UK FCAS combat aircraft programme expands tech support with new contract

QinetiQ, along with fellow Aurora Partners companies Atkins and BMT, have received a £31 million ($36.8 million) contract to provide technical support to the UK MoD’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) enterprise and the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Catalyst delivery team.

FCAS is one of the major capabilities which the Catalyst Delivery Team has contracted and QinetiQ will provide engineering support initially focussing on human performance, safety and systems engineering through to August 2025.

Delivered through the Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) framework, this work will be supported by Atkins and BMT along with a number of provider network organisations. It will also leverage requirements management knowledge provided by QinetiQ subsidiary Inzpire.

Robert Galvin, head of business development, air engineering services, QinetiQ said: 'This contract will put QinetiQ and our EDP partners in Aurora at the heart of key new combat air capabilities for the UK MoD in the years to come, and help DE&S bring the significant engineering capabilities of EDP and the wider provider network to support the FCAS programme.'

The contract win follows an initial FCAS contract delivered over the last two years. An FCAS Tempest sixth-generation fighter demonstrator is due to fly before the end of 2027, it was announced in July.