The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a £3.5 million contract to CAE (UK) Plc for the Warrior Training System (WTS), ensuring continued training capabilities for the British Army’s Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle crews.
The contract, awarded on 27 February 2025, is structured as a one-year agreement with options to extend for up to three additional years, meaning it could run until 2029.
The MOD has justified the single-source award to CAE due to its status as the Design Authority (DA) for the Warrior Gunnery Turret Trainer (WRGTT), Warrior Desk Top Trainer (WRDTT), and Artillery Fire Control Trainer (AFCT). These systems are essential for gunnery and commander training before crews transition to live vehicle operations.
The MOD has cited obsolescence management as a key concern, with WTS expected to be in service until between 2027 and 2030. CAE holds exclusive technical expertise, including production manuals and technical drawings, making it the only company capable of sustaining the Warrior training programme.
The contract was awarded without prior publication of a competitive tender under the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) 2011, with the MOD stating that no other economic operator possesses the required technical knowledge to fulfil the contract.
CAE will carry out the contract from its site in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, supporting the MOD’s Training Simulation Systems Programme within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).
This award ensures that British Army Warrior crews continue to receive critical training, reinforcing operational readiness despite the system’s eventual out-of-service date approaching.
OT sorry. RE an article this wednesday from The Times, ” moD makes kit wish list after £6B increase.
Apparently some US officials have privately warned UK officials to recalibrate away from US KIT because there are some in the US administration that feel the UK has been getting too good a deal on US equipment, like Trident
We’d be stupid not to pivot away from US equipment at this point. Good deal or not.
especially when JD Vance spewed his lies about free speech in UK, Elon Musk’s public criticism about Starmer etc…
Agree Dern. Typhoon, CV90/ ASCOD, Samp T , land Ceptor, brimstone, NSM, wildcat and Merlin, C3, all ripe for additional new orders.
Add more type 26 and 31s as well as retaining Albion and Bulwark and both Wave class oilers and we are still in the game.
Problem is Type 26 and 31 both use things like: Mk41 VLS built by LM. And what would go into them?
Tomahawk, ASROC?
And who owns the rights to Phalanx, and the BAe 127mm?
Correct and after yesterday…its time to pivot to European, and other equipment producers
European leaders all showed solidarity with Ukraine last night and today when Zelensky was messaging them all on twitter to thank them…
Time to wake up
If I were the UK’s Defence Minister I’d place an immediate postponement of the Warrior OSD and instigate a warm over programme to give the vehicle additional years of service. Deploying Warrior as the initial patrol vehicle if the UK has the onerous duty of peace patrolling in Ukraine. Boxer and Ajax would be held back to build up full capability and only then be deployed to Ukraine in small numbers. The UK must retain modern and capable kit to fulfil its obligations to protecting the UK and its dependants and allies in other European states. I’d even deploy Bulldogs… Read more »
If we do see UK boots on the ground, in addition to AA batteries, to be honest I think the most useful would be engineers, signals and medics; practical assistance, re-assurance and help to stabilise normal life
That report appeared nowhere else. I don’t believe it. USA is by far the biggest exporter of defence equipment (>40% of world total) and we pay full price. Most US foreign military sales are reported openly in great detail including full $ costs.
Longer term, a move away from Trident might be sensible but would be expensive.
If true, no more than the usual rhetoric about making great deals. That said we could set up servicing the missiles on UK shores while storing at a minimum 75% of UK owned stock, you know to save the US money and give another servicing option for US subs. All selfless and a way to show the UK can pick up some slack…
Would anyone like to give an example of the UK getting US weapons on the cheap? Still think we need another 3 P8s and 2 E7s but retaining T1 Typhoons and ordering another 20 would be putting money into our own defence industry.
Never let the truth get in the way of a false story👍
like truth and facts matter to Trump & Co.
Unlike the paragon of virtue and integrity currently occupying no. 10?…
seriously putting Starmer and Trump in the same boat?
We should not be buying more stuff from the US
I think we about to see a big shift in Europe..
There is a meeting next week and fingers crossed its time to make changes
Do we infer from this that ‘the systems eventual out-of-service date’ is not approaching so quickly?
Reinstate the cancelled upgrade programme.
The production lines are long closed but Kuwait were sold 250 Desert Warrior with the Bushmaster 25mm and a TOW.missile launcher.
The planned upgrade was all bells and whistles with 40mm careless.
How much would a simple warm over be with a stabilised Bushmaster or alt, some new optics and maybe a Javelin launcher? That would give at least a decade of extra service until a new IFV.
Or buy up the Kuwaiti stock.
Korea could probably deliver something in quick time as well.