University of Sheffield, Biomass will launch on 29 April from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana.
Constructed by Airbus UK in Stevenage, the project supported around 250 highly skilled jobs and bolstered the UK’s £17.5 billion space sector. Since 2016, the UK has secured nearly €91 million in Biomass contracts through its membership of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The satellite will generate a full 3D map of tropical forests in 17 months and update it every nine months over a five-year mission. Its powerful radar will penetrate cloud cover and dense canopies, offering unprecedented insights into global carbon cycles, biodiversity loss, and climate change impacts.
Space Minister Sir Chris Bryant praised Biomass as a showcase of British innovation, noting it would attract global investment and strengthen the UK’s leadership in space and climate action.
Key figures including Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, and Kata Escott, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK, hailed the mission as critical for advancing climate science and protecting forests worldwide.
Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy added that Biomass exemplifies how cutting-edge technology can drive both climate leadership and economic growth under the UK’s “Plan for Change.”
CBI Launches Defence & Economic Growth Taskforce
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has launched a Defence & Economic Growth Taskforce to harness the UK’s growing defence investment for national prosperity. Backed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Healey, the taskforce will deliver recommendations within 12 weeks on how to turn the UK’s planned rise in defence spending-up to 2.5% of GDP by 2027-into broader economic benefits.
Led by CBI Chief Executive Rain Newton-Smith and jointly chaired by the Chancellor and Defence Secretary, the group includes leaders from defence, finance, and investment sectors, supported by strategic partners such as Oliver Wyman, PA Consulting, and ADS Group.
Newton-Smith highlighted the sector’s potential to drive innovation, strengthen supply chains, and boost economic resilience. The taskforce will explore better collaboration between public and private capital, streamline government procurement, and support faster development of new technologies, in coordination with organisations like ARIA, the National Wealth Fund, and DIANA.
Senior executives from BAE Systems, Babcock International, ARX Robotics, NatWest Group, Phoenix Group, and venture capital firms will also contribute. The initiative aims to ensure defence spending not only strengthens security but also fuels high-value job creation and industrial growth across the UK.