To collaboratively identify and develop revolutionary and innovative technology to enhance UK/FR complex weapons capability for the 2030's and beyond.
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.
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:
“Fast Targeting” Technology, offering the potential to drastically simplify Mission Planning and reduce the timeline of the missile targeting chain for ground attack and battlefield weapons. There is a need for such an application with the FCASW and SmartGlider programmes. This project was awarded and MBDA 3* Innovation awarded in 2020.
“REASON” Technology (Resilient & Autonomous Satcom navigation): operating in a GNSS-denied environment is a growing capability challenge and will increase in the future, this technology aims to provide Resilient and Accurate navigation aiding in a GNSS-denied environment.
Development of ceramic blades for turbine wheels for the motors of the next generation of cruise missiles:
this technology aims at improving the fuel efficiency and reducing the weight of turbojet engines.
Research on Reactive Material Warheads has developed technology to provide more effective systems, particularly for air-air capability such as Meteor with a lethal effect from fragments: the replacement of metal parts of warheads with Reactive Materials offers increased output/target lethality with new damage modes.
New sources of energy storage research focused on the demonstration of reaching good performance and high lifetime of sodium-ion battery. This new technology is an alternate and competitive solution to the thermal batteries used in MBDA systems today. This project received a 1* Innovation Award this year.
This is the larger innovation space, with 5 technical areas, each led by a leading French or British company in that area.
MBDA UK Limited, registration number 3144919, whose registered address is at Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2DA, England
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