The visit highlighted QinetiQ’s contribution to UK growth through investment, our role in supporting SMEs and highly skilled engineering, digital and advanced manufacturing employment - particularly in remote locations across the UK – and our enduring strategic partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), through the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA), which sees QinetiQ operate 16 MOD locations in England, Wales and Scotland, including MOD Boscombe Down, focused on delivering test and evaluation services to government and the armed forces.
The ministers met the Commanding Officer from ETPS, the world’s first test pilot school, which has provided world-leading training for flight test professionals for 83 years, before moving on to visit DroneWorks, a test capability to support getting Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) and Counter UAS (C-UAS) into service at pace. Born out of the challenges seen in Ukraine, this initiative is delivered in partnership with the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre.