The U.K. Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has extended its Weapons Sector Research Framework under a new two-year contract with QineteQ. The company administers the WSRF program, which seeks to harness industry and academic institutions for research on weapons science and technology. The five-year program is budgeted for about $400 million, with QinetiQ as the lead contractor and MBDA and Thales as its industry partners.
The extended contract, worth $213 million, will give Dstl and the U.K. Ministry of Defence access to over 150 industry suppliers and academic organizations.
According to QinetiQ, WSRF has added 60 suppliers since signing its first contract in 2020. The framework’s lineup includes research resources in hypersonics, laser and radio frequency-directed energy weapons, 70 percent of which are small to medium enterprises and academia.
QinetiQ Group CEO Steve Wadey noted the framework’s “critical role” in solving complex defense challenges by tapping the weapons R&D expertise and talents it gathers. “Through the WSRF, we have credibly demonstrated our enterprise approach, working effectively with government, industry, SMEs and academia to accelerate the development of critical weapons technology,” he said.
The projects recently undertaken under the framework include a British Army demonstration of a vehicle-based, RF-directed energy weapon system to counter a swarm of drones. Thales, QinetiQ’s WSRF partner, led a consortium in developing the system for the demo.