Simon Reid

DASA, in conjunction with AWE, is seeking innovative ideas to further enhance UK-sovereign, resilient, demonstrable capabilities for the space and air domains. - Power and data transfer across closed metal barriers - Robust semi-conductor switching for high-voltage applications - Low delta-T thermo-electric generation - Low Drift Inertial Sensors The total possible funding available for Phase 1 of this competition £4 million across 2 years (including VAT). A number of proposals may be funded. Additional funding for further phases to increase TRL may be available. If there will be a future phase, it will be open to applications from all innovators and not just those that submitted into Phase 1. https://lnkd.in/efiZVDve

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🌟 Shout Out to AWE: Over 70 Years of Excellence in Nuclear Defence 🌟 For over seven decades, AWE has been at the forefront of the UK's nuclear defence strategy, playing a pivotal role in safeguarding the nation. Their mission is clear: to ensure the safety and security of everything from our environment to our national sites. As the backbone of the UK's continuous at sea deterrent (CASD), they not only design, manufacture, and maintain the Trident warheads but also lead in Nuclear Threat Reduction. This includes arms control, nuclear security, and rapid responses to nuclear incidents—vital skills that protect against global nuclear threats. Here's to AWE—past, present, and future—continuously evolving to meet the challenges of tomorrow. 🚀 #AWE #NuclearDefence #UKSecurity #InnovationInDefence

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The UK Space Agency has awarded funds to consortiums led by Astroscale and ClearSpace to continue developing a servicer capable of removing two spacecraft from low Earth orbit (LEO) in 2026. The British subsidiaries of Japan-based Astroscale and Switzerland’s ClearSpace announced about 2.35 million British pounds ($3 million) each in funding before tax Sept. 11 to continue de-risking their robotic arm capture system and debris de-tumbling capabilities. The grants enable the ventures to continue working on their technologies until March, when the UK Space Agency is expected to decide which will conduct the demonstration mission. Both consortiums passed preliminary design reviews for their mission earlier this year. Astroscale’s spacecraft is a technological evolution of its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multi-client (ELSA-M) servicer, which is about the size of a compact car and recently secured all the government funds needed for its debut mission. ELSA-M is slated to launch during Astroscale’s fiscal year ending in April 2026. Instead of a robotic arm, this servicer would use a magnetic capture mechanism to attach to and then de-orbit a OneWeb LEO satellite previously fitted with a compatible docking plate. Astroscale said the servicer it is developing to de-orbit a pair of undisclosed U.K.-licensed satellites for the country’s space agency would be launched sometime after ELSA-M. The Japanese venture’s first in-orbit demonstration mission successfully used a magnetic capture mechanism in 2021 to capture and release a test satellite. However, that servicer later lost half its thrusters and was unable to recapture the spacecraft to complete the mission, which involved a controlled descent to jointly burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Astroscale also recently announced a contract from Japan’s space agency to de-orbit a defunct upper stage of an H-2A rocket with a servicer equipped with a robotic arm. #LEO #SpaceDebris #UKSpaceAgency An artistic depiction of the spacecraft Astroscale intends to use to de-orbit two LEO satellites. (Astroscale)

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There are calls for the Royal Navy to acquire a class of submarine it’s never had before – a nuclear powered guided missile sub (SSGN). This is a large nuclear powered submarine, not unlike a nuclear deterrent boat but with a large number of vertically-launched cruise missiles rather than a smaller number of nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistics. It’s a very good, but very expensive, idea. Many conventional and nuclear-powered attack submarines – SSs and SSNs, respectively – carry some cruise missiles, including the Royal Navy’s current Trafalgar- and Astute-class SSNs. But they carry only a few cruise missiles, and fire them horizontally from their torpedo tubes, limiting the pace and volume of the shooting. The idea behind an SSGN is to optimize the boat’s strike potential, by arming with a lot of cruise missiles – and firing them from vertical launch tubes that can salvo scores of missiles in a span of minutes. An SSGN is bigger than an SSN, the same size as a ballistic missile deterrent sub (an SSBN), and it can fit several vertical tubes for cruise weapons into the same space as a single intercontinental nuclear missile. This means a lot of cruise missiles. https://lnkd.in/gGu78Pkh

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#DisruptiveTech 🔴 Weighing up the benefits? The UK Ministry of Defence - MOD’s - (Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air Systems) RWUAS Capability Concept Demonstrator (CCD) Phase 2 contract built on the research and development activity which began under the Tactical Maritime Unmanned Air System (TMUAS) CCD programme between 2013 and 2015. Under Phase 2 further research, development, analysis and experimentation took place, which related to Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) air-vehicle technologies and platform operations, within future operating environments, fleet mixes and the overall defence aviation capability structure. Further to learnings and technology developed through the first two phases of the RWUAS programme, Leonardo is now creating a 2-3t demonstration aircraft that will have modularity at its core. As part of Phase 3a of the RWUAS CCD Phase 3 Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP), awarded in July 2022 by the UK MOD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Future Capability Group (FCG), Leonardo is racing ahead with advanced research into an Uncrewed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (UVTOL) Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) with the TDP anticipated to fly next year. Referred to as ‘Proteus’, the TDP will inform the Royal Navy’s Future Maritime Aviation Force (FMAF) vision for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) support. #rotaryuav #uav #uas #uncrewedhelicopter #drone #navy #asw #aew Campaign Catapult, Pravo Consulting

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