UK Develops New High-Tech Protection System for Armoured Vehicles

Defense News ,U.K :- The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has recently awarded a new contract under the Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership (EDP) to enhance the survivability and protection of Land Armoured Vehicles within the British Army. QinetiQ, as the lead partner in the EDP framework, collaborates with Leonardo UK, the Principal Systems Integrator, to spearhead the project. Leonardo will coordinate Team Minerva, a consortium comprising major defense companies such as Thales, CGI, Roke, Ultra Electronics, and Frazer Nash.

This initiative serves as the follow-up to the concluded Leonardo-led Icarus TDP in July 2021. The new contract marks the second development phase of the UK Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) program. MIPS aims to design a state-of-the-art pan-fleet active protection system architecture for various British Army vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers. This system is intended to handle current, emerging, and future threats.

Jamie MacKenzie, Head of Business Development at UK Defence QinetiQ, expressed delight over Dstl's choice of the Engineering Delivery Partnership for this crucial research phase. He emphasized that Phase II of the MIPS program would showcase significant advancements in future-proofing the British Army's capabilities in the realm of protection systems.

Richard Muir, Vice President Sales at Leonardo Electronics UK, conveyed excitement about collaborating with Dstl and QinetiQ to lead Team Minerva in the latest phase of the MIPS program. Muir highlighted that MIPS would be a life-saving technology, providing the UK with operational independence in a critical aspect of British Army capability.

The program's focus extends beyond enhancing the UK open systems architecture standard, facilitating the configuration of Active Protection Systems for various Armoured Vehicle types. Designed to counter threats like Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (ATGWs), and Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), these adaptable configurations can be reconfigured for different operational scenarios and evolving threats in the field. This ensures that operational vehicles are equipped with the latest and most effective protection tactics against the challenges they may encounter.

In addition to advancing the open architecture standard, the second phase of the program concentrates on developing the MIPS Controller to Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL7). This milestone underscores the commitment to delivering a cutting-edge protection system that meets the stringent requirements of the British Army.