Dstl and QinetiQ agree WSTC contract
The contract covers prime management, strategy, planning, tasking and delivery of circa £8m of research per annum into technologies for Complex Weapons, General Munitions and Energetic Materials. 
QinetiQ, working closely with Dstl, will lead a core team including representatives from MoD and the major Industrial Primes (MBDA, Thales, Chemring and BAE Systems) to deliver this contract.
The WSTC takes a joint MoD and Industry approach to the identification of requirements and the planning of a coherent research programme which balances innovation and exploitation. The WSTC is a network of 50+ Suppliers that range from Academia and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Technology Providers and Weapons Primes.
The WSTC will build on best practises and supplier relationships developed under its predecessors, the Complex Weapons Centre for Defence Technology (CW CDT) and the Weapons Technology Centre (WTC). Future topics range from research into new energetic ingredients for novel propellants for rocket motors, warhead and fuzing designs to reduce collateral damage through to the development and validation of integrated weapon system concepts operating in the future battlespace.
John Anderson, the MD of QinetiQ Weapons said: “We are delighted to be awarded this contract by Dstl as it recognises the range of expertise both within QinetiQ and the WSTC partner organisations. It also demonstrates that, in a demanding economic climate, bringing together capabilities within MoD and Industry to plan the most appropriate research programme provides the best value for money solution”.
Richard Brooks, Dstl’s Programme and Delivery Director said: "Retaining key technical capabilities which give the UK freedom of action is particularly difficult in these times of austerity. However, QinetiQ and their industrial partners have risen to this challenge in terms of joint investment in maintaining these capabilities, but also ensuring that UK industry can offer the best to our Armed Forces. This builds on a solid foundation of joint working and I am pleased that it will now continue."
