The National Armaments Director (NAD) Group has awarded a
contract to develop a hypersonic target, strengthening UK and
allied missile defence capabilities.
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The programme supports UK and allied missile defence, with a
live flight demonstration planned for 2027 at the MOD
Hebrides Range
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Bowline strengthens UK sovereign hypersonics expertise and
supports international collaboration through AUKUS Pillar 2
The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £20 million contract to
Lockheed Martin UK to deliver Project Bowline, a hypersonic
target programme designed to support the development and testing
of missile defence systems against advanced threats. The project
is a key part of the UK's contribution to allied air and missile
defence, with a live flight demonstration planned for 2027 at the
MOD Hebrides Range.
The contract awarded by NAD Group will support around 63 jobs in
Bedfordshire and inject £2 million into the supply chain, with
over a third going directly to UK SMEs. It also marks the MOD's
return to hypersonic target development after more than a decade,
rebuilding the sovereign capability in advanced targets.
National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce said:
Delivering Project Bowline will help ensure the UK stays ahead of
rapidly evolving hypersonic threats. By working with our AUKUS
partners and investing in advanced missile technology in the UK,
we strengthen our national arsenal, boost a key sector in our
economy, and support our ability to deliver effective missile
defence.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin UK at its advanced
manufacturing facility will design, manufacture, qualify and test
a hypersonic target, a vehicle designed to represent high-speed
threats capable of travelling at speeds reaching above Mach 5.
The programme will culminate in a first flight demonstration,
enabling the future assessment and qualification of
nextgeneration missile defence systems, including sensors and
interceptors. Bowline has been awarded through the MOD's Science
and Technology Oriented Research and Development in Missile
Defence (STORM) contract managed by the UK Missile Defence Centre
and supports innovation in defence capability.
Project Bowline builds on international collaboration under the
AUKUS Pillar 2 Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation
(HyFliTE) Project Arrangement, where the UK, United States and
Australia are working together to accelerate hypersonic and
counterhypersonic technologies. The US and Australia will provide
critical contributions including flight test and research
expertise and technical peer review.
The programme is a prime example of the NAD Group's core role in
developing, delivering and sustaining the UK's national arsenal.
Bowline will enhance sovereign expertise in hypersonic systems,
including modelling, manufacturing and testing, while
strengthening partnerships across industry, small and medium
enterprises and academia. This reflects a continued focus on
accelerating capability delivery, deepening international
collaboration and supporting UK economic growth through defence
investment.
Paul Livingston, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin UK, said:
For more than 85 years Lockheed Martin has partnered with the UK
to help address complex defence and security challenges. The
Project Bowline contract and programme highlight the strength of
collaboration between government, UK industry, and international
partners through the UK Missile Defence Centre, and will support
sovereign innovation across the UK, capitalise on existing UK
industry capability, and contribute to a more resilient and
effective sovereign missile defence capability.
