Clearer military requirements could unlock UGV market growth
Western armies continue to test uncrewed ground vehicles, but wider procurement will depend on turning ambitions for autonomy into defined operational roles and funded requirements.
Qioptiq opens warehouse to support armed forces
Qioptiq has opened a new £3.7 million ($4.2 million) warehouse facility in St Asaph, North Wales to support the armed forces, the UK MoD announced on 18 May.
The new facility will support an £83 million six-year UK MoD contract, which was awarded to Qioptiq in March 2017, and will see Qioptiq provide night vision equipment to the UK armed forces around the globe. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Cardiff Business School and KTP associate Thanos Goltos helped the company to win this contract.
The KTP was co-funded by the Welsh Government, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Innovate UK. The Welsh Government also invested in the new warehouse at St Asaph.
Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonics products for a range of markets including medicine, life science, defence, manufacturing and aerospace.
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Clearer military requirements could unlock UGV market growth]()
-
![Can NATO’s CUAS marketplace turn urgent demand into deliveries?]()
Can NATO’s CUAS marketplace turn urgent demand into deliveries?
Framework contracts and leasing options aim to shorten acquisition timelines, while manufacturing partnerships could help suppliers scale production to meet allied demand.
-
![A medium UGV market emerges as the US weighs up its options]()
A medium UGV market emerges as the US weighs up its options
The US is pursuing multiple UGV programmes, from commercial robotic platforms to new autonomy technologies. The combination of these efforts could prove key to turning ambition into operational capability.
-
![NATO looks for answers to overcome standards hurdles and improve procurement]()
NATO looks for answers to overcome standards hurdles and improve procurement
NATO is looking to artificial intelligence to provide integration between different C2 systems to create a common operational picture, potentially offering a faster route to interoperability than the slow-moving processes of NATO standards committees.
-
![NATO FUSE exercise plays out real-world scenario in the face of eastern border risks]()
NATO FUSE exercise plays out real-world scenario in the face of eastern border risks
The large-scale exercise in Latvia was the culmination of three experimentation initiatives to see how platforms, weapons and systems could fit into the alliance’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. As well as forces, it brought together companies and equipment.
-
![Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces]()
Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces
Canada plans to acquire at least 120 uncrewed aerial systems through two competitions with combined funding ceilings of C$32 million.
