Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • British Equestrian teams to benefit from fighter jet tech

Defence Events

British Equestrian teams to benefit from fighter jet tech

Britain’s elite equestrian teams will benefit from sensor technologies normally used to manage cockpit conditions for fighter pilots to improve their competitive performance.

The project is part of BAE Systems’ ongoing technology partnership with UK Sport and will support the teams transporting horses to major competitive events throughout the season.
 
As with athletes, the performance of horses flying to international competition can be adversely affected by the symptoms of long haul air travel. Engineers at BAE Systems were asked to provide a technical solution to overcome the impact of long haul travel to ensure the animals arrive in a peak state of health and fitness; ready for competition.

Advertisement
Teledyne

 
The specialist team at BAE Systems produced a unique and bespoke environmental monitoring unit developed, called Equus-Sense, for the British Equestrian Federation (BEF). The technology builds upon advanced sensor systems such as those that monitor cockpit conditions and air quality found in Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft for the fighter pilots. Novel integration techniques and additional sensors appropriate to equestrian transport were introduced to provide a complete monitoring unit for the horses. The system covers elements including sound, temperature, vibration, humidity, dust levels and oxygen, allowing trainers and athletes to monitor the environmental conditions for horses travelling to international events.
 
Equus-Sense can be housed in any travelling environment for horses, and will sense and log environmental conditions during transit. It allows trainers to evaluate the individual conditions of horses upon arrival at competitions to make informed decisions on their readiness to compete.
 
In time the technology could be applied to other sporting organisations outside the BEF to monitor transportation and welfare of other horses travelling to competitions worldwide.
 
“When it comes to elite sport, marginal gains can help leverage a real competitive advantage – and that preparation begins before competitors reach their competition,” said Henry White, UK Sport Partnership Lead at BAE Systems. “We develop aircraft and equipment monitoring technology which helps ensure our fighter pilots are as comfortable as possible to enable them to realise their incredible skills and there is no reason why horses cannot benefit from this.  Applying such technology to horse transportation had its challenges but our expert engineers have developed such a system allowing the equestrian competitors to benefit and help gain an advantage.”
 
Director of Equine Sports Science and Medicine for the BEF’s World Class Programme, John McEwen adds; “This has been a valuable project that has improved elite horse transport. This is an area that can have a major performance effect and we are grateful to BAE Systems for their scientific support.
 
“Small marginal gains are very important to us, to provide maximal performance, and the travel environment is critical to this. The improvements made will ensure the highest level of welfare for our elite horses and ensure that they travel first class.”
Advertisement
Teledyne

 
The development of the environmental monitoring unit was co-ordinated by the Performance Innovation team from the English Institute of Sport (EIS), which is the science, medicine and technology arm of UK Sport.
 
Naomi Stenhouse, Head of Performance Innovation at the EIS explained: “We were approached by the BEF, which was keen to optimise the travel environment for its horses, and through our longstanding partnership with BAE Systems have been able to broker a relationship which deploys technology developed by the company to address a wide range of issues and help ensure the horses arrive at competitions in a peak state of health and fitness.  The project is a great example of how our partnership with BAE Systems provides added value by enabling sports and national governing bodies to access third party technology and engineering expertise that can help to deliver performance benefits.”
 
In 2017, BAE Systems and UK Sport announced a four-year extension to the unique and highly-successful long-term engineering partnership. BAE Systems is UK Sport’s Official Engineering Partner providing engineering expertise, time and materials worth £600,000.
 
Engineers and sports scientists at the two organisations, and at the English Institute of Sport, have worked together since 2009. In that time, 250 athletes from 30 different Olympic and Paralympic sporting discipline have benefitted from some of the UK’s most advanced technologies.
 
Through the partnership, both organisations are able to harness the ‘best of British’ in attracting and developing sports and engineering talent, supporting British athletes as they prepare for national and international competitions.
 

Advertisement
Cranfield University
GKN Aerospace secures Typhoon transparencies contract

Defence

GKN Aerospace secures Typhoon transparencies contract

10 July 2025

GKN Aerospace has has signed a six-year follow-on contract with BAE Systems for continued manufacture of Eurofighter Typhoon transparencies at its Luton facility, through to the end of 2030.

Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

Defence Security

Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

10 July 2025

Metis has won a contract to supply a number of Skyperion drone detection systems to a NATO customer to provide the drone detect function as part of an integrated Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) capability.

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

Defence Space

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

10 July 2025

ALL.SPACE has revealed a major advancement in mobile satellite communications with the successful demonstration of Hydra MAX - the first network independent terminal of its kind to deliver ultra wideband communications to multiple satellites simultaneously.

BAE Systems assessed

Defence

BAE Systems assessed 'Awardable' for US DoD work in P1 Solutions Marketplace

9 July 2025

BAE Systems in collaboration with Defense Unicorns, have announced that their joint solution has achieved 'Awardable' status for US Department of Defense (DoD) work through the US Platform One (P1) Solutions Marketplace.

Advertisement
Teledyne
Government unveils Team UK approach to defence

Defence

Government unveils Team UK approach to defence

8 July 2025

UK Government plans to deliver jobs across the country by unlocking the full economic potential of Britain's defence sector are being unveiled today.

Construction begins on SLA accommodation at RAF Cosford

Defence

Construction begins on SLA accommodation at RAF Cosford

8 July 2025

Construction has started on a new 50-bedroom Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at RAF Cosford in Shropshire.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025