Launch of the Fourth Defence Technology Centre

A new community for scientific excellence will explore innovative new technologies in the fast-developing world of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach announced today.

The fourth Defence Technology Centre - the Systems Engineering Autonomous Systems Centre - is a pioneering collaboration between MoD, industry and leading academia.

It will play a key role in developing new technologies that will underpin equipment programmes of the future, such as unmanned aircraft and remote-controlled submersibles.

Final contractual agreement has been reached with a consortium led by BAE Systems. Other members of the consortium are CAE (UK), MDBA, Rolls-Royce, Roke Manor Research, AMS and Smiths Aerospace. Subcontractors include QinetiQ together with a number of Universities.

Lord Bach said:

"The Centre’s work will play an important part in our collective efforts to de-risk future equipment plans. It will also drive innovation in our supplier base and help to take the many new ideas developed in our world-class University system and bring them through to the market place."

Simon Jewell, DTC Chairman, said:

"The Industry Consortium is naturally delighted to be selected by UK MoD to undertake this groundbreaking, important work. We have the opportunity to rapidly position the UK as a significant technology provider for autonomy through our work in partnership with UK MoD, Industry and Academia."

The DTC is jointly funded by the consortium and the MoD to a value of £10 million per year for up to 6 years.

The signing of the DTC contract is another step in the continuing engagement of industry and academia by the MoD, as set out in the UK Defence Industrial Policy paper and the Government’s National Aerospace Technology Strategy.