The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) confirms new
investment that will increase scalable protection options for the
UK’s armoured land vehicles.
Funded by the British Army, the investment of £15 million over
three years will enable Dstl to deliver the follow-on phase of
the successful Icarus Technology Demonstrator
Programme (TDP). The Icarus TDP,
through Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) funding, developed and
demonstrated the Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) Open
Architecture Standard (the MIPS standard) to Technology Readiness
Level 5 (TRL 5).
This new investment will exploit and build on the MIPS standard
to demonstrate a modular, flexible Active Protection System (APS)
at high maturity (TRL 7).
The next stage of MIPS will enable the UK to continue to develop
future capabilities, with advances through to 2040 to include:
- Improved sensors - multi-spectral devices are combined with
increasingly sophisticated fast signal processing
- Improved information processing – including data fusion and
artificial intelligence (AI)
- Improved effectors – current counter-munition and directed
energy technology projects deliver precise effects to defeat a
wider range of threats
- Improved high-speed directors – compact and affordable energy
storage and motor drive technologies
- Improvements in electronic infrastructure component
technologies - exploiting safety and security features being
developed elsewhere for industrial robotic and autonomous systems
Minister for Defence Procurement, said:
“Our Armed Forces keep us safe around the clock and it’s
incumbent upon us to do all we can to protect them and adapt to
future threats.
“The war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of well
protected armoured vehicles. We are supporting the Army to
modernise and remain at the forefront of cutting-edge
capabilities.
“This is an important step forward in researching the latest
technology to improve protection for armoured vehicles, helping
them prevent and repel attacks from the ground and air.”
Advanced APS is a critical enabler to achieving operational
advantage and is a key function to enable survivability of the
Army’s fleet of vehicles. MIPS provides a modular framework to
exploit high maturity APS components and/or systems into a
sovereign-designed solution that can be procured at pace, be
supported through life, and be effectively integrated into
mission systems.
The new activity will:
- Exploit previous CSA investment of £10 million into MIPS
development
- Be an essential step towards developing an enduring approach
for vehicle protection Research and Development (R&D)
- Boost UK industry by securing UK industrial capability in
APS. It promotes Land APS activity with Industry as part of the
Land Industrial Strategy
- Seek to build a UK industrial partnership in MIPS that
increases exploitation opportunities and enables Army to benefit
from the delivered capability options
- Work with a range of industry partners, including the UKACIA
group (the UK APS Community of Interest and Action).
Dstl’s Active Protection expert Tom Newbery said:
“This is such an exciting opportunity for Dstl and Industry to
work together to deliver a step change in vehicle survivability
by taking MIPS to the next level of maturity. MIPS has the
potential to open up a range of capability options for Army,
improving vehicle survivability against the most challenging
threats now and in the future.”
