LONDON — Jujne 08, 2026 : The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) is moving forward with Project CRENIC, a next-generation electronic countermeasure (ECM) programme designed to protect troops, military vehicles, and operational bases from radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other signal-based threats. According to a written parliamentary response published on 5 June 2026, the programme is scheduled to begin prototype testing in the first quarter of 2027, marking a major milestone in its development.
Prototype Testing Planned for 2027
The update was provided by Minister of State for Defence Luke Pollard in response to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty. Pollard confirmed that Project CRENIC successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) during the summer of 2025, demonstrating that the system's design had reached the maturity required to proceed into manufacturing, integration, and testing.
The revised timeline follows earlier Ministry of Defence plans announced in 2022, which anticipated initial deliveries of soldier-carried and vehicle-mounted equipment in 2026. The availability of prototypes in Q1 2027 will provide the MoD and Parliament with a clear benchmark to evaluate system performance before decisions are taken on wider deployment.
Following prototype delivery, the programme will enter a phase of operational trials, user evaluations, software refinement, and capability improvements before a final decision is made regarding broader fielding across the armed forces.
£45 Million Contract Awarded to Team Protect
Project CRENIC is being delivered through a five-year, £45 million systems integration contract awarded in October 2022 by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and Strategic Command.
The programme is managed by Team Protect, a consortium led by PA Consulting and supported by Leonardo UK, Leidos Innovations UK, and Marshall Land Systems.
Unlike traditional defence procurement programmes that rely on a single prime contractor, Team Protect has established a network of approximately 110 UK businesses. According to PA Consulting, around 45 percent of participating companies are classified as small or micro enterprises, while more than half operate in innovation-focused sectors.
The approach is intended to provide rapid access to specialist technologies in artificial intelligence, software development, signal processing, electronic warfare, and advanced antenna systems. However, managing such a broad supplier base also requires strict oversight of security accreditation, cybersecurity standards, configuration control, export regulations, and electromagnetic safety requirements.
Software-Defined Electronic Warfare System
At the centre of Project CRENIC is a fully software-defined electronic warfare architecture capable of detecting, analysing, and disrupting hostile radio-frequency communications.
The system combines receivers, signal processors, electronic attack transmitters, power amplifiers, antennas, and mission software to identify threat signals and apply targeted jamming against them.
Its primary mission is to reduce the effectiveness of roadside bombs triggered through radio-frequency links while also providing protection against selected drone-control signals.
Unlike legacy electronic countermeasure systems that often require hardware modifications to address emerging threats, CRENIC's software-defined design allows new capabilities to be introduced through software updates and waveform modifications. This enables the system to adapt more rapidly when adversaries change communication protocols, command links, or detonator frequencies.
Designed for Modern Communication Threats
According to Leonardo UK, CRENIC is being developed to counter threats operating across increasingly complex communication networks, including 4G, 5G, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
The system must continuously monitor a crowded electromagnetic environment and identify potentially hostile emitters among large volumes of civilian and military communications activity. Advanced spectrum analysis and signal-characterisation capabilities are therefore central to the programme.
A key requirement is preventing electronic fratricide, ensuring that hostile signals can be disrupted without causing unacceptable interference to friendly military radios, battlefield data links, navigation systems, or allied drone networks.
Open Architecture and Future Upgrades
Project CRENIC is among the first UK defence programmes to fully adopt the Standards for Integrated C5ISR/EW Systems (STICS) framework, previously known as the Land CEMA Architecture before November 2024.
The framework incorporates open standards including MORA, OpenVPX, and the Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA). These standards are intended to improve interoperability, simplify future upgrades, and reduce the system's size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements.
The open-architecture approach also enables new processors, sensors, and hardware components to be integrated throughout the system's operational life without requiring major redesigns.
Capability Tailored for Troops, Vehicles, and Bases
The Ministry of Defence plans to deploy Project CRENIC across a variety of operational environments.
For dismounted troops, including infantry patrols, combat engineers, search teams, and medical personnel, the focus is on compact equipment with low weight and extended battery life. These systems are intended to create a localised electronic protection zone while allowing soldiers to continue using their own communications equipment.
Vehicle-mounted variants will be installed on protected mobility vehicles, command platforms, and logistics trucks. These versions can accommodate larger antennas and more powerful transmitters, providing wider-area protection for convoys, temporary checkpoints, and route-clearance operations.
For fixed and semi-permanent military installations, including airheads, forward operating bases, and ammunition storage sites, CRENIC will employ permanent antenna networks and dedicated monitoring systems. These configurations will allow commanders to continuously observe the electromagnetic environment and identify suspicious signal activity that may indicate preparations for an attack.
Part of a Broader Counter-Drone Defence Strategy
Project CRENIC also includes capabilities designed to counter certain categories of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
The system can disrupt drones that rely on radio-frequency command links, video transmissions, cellular networks, or satellite navigation signals. However, defence analysts note that the capability is not intended to independently defeat every drone threat.
The system is unlikely to neutralise fibre-optic FPV drones, fully autonomous unmanned aircraft, or platforms capable of continuing their mission after losing contact with operators.
As a result, military planners view CRENIC as one component of a layered defence architecture that also includes radar systems, acoustic sensors, camouflage measures, and kinetic interceptors.
British Armed Forces Expected to Be Primary Users
The British Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Air Force land forces are expected to become the primary users of the system once it enters service.
With prototype testing scheduled for early 2027, the next phase of the programme will focus on validating operational performance, gathering user feedback, and refining software capabilities. The Ministry of Defence expects these activities to help ensure that the system remains effective against rapidly evolving electronic warfare, IED, and drone threats.
Through Project CRENIC, the UK is seeking to develop a flexible and upgradeable force-protection capability that can adapt to emerging threats across the electromagnetic spectrum while supporting military operations in a wide range of operational environments.
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