The latest opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and new suppliers to engage with the defence industry have been announced by Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory).
Dstl is hosting 2 webinars in March to support research to improve the protection and mobility of armoured vehicles, now and into the future. The webinars are being organised through Dstl’s Searchlight initiative to increase defence collaboration with non-traditional defence suppliers.
The webinars are free to attend and businesses do not need to have worked previously with Dstl or in the defence sector. Attendance is welcomed from equipment and material manufacturers, engineers, innovators, researchers and academics and others who have a genuine interest and ability to work with Dstl.
Webinar 1: Modular Integrated Protection Systems (MIPS)
Date: 16 March 2021, 1:30 to 2:30pm
Dstl is furthering research to improve the protection and survivability of Armoured Fighting Vehicles from attack against a wide range of current and future threats, such as Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (ATGWs) therefore helping to protect the lives of the UK Armed Forces.
Dstl conducted a proof of concept Technical Demonstrator Programme (Icarus TDP) between 2017 and 2021.
The TDP developed a UK sovereign Active Protection Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) Electronic Architecture (EA), incorporating Modular Open System Architecture design principles. The MIPS EA provides a common infrastructure that will enable ‘best of breed’ technologies to be developed or selected, and integrated.
Further research and development is now required to mature key elements of the MIPS concept.
Specialised expertise is required in certain areas such as weapon control, sensor data fusion and kinematic estimation but there is also a requirement for knowledge in safety critical software, deterministic data processing, system level modelling/simulation and high integrity model based system-engineering techniques.
The Dstl requirement is expected to be around £1 million in value over 2 years, subject to contract. Concepts generated may be taken forward for further development within a potential multi-million pound project.
Webinar 2: Future Ground Combat System research
Date: 18 March 2021, 11:30am to 12:30pm
The Future Ground Combat System will set out to replace current armoured vehicles such as Challenger 2, the Army’s Main Battle Tank, and produce battle-winning capability in 2040 to 2050. The presentation will review the potential scope of future combat vehicles and outline some of the key challenges where science and technology solutions will be required. The areas of interest include lethality, survivability, mobility, system integration and the use of organic remote systems.
The team will explain the variety of ways to work with Dstl including commercial routes and framework arrangements.
The events will be administered by Team Defence Information.
Find out more about how to work with Dstl, the science inside UK defence and security, including our commitment and track record working with SMEs.
