Aeralis to contribute to Global Combat Air Programme efforts

The UK MoD awarded a digital engineering support service contract under the newly announced Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to Aeralis on 13 December.

The contract, dubbed Digital Aviation Learning from Experience, will allow the MoD to access information that Aeralis generates using its digital enterprise system.

The solution was developed with the objective of enabling Aeralis to develop a family of light military aircraft in a shorter timescale at reduced cost using a fully integrated digital approach to design, development and certification.

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Such goals will be invaluable in development of the UK Future Combat Air System and Britain’s contribution to the GCAP – but the MoD will use the system in the development of other programmes too.

The contract award follows on from Aeralis’s contract with the RAF Rapid Capability Office (RCO) to support PYRAMID, the service's open system architecture awarded in 2021.

The PYRAMID programme introduces a paradigm shift from current methods of avionic systems design and procurement and is planned to form the core of Aeralis's modular avionics and mission system.

Commenting on the newly awarded contract, director of Future Combat Air for the MoD Richard Berthon said: ‘I am delighted that the Future Combat Air System will benefit from the transformational digital engineering services of Aeralis.

‘The learning that we will get from Aeralis will support digital engineering across our FCAS enterprise; providing us with the information we need to be able to make informed decisions on this programme as it progresses.’

Last July, Aeralis also signed an MoU with Ascent Flight Training to develop a future flying training system and explore potential collaboration for the delivery of military flying training in the UK and other places.

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Global Combat Air Programme [UK]