Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S)

#ICYMI: Protector has taken to the skies for a second time. ☁️ Earlier this year, Protector resumed test flights with the Royal Air Force (RAF) after four more uncrewed surveillance aircraft had been delivered to the UK. 💡What will they do? They will support military operations across the globe, from counter-terrorism missions to assisting HM Coastguard with search and rescue missions.

🎬 A new chapter for Defence Equipment & Support... We've reached a major milestone in implementing our new ways of working to deliver more for Defence. ✅ Developed collaboratively with our teams, industry partners, the wider Defence community and Armed Forces, our transformation is increasing productivity, streamlining processes, strengthening our culture and improving how we deploy resource. Thank you to everyone involved across Defence. 🙌 While this is a significant achievement, it's just the beginning of our improvement journey.

📢 £165M boost for UK defence: Contract extension to maintain Royal Navy's fleet of 54 Merlin helicopters. This vital investment ensures the continued expert upkeep of these vital military aircraft while sustaining 1,000 British jobs across Yeovil and the UK supply chain. Awarded by our experts to Leonardo Helicopters. 🤝

The UK bid farewell to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Puma last week. Here’s a recap of Puma's 54 years of dedicated service, protecting the nation and supporting our allies: 👉 Deployed in various operations and humanitarian missions, the Puma supported UK exercises in Kenya (2009-2011) and Afghanistan (2015-2021). 🚨 They also helped the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma (2017) and provided vital aid during COVID-19 (2020). 🇨🇾 🇧🇳 Until their retirement, they were involved in enduring operations in Cyprus and Brunei. Thank you, Puma. 🇬🇧

Flown by the British Army and supported by our experts, the Wildcat Mk1 is a highly capable helicopter. #FactFriday It can operate in extreme environments ranging from -26 to +50 degrees and is equipped with a nose-mounted imaging system that can detect targets at significant distances, both day and night. 💡 Did you know? The name Wildcat recalls the name given to the Grumman F4F, which was widely used during the Second World War.

It was a “tremendous privilege” for Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton CBE, our Deputy CEO, to sign the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence along with the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. Witnessed by the The Rt Hon. the Lord Mayor Alastair King, this signing pulls DE&S and the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths closer together to support UK Armed Forces and veterans. Crucially, these relationships provide greater depth to UK security, resilience and technical expertise to equip our military with the edge to protect our nation.

Find out how our Ajax programme is progressing. 👇 The British Army's fleet of Ajax armoured vehicles are set to be fitted with Thermal Sleeves by CTA International under a nine-month rapid procurement contract with General Dynamics UK. This will further enhance firing accuracy and improve the life span of the CT40 cannon gun-barrel. ✅

Speaking at DPRTE 2025, James Gavin, our head of Future Capability Innovation, underlined the opportunities Defence Reform presents to industry. 🗣️ "Defence Reform and our new operating model is all about increasing efficiency and availability of equipment to our armed forces. It's about getting requirements through from our Front Line Commands and getting the end user closer to industry, removing layers causing inefficiencies. "We have implemented better, simpler, faster processes. And we are asking industry to embrace and promote these new behaviours and ways of working." UK Ministry of Defence #DPRTE2025 #DefenceProcurement

Thank you for your service! 🇬🇧 Today, three Puma helicopters flew over our headquarters in Bristol as a final farewell before their retirement. These dependable aircraft have served the Royal Air Force (RAF) and our allies for 54 years. We are immensely proud to have supported the Puma on operations around the globe. Join us in saying farewell by sharing your memories of Puma in the comments. 👇

Strengthening the British Army's readiness to stay ahead of our adversaries. 👊 A £1.6 billion contract extension secured and signed by our experts with Babcock International Group will ensure the UK's in-service military vehicles, from Challenger 2 tanks to 105mm artillery guns, remain combat-ready. Plus, it supports 1,600 UK jobs and 6,000 strong businesses across the supply chain.