Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide

Defence

Digitising Land ISTAR

A contract worth £6.7 million has been awarded to Roke, the delivery partner for ZODIAC, which will act as the central nervous system for Land ISTAR, as the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) embraces far-reaching benefits of digitisation for its Land ISTAR programme, to transform how the British Army operates, integrates and sustains a persistent and decisive global presence.

Above: (left to right) Paul MacGregor, Roke Managing Director and Brigadier John Collyer.
Courtesy Roke

It marks the start of an Alpha development phase to de-risk the delivery of the Land ISTAR programme. Land ISTAR will deliver an integrated and distributed system of sensors, applications and underlying system architecture that will enable the Army to act with greater precision and speed. Enhancing FIND to UNDERSTAND and FIND to EFFECT is critical to the generation of a competitive advantage in the modern operating environment across the continuum of competition.

Advertisement
Siemens rectangle

As the core project for the Land ISTAR programme, ZODIAC must provide the systems required to ingest data from all battlefield sensors and CJIIM* intelligence feeds. It will need to fuse, analyse and distribute the resulting intelligence to battlefield users, integrating across Land, Sea, Air, Space and Cyber and with Allies.

During the Alpha phase of ZODIAC, Roke will be responsible for capturing requirements, initial design, solution architecture, risk reduction and market assessment for further development.

Paul MacGregor, Managing Director of Roke said: “Roke is proud to contribute to this important and bold transformation in support of the defence of our nation. ZODIAC will pioneer the use of next generation technologies, empowering and better protecting the British Army to think and act faster than our adversaries.

“Innovation will be the catalyst for everything we do. From harnessing our significant knowledge in physical sensors and communication systems to embedding new architectures and processing at the edge, drawing on the expertise of our Cubica colleagues who specialise in data fusion, machine learning and autonomy."

Roke will also work closely with a trusted consortia of industry partners to refine the model of ZODIAC development further, ensuring the customer takes advantage of world-beating technical capabilities on a continuous and enduring basis.

Advertisement
Siemens rectangle

 
*CJIIM (Combined, Joint, Inter-Agency, Intra-Governmental and Multinational)
 

 

 

Advertisement
Nokia leaderboard
All on board with Babcock

Defence Events

All on board with Babcock

12 September 2025

Babcock recently hit the highway as it started a nationwide tour of the UK in a specially kitted out bus, where it is connecting with colleagues and highlighting the positive impact it is having on communities the length and breadth of Britain, as it ramps up recruitment.

GA-ASI and AeroVironment launch Switchblade 600 from MQ-9A UAS

Defence

GA-ASI and AeroVironment launch Switchblade 600 from MQ-9A UAS

11 September 2025

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and AeroVironment collaborated on the first ever air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition (LM) from a GA-ASI Block 5 MQ-9A unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

Serco to continue support for US Navy submarines

Defence

Serco to continue support for US Navy submarines

11 September 2025

Serco has won a new indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to continue supporting the US Navy’s Submarine High Data Rate (SubHDR) antenna systems.

LTPA enhanced to unlock SME access and boost innovation

Defence

LTPA enhanced to unlock SME access and boost innovation

11 September 2025

QinetiQ and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have agreed changes to the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) that will make it easier and cheaper for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to use test and evaluation (T&E) capabilities across the UK.

Advertisement
Amentum rectangle
BAE Systems opens engineering facility in Minneapolis

Defence

BAE Systems opens engineering facility in Minneapolis

11 September 2025

BAE Systems has officially opened a 247,000-square-foot engineering and product development facility in Maple Grove, Minnesota, serving as a critical innovation hub focused on engineering and product development for the US military and its allies.

Ukrainian defence industry to gain support via ADS membership offer

Defence Events

Ukrainian defence industry to gain support via ADS membership offer

11 September 2025

In a world first, ADS is offering defence companies headquartered in Ukraine the opportunity to gain unparalled support through becoming members of the UK trade association for aerospace, defence, security and space.

Advertisement
Amentum rectangle