Roke to become R&D lead and facilitator for UK's STORM missile defence project

The UK's Sky Sabre air-defence system, which entered service with the British Army in 2021. (UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

Roke Manor Research, a subsidiary of Chemring Group, was awarded a multi-year facilitation, research and development (R&D) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) Missile Defence Centre (MDC), the company said in a 2 April press release.

Roke has been made delivery lead for the Science & Technology Oriented Research & development in Missile defence (STORM) project. As prime contractor on the framework contract, Roke will deliver some elements and will also manage industry partners in collaboration with the MDC, bringing together technical experts to try and counter current and future threats, including ballistic missiles (BMs) and hypersonic missiles.

The contract allows for up to GBP114 million (USD148 million) of spend during the core three-year period, plus a further GBP137 million during a three-year optional extension period. At least 95% of the value of the framework must be delivered by the UK workforce.

Chris Squier, defence director at Roke, told Janes on 3 April, “The specific scope of the project is yet to be defined. Under the contract, we will respond dynamically to tasking, which will be defined and prioritised by [the] MDC in partnership with ourselves and other industry partners.”

“Under this contract we will be focused on the research required to deliver analysis, experimentation, trials, technology development, and system development across the five pillars of missile defence: Counter-proliferation, Deterrence, Counterforce, Active Defence, and Passive Defence,” Squier added.

The MDC's Missile Defence R&D Category Strategy, approved in May 2023, recommended bringing together core research and technology maturation projects into a single contract.