The British Army has allocated 15 million pounds ($16.8 million) for the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) to upgrade its armored land vehicles modular protection system, the UK Ministry of Defence announced.
The funding builds on the follow-up phase of DSTL’s Icarus Technology Demonstrator Program, which constructed the MIPS (modular integrated protection system) open architecture standard to technology readiness level (TRL) 5.
In the latest project, DSTL will research and develop a flexible active protection system at high maturity TRL 7 based on the MIPS TRL 5.
The active protection system will provide British Army vehicles with operational advantages and increased survivability, according to the defense ministry.
Work for the project will be conducted over three years.
“The war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of well protected armoured vehicles,” Minister for Defence Procurement Alec Shelbrooke explained.
“We are supporting the Army to modernise and remain at the forefront of cutting-edge capabilities.”
Modular Integrated Protection System
The next stage MIPS will be integrated into UK’s plans to modernize British Army capabilities through 2040.
“MIPS has the potential to open up a range of capability options for the Army, improving vehicle survivability against the most challenging threats now and in the future,” DSTL Active Protection researcher Tom Newbery said.
The MIPS TRL 7 will be used to upscale sensors with rapid signal processing, AI-powered information systems, current counter-munition, and directed energy technology.
The latest standard will also assist researchers in ongoing safety and security features development for industrial robotic and autonomous systems.
“This is an important step forward in researching the latest technology to improve protection for armoured vehicles, helping them prevent and repel attacks from the ground and air,” Shelbrooke said.