Torus alliance launched
Image courtesy Amentum
Torus aims to provide resilient, agile and integrated defence supply chain solutions, designed to help the UK defence sector adapt to the evolving threat landscape and build the agile capacity required to enhance sovereign capability.
Created to provide a solution that could help address the UK Government policy shift to readiness, visibility and data exploitation, Torus draws on alliance members' proven capabilities and mission-critical expertise in military domain, procurement and supply chain. The alliance is underpinned by a shared commitment of collaboration, compliance and continuous improvement to solve complex challenges in the UK defence market.
Amentum will provide overall integration and programme management based on more than 60 years of support to UK defence operations, procurement, logistics support, programme/project delivery and transformation. Its global expertise, built over decades of defence, aerospace and national security experience in the USA and UK, ensures interoperability with allied sustainment systems and proven global buying power. Last September, Amentum announced plans to add another 3,000 people to its current UK workforce of more than 6,000 over the next four years.
GXO will develop and operate innovative logistics solutions, leveraging its more than two decades of experience partnering with leading aerospace and defence organisations. With A&D operations spanning more than 30 global sites, GXO recently bolstered its UK defence capabilities through the acquisition of Wincanton, a longstanding trusted partner to the UK defence and industrial sector. GXO currently employs more than 60,000 team members across 450 sites in the UK and is a Gold Award level member of the UK’s Defence Employer recognition scheme for its work with the Armed Forces.
Accenture will lead digital reinvention with a core role to deliver digital enablement and integrated decision support capability. Accenture’s deep experience of defence logistics information systems and digital transformation will enable real-time, single-version-of-the-truth visibility and smarter, data and AI-powered decision making that balance readiness, cost and resilience.
Maersk will provide global integrated movement solutions utilising its extensive network across multiple modes to enable global reach ensuring compliance with stringent security standards for defence and government cargo whilst ensuring the scale of its owned assets provide agility and resilience to allow defence to plan and react to a changing need.
Loren Jones, Amentum Senior Vice President, said: “Our combined global reach and military domain experience, specifically Amentum's proven success in deployed logistics and integrating complex systems for the U.S. Government, perfectly aligns with the UK Defence sector’s requirement for future operational resilience and it's imperative to move beyond systems optimised for just-in-time to ones of assured readiness and global reach.”
Gavin Williams, Managing Director, GXO UK & Ireland, said: “The defence sector is tasked with responding to dynamic global challenges which has created substantial demands on its supply chains. GXO’s proven capability in the global defence sector optimises efficiency and builds resilience in complex supply chains, providing leading defence organisations with the assurance they will have the adaptive capacity required to deliver with confidence.”
Mark Smith, EMEA Defence Lead at Accenture, said: “This alliance brings together unmatched expertise in logistics systems and data-driven digital transformation - enabling scalable, interoperable solutions that enhance mission readiness. Accenture’s deep defence logistics knowledge and cutting-edge digital capabilities, refined through working with over 20 NATO countries, can help ensure operational continuity and resilience in complex global environments.”
Beyond focusing on supporting UK sovereign mission readiness, the alliance is committed to investing in UK infrastructure, contributing to economic growth and fostering digital skills in local communities.
The announcement comes prior to DPRTE, the UK’s leading defence procurement and supply chain event, which takes place on 25th and 26th March at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, where GXO and Amentum are both exhibiting.
