BlackTree Technologies Wins £86m AI Systems Contract
BlackTree Technologies has secured a Ministry of Defence contract worth up to £86 million to deliver AI-enabled radios, headsets and tablets to British soldiers.
The Dismounted Data System will link troops through a shared network, accelerating intelligence sharing, improving battlefield awareness and reducing friendly fire risk. The system has been trialled in Estonia.
Rollout begins in September, with full deployment by 2027.
ACS UK Secures Major Airline Contracts
Aircraft interiors specialist ACS UK has won two new contracts with tier-one global airlines, just months after reopening its order book.
The agreements cover the design and manufacture of bespoke cabin monuments for widebody aircraft, tailored to each airline’s brand. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027.
The wins reflect renewed demand in the aviation sector as aircraft production rises. ACS UK, part of AVIC Cabin Systems, has invested in its UK engineering and manufacturing capabilities to support the expected ramp-up in deliveries.
The company will exhibit at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026 in Hamburg this April.
Bruderer UK and Brandauer Invest £700k to Mark 60 Years
Bruderer UK and Brandauer are marking 60 years of partnership with a £700,000 investment in a new high-speed BSTA510 press line at Brandauer’s Birmingham site.
The 51-tonne press boosts precision, automation and high-volume production, reinforcing a collaboration that has seen 38 Bruderer machines installed since the 1960s.
The move strengthens advanced UK manufacturing and ongoing joint R&D efforts.
UK Defence Innovation Launches £1.85m Counter-Drone Challenge
UK Defence Innovation has opened a £1.85 million competition to develop low-collateral technologies that can neutralise illegal drones around UK prisons.
Run for the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS, the programme will fund rapid prototypes and mid-stage solutions focused on safely defeating drones in custodial and urban environments not detection alone.
UK to Invest £400m+ in Long-Range Weapons
The UK will spend over £400 million this year on long-range and hypersonic weapons, expanding cooperation with France, Germany and Italy.
The Stratus programme will deliver a next-generation stealth missile to replace Storm Shadow, while the UK-Germany Deep Precision Strike project will develop a system with a range beyond 2,000 km, due in the 2030s.
The investment supports NATO deterrence and forms part of the UK’s planned defence spending rise to 2.6% of GDP from 2027.
UK Ministry of Defence Announces £500m Air Defence Boost for Ukraine
The UK has committed over £500 million in new air defence support for Ukraine, including £150 million to NATO’s PURL initiative and 1,000 UK-made missiles.
Further deliveries will include 1,200 air defence missiles and 200,000 artillery rounds.
The package was confirmed at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, reinforcing allied support as the conflict enters its fifth year.
Rotron to Be Acquired by Ondas Inc.
UK defence tech firm Rotron Aerospace has agreed to be acquired by Ondas Inc. (Nasdaq: ONDS), strengthening delivery of long-range autonomous defence systems across UK, NATO and allied markets.
Rotron’s VTOL UAV and autonomous strike platforms will integrate into Ondas Autonomous Systems, expanding its global autonomous capabilities. Rotron will continue operating from the UK. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and will be funded through cash and stock.
£28m Upgrade Begins at RAF Coningsby
A £28 million airfield upgrade is underway at RAF Coningsby, strengthening its 24/7 Quick Reaction Alert role in defending UK airspace.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick to improve taxiways and apron areas, with AECOM providing technical support.
Works will be carefully phased to maintain continuous Typhoon readiness and are due for completion in October 2026.
Applied Intuition UK Wins MoD Swarming Contract
Applied Intuition UK has secured Phase 1 of the Ministry of Defence’s Software Defined Swarms programme, led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
As prime contractor, it will deliver an autonomy testbed for ground-launched drone swarms, combining simulation and live trials to accelerate UK sovereign swarming capability.
Consortium partners include Rowden Technologies, Evolve Dynamics, SAIF Autonomy, and Frazer-Nash Consultancy.
Indian Air Force Instructors to Train RAF Pilots
The UK and India have agreed to deepen defence training ties following the 19th Air Staff Talks in New Delhi.
Three Indian Qualified Flying Instructors will deploy to RAF Valley for two years — the first time Indian instructors will train British fast jet pilots.
The move strengthens UK–India interoperability and builds on existing Indian instructor roles at Royal Air Force College Cranwell.
UK Ministry of Defence Expands Digital Backbone with Red Hat
The UK Ministry of Defence has signed an enterprise agreement with Red Hat to standardise hybrid cloud, automation and AI capabilities across Defence.
The deal gives MOD teams and approved partners centralised access to Red Hat platforms, supporting faster digital delivery, stronger cybersecurity and scalable AI development.
Implemented through Defence Digital Foundry, the agreement underpins a unified digital backbone across UK Defence.
UK to Lead Defence Cyber Marvel 2026 in Singapore
The UK will lead Defence Cyber Marvel (DCM) 2026, a multinational cyber defence exercise hosted in Singapore for the first time.
More than 2,500 personnel from 29 nations will take part in realistic cyber threat scenarios, strengthening interoperability and warfighting readiness under the Strategic Defence Review.
The exercise highlights the UK’s commitment to Indo-Pacific security partnerships and global cyber cooperation.
Fractile to Invest £100m in UK Expansion
UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan has urged British tech startups to take bold risks, as Fractile pledged £100 million to expand its UK operations.
The AI chip startup, developing next-generation processors for LLM inference, will grow its London and Bristol sites and open a new UK hardware facility, strengthening domestic AI capability.
Second Front Systems and Valarian Forge Sovereign Defence Partnership
Second Front Systems has partnered with UK firm Valarian to accelerate sovereign defence software deployment across the UK and Europe.
The deal combines 2F’s secure software delivery platform with Valarian’s sovereign infrastructure to enable controlled, compliant and dependency-free deployment in classified environments, as European defence spending continues to rise.