The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has joined forces with defence technology company QinetiQ to accelerate the development and deployment of new military capabilities by making
specialist testing facilities more accessible to smaller businesses.
Announced on 10 October 2026, Project Safari aims to simplify the process of testing and evaluating emerging defence technologies, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to move innovations from the development stage to operational use more quickly.
The initiative will support the assessment of advanced military systems, including hypersonic missiles, directed-energy weapons and autonomous technologies. By reducing administrative obstacles and improving access to testing infrastructure, the programme seeks to help the UK defence sector respond more rapidly to changing battlefield requirements.
Under the new arrangements, SMEs and companies entering the defence market will benefit from a single point of access to the UK's sovereign Test and Evaluation (T&E) facilities. The programme will also streamline approval procedures for trials, addressing long-standing difficulties faced by businesses seeking to demonstrate their technologies under realistic conditions.
The government says these changes will help innovative companies bring products to market faster, strengthen the domestic defence industrial base and support employment and investment across the country.
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said that restricted access to testing facilities had previously prevented smaller companies and new entrants from fully participating in defence projects.
Working with QinetiQ, the government intends to make it easier for British businesses to develop, test and deliver military capabilities for the UK and its allies, he added.
Steve Wadey, QinetiQ's Group Chief Executive, said accelerating the transition from technological concepts to reliable operational systems was essential to maintaining a military advantage over potential adversaries.
He described Project Safari as a major change in the way new technologies are approved and evaluated, bringing government bodies, industry and regulators closer together to establish a more responsive testing system.
The programme will focus on three main areas: improving access to specialist testing facilities and expertise, modernising infrastructure for increasingly digital and rapidly evolving technologies, and reducing unnecessary administrative requirements that slow down decision-making.
Investment in advanced weapons testing
The announcement coincided with a visit by Pollard to MOD Hebrides, the UK's largest weapons testing range. During the visit, the minister signed an agreement with QinetiQ covering the initial design phase of a multimillion-pound investment to upgrade the site. The improvements are intended to support trials of hypersonic missiles and other advanced military technologies.
Pollard and Wadey also met representatives of smaller defence companies to discuss the challenges they encounter when seeking access to testing and evaluation services. Participants included Greenjets and Cambridge Aerospace, which shared their experiences of navigating the existing system.
The minister additionally met MGI Engineering, an Oxfordshire-based SME participating in Project Brakestop. The company is developing affordable, long-range weapons for Ukraine.
Supporting smaller defence businesses
Project Safari forms part of the government's wider effort to strengthen Britain's defence industrial base and expand opportunities for smaller suppliers. The Strategic Defence Review set out a commitment to increase annual defence spending with SMEs by an additional £2.5 billion by summer 2028.
The initiative also complements the government's Defence Investment Plan, which is backed by £298 billion in UK defence funding over the next four years. The plan is intended to provide sustained investment across the defence industry, including smaller technology developers and manufacturers.
By simplifying access to testing facilities and accelerating the evaluation of emerging technologies, the MOD and QinetiQ aim to help British businesses turn promising innovations into operational military equipment more efficiently, while strengthening the UK's ability to equip its armed forces and support allied nations. Photo by ArildV, Wikimedia commons.
