A new multi-million £ investment in MoD Hebrides has been signed in Uist by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard.
During his visit to the UK’s largest weapons test range, Luke Pollard signed a deal with QinetiQ to begin the first design phase of a multimillion‑£ upgrade enabling hypersonic missile and advanced technology trials.
The minister was joined by QinetiQ CEO, Steve Wadey, to host a roundtable with SME representatives, including Greenjets and Cambridge Aerospace, to listen to the experiences of SMEs accessing T&E services and the barriers they can face.
The Project Safari investment will open access to UK test and evaluation facilities for small to medium-sized enterprises in the defence industry to shorten the time from development to deployment.
Technologies such as hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons and autonomous systems will be assessed, refined and delivered quicker than ever before, following a joint Ministry of Defence (MOD) and QinetiQ programme transforming how defence capabilities are tested and evaluated at the pace of modern warfare.
Group CEO QinetiQ, Steve Wadey, explained: “Turning ideas into trusted frontline capability faster than our adversaries is what delivers military advantage, and we’ve got to go faster to stay ahead.
“Project Safari will transform how the UK approves new technologies, creating a world-leading test and evaluation enterprise that helps government, industry and regulators work together to accelerate the delivery of military capability at the pace demanded by modern warfare.”
Emphasising the fast-tracking of new defence innovations, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard added: “We know that limited access to test and evaluation facilities have been holding back smaller businesses and new entrants from working with defence.
“By working hand-in-hand with QinetiQ, we are unlocking British innovation by developing, testing and delivering military capabilities for the UK and our allies at speed.”
Project Safari is an ambition that was set out in the Strategic Defence Review to increase spending with SMEs by £2.5 billion a year by the summer of 2028.
The Uist announcement builds on the work of the Defence Investment Plan, backed by £298 billion of funding in UK defence over the next four years.
Image content - Ministry of Defence
