Defence Minister Luke Pollard has announced a new programme intended to make it easier for smaller British companies to test military technology and develop equipment for the Armed Forces.
Project Safari, launched on 10 October by the Ministry of Defence and defence technology company QinetiQ, will simplify access to specialist test and evaluation facilities.
The programme is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses overcome administrative barriers that can delay testing and slow the introduction of new defence capabilities.
Companies developing autonomous systems, advanced weapons and other military technologies will be able to use a more straightforward route to seek access to relevant facilities.
Pollard, the Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said limited access to specialist testing infrastructure had been holding back smaller firms and new entrants to the defence sector.
During a visit to the Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides range, Pollard signed an agreement with QinetiQ covering the first design stage of a multimillion-pound investment in testing infrastructure.
The proposed work would help develop facilities capable of testing hypersonic missiles and other advanced technologies. The agreement concerns design work rather than confirmation that the new facilities are operational.
Pollard also met representatives of smaller defence businesses, including Greenjets, Cambridge Aerospace and MGI Engineering, to discuss obstacles to developing and testing new systems.
Project Safari supports the Government’s existing ambition to increase annual defence spending with small and medium-sized enterprises by £2.5 billion by summer 2028. That target is not a new funding allocation announced through the programme.
