Six Decades of Pioneering Technology
Roke has been changing worlds since 1956. From pioneering mobile communications to landing on Mars, Roke delivers breakthrough technologies that protect nations and advance critical missions.
1956 – THE BEGINNING
Twenty-eight engineers led by Harold J. Finden started something special. Working from Roke Manor, they focused on military communications systems that would transform how forces stay connected in the field.
1960s – WORLD FIRSTS
In 1961, Roke won a contract to work on a revolutionary new communications concept for the British Army known as the ‘Hobart Plan’. In 1967, the Hobart Plan re-emerged in the form of a joint UK, US and Canadian project called Mallard, the first mobile digital communications system in the world.
1970s – MAKING HISTORY
In 1975, Roke created something the world had never seen: the first monolithic Gallium Arsenide microwave circuits. This was a significant milestone in semiconductor technology, and paved the way for more compact, efficient, and reliable microwave devices.
1980s – DEFINING GLOBAL STANDARDS
In 1985, Roke worked alongside telecommunications company Racal to develop the digital cellular technologies that would define how the world communicates. Roke’s work became part of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) standards, the foundation for 2G networks and modern mobile communication.
1990s – PROVEN IN COMBAT
In the 1990s, British and UN troops relied on Roke technologies as significant conflicts erupted across the world. Roke’s Ptarmigan military communications kept British and Allied forces connected during Operation Granby in 1991. Four years later, HALO protected UN troops by detecting hostile artillery in Bosnia.
2000s – FROM SPORTS TO SPACE
Roke’s vision-based ball tracking system Hawk-Eye revolutionised sport and won a Royal Television Society Award. Meanwhile, Roke’s Miniature Radar Altimeter (MRA) helped Beagle 2 land on Mars. The company also built the UK’s first mobile antenna testing facility capable of meeting Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) requirements, and launched RESOLVE, a unique tactical man-pack Electromagnetic Warfare system.
2010s – GROWTH AND RECOGNITION
Roke was acquired by Chemring Group PLC in 2010, providing a platform for growth. A year later, RESOLVE won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. In 2016, the business opened a new office in Gloucester and started to develop STARTLE to give Royal Navy vessels enhanced situational awareness.
2020s – AI AND EXPANSION
In 2020 Roke launched the STARTLE Artificial Intelligence Threat Monitoring System, which demonstrated AI’s battlefield potential in NATO’s Formidable Shield exercise. In the following years, the business developed PERCEIVE Multi-Role, a next-generation wideband electromagnetic sensor, acquired Cubica and Geollect, and opened new offices in Woking and Manchester.
LOOKING FORWARD
Today, Roke has grown from a start-up of 28 engineers to a UK sovereign business that employs more than 500 engineers – who make up almost 60% of our workforce. The business has completed more than 25,000 projects across 40+ countries and re-invested more than £10M in research and development. Whatever challenges emerge next, Roke’s people have the expertise and experience to help you overcome them.
Real Challenges. Proven Solutions.
From safeguarding critical infrastructure to driving breakthrough advancements on the battlefield, discover how our innovations create tangible, game-changing results for customers tackling complex, high-stakes challenges.
