Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide

Defence

Digitising Land ISTAR

A contract worth £6.7 million has been awarded to Roke, the delivery partner for ZODIAC, which will act as the central nervous system for Land ISTAR, as the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) embraces far-reaching benefits of digitisation for its Land ISTAR programme, to transform how the British Army operates, integrates and sustains a persistent and decisive global presence.

Above: (left to right) Paul MacGregor, Roke Managing Director and Brigadier John Collyer.
Courtesy Roke

It marks the start of an Alpha development phase to de-risk the delivery of the Land ISTAR programme. Land ISTAR will deliver an integrated and distributed system of sensors, applications and underlying system architecture that will enable the Army to act with greater precision and speed. Enhancing FIND to UNDERSTAND and FIND to EFFECT is critical to the generation of a competitive advantage in the modern operating environment across the continuum of competition.

Advertisement
ODU RT

As the core project for the Land ISTAR programme, ZODIAC must provide the systems required to ingest data from all battlefield sensors and CJIIM* intelligence feeds. It will need to fuse, analyse and distribute the resulting intelligence to battlefield users, integrating across Land, Sea, Air, Space and Cyber and with Allies.

During the Alpha phase of ZODIAC, Roke will be responsible for capturing requirements, initial design, solution architecture, risk reduction and market assessment for further development.

Paul MacGregor, Managing Director of Roke said: “Roke is proud to contribute to this important and bold transformation in support of the defence of our nation. ZODIAC will pioneer the use of next generation technologies, empowering and better protecting the British Army to think and act faster than our adversaries.

“Innovation will be the catalyst for everything we do. From harnessing our significant knowledge in physical sensors and communication systems to embedding new architectures and processing at the edge, drawing on the expertise of our Cubica colleagues who specialise in data fusion, machine learning and autonomy."

Roke will also work closely with a trusted consortia of industry partners to refine the model of ZODIAC development further, ensuring the customer takes advantage of world-beating technical capabilities on a continuous and enduring basis.

Advertisement
ODU RT

 
*CJIIM (Combined, Joint, Inter-Agency, Intra-Governmental and Multinational)
 

 

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
Jergens enhances Martin-Baker Aircraft ejection seat release

Defence

Jergens enhances Martin-Baker Aircraft ejection seat release

5 May 2026

Jergens has worked in collaboration with Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. to support the integration of precision quick-release pin solutions within ejector seat assemblies.

EDM opens new facility in Malaysia

Aerospace Defence

EDM opens new facility in Malaysia

5 May 2026

Manchester based EDM Ltd, which designs and manufactures advanced training simulators for the civil aviation and defence sectors, has announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia.

Viasat accelerates AAM with L2 Aviation

Aerospace Defence Security Space

Viasat accelerates AAM with L2 Aviation

5 May 2026

Viasat today announced L2 Aviation has joined its Velaris ecosystem via Galaxy 1 Communications, bringing advanced avionics integration and certification expertise to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and uncrewed aviation.

Cambridge Aerospace

Defence

Cambridge Aerospace's Skyhammer completes testing in Jordan

5 May 2026

New Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers, produced by UK start-up Cambridge Aerospace, have been successfully tested in Jordan.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Navantia UK christens Seahorse barge in Methil

Defence

Navantia UK christens Seahorse barge in Methil

5 May 2026

Navantia UK has today christened its new transport barge, Navantia UK Seahorse, at its Methil facility in Fife, marking a major milestone in the delivery of the Ministry of Defence’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.

Saab hosts GUH STEM Challenge

Defence Security Events

Saab hosts GUH STEM Challenge

1 May 2026

Saab UK hosted the South regional heat of Global Underwater Hub’s (GUH) STEM Challenge at its Fareham campus, welcoming school pupils for a hands on introduction to underwater engineering and marine technology.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner