About CW ITP

CW ITP VISION

To collaboratively identify and develop revolutionary and innovative technology to enhance UK/FR complex weapons capability for the 2030's and beyond.

CW ITP MISSION

To identify the key technology trends, capability improvements and potential disruptors that will define Generation After Next (GAN) missiles and timely concepts
To engage with a broad industry (including SMEs) and academic base, both within, and outside the defence sector to identify innovative and revolutionary technologies
To ensure high quality delivery and facilitate maturation such that these innovations can be viably exploited into future missile acquisition programmes

Communities of Interest

A key aspect of the CW ITP is the active participation of wide and varied Communities of Interest (CoI). The CoIs are the Industry, SMEs, and Academia with expertise and research interest in the specific technology scope of the ETA, as well as Authority and MBDA technical experts (PoCs).

The communities, created and co-ordinated by the ETA Leads and/or Dynamic Advisors, provide a broad pool of researchers and experts able to respond to research challenges and play an active role in the CW ITP. A key part of this is bringing the CoI together once or twice a year to discuss challenges and opportunities within the CW ITP, chaired by the ETA Lead.

This ensures the CW ITP is able to draw on innovative low TRL research being carried out in the wider community, such as Academia and SMEs, whilst working with the MBDA PoCs, to ensure that exploitation is considered at all times.

Research Lifecycle

Framework Governance

Governance of the CW ITP builds on the positive arrangements that delivered the Materials and Components for Missiles, Innovation and Technology Partnership (MCM ITP) programme successfully for over 12 years. MBDA are responsible for the day-to-day leadership, management and performance of the CW ITP and its research community. Regular engagement and co-operative working with the DGA & Dstl facilitates Government oversight, influence and contribution.

The governance structure is shown below:

Steering Board

Management Team

Programme Office

Previous Research Achievements

Here are some examples of topic CW ITP studied on CW ITP. Contact CW ITP team to know more.

Improvement of lethality simulation:

Hit-To-Kill Debris characterization for Launcher Self Damage Assessment.
Improvement and adaptation of the blast damage criteria for modern targets subjected to an explosion.

Ignition: Wireless Pyrotechnic igniter design based on plasma production.

Electro-optics seekers:

Development of wave front coded designs, deblurring algorithms and performance metric modelling.
Improvement of the rain erosion resistance of Zinc Sulphide (ZnS): improvement of the mechanical strength of the material, and variations of structure’s wavelength.

Distributed antennas to maximize anti-jam performance.

Tunable microwave antenna arrays optimization for integration in RF Seekers.

Assessment and/or development of novel materials : 3D ceramic with lattice structure, ceramic matrix composites.