Digital design and manufacturing techniques have enabled the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to fast track the development of a turbojet engine from concept to flight in under seven months.
The engine model, which has been designed, built and tested entirely in Britain, forms part of a family of turbojet engines spanning the 30N to 2000N thrust range. These engines will be used to power everything from small drones to larger uncrewed aircraft.
Their development is the result of a new UK sovereign defence technology co-development programme, a public-private initiative to establish sovereign propulsion capability for future weapons and aircraft, reducing reliance on overseas supply chains.
Led by the MOD’s strategic capabilities office, the programme combines government investment with matched funding from UK tech start-up Alloyed, with the engines being designed and built at Alloyed’s Oxfordshire facility.
The reason Alloyed can fast track what is traditionally a long development process is through...