- The UK MOD and QinetiQ are launching Project Safari
- Project Safari supports access to sovereign test and evaluation facilities for SMEs
- The initiative includes an initial design phase of investment to advance testing infrastructure at MOD Hebrides
The U.K. Ministry of Defence and defense technology company QinetiQ are partnering on a program to accelerate the testing and evaluation of military technologies, including hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons and autonomous systems.
Known as Project Safari, the initiative builds on the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which is backed by $394.5 billion in U.K. defense funding over four years, the U.K. government said Saturday.
How Will Project Safari Improve Defense Technology Testing?
Under Project Safari, the MoD and QinetiQ will work to simplify approval procedures, improve access to specialist facilities and update infrastructure to accommodate a rapidly evolving digital defense environment. The initiative is intended to address challenges that have limited smaller companies’ ability to validate technologies in realistic testing environments, helping defense innovations move toward operational deployment quickly.
“By working hand-in-hand with QinetiQ, we are unlocking British innovation by developing, testing and delivering military capabilities for the U.K. and our allies at speed,” Luke Pollard, the U.K.’s minister for defense readiness and industry, said.
QinetiQ CEO Steve Wadey said, “Project Safari will transform how the U.K. approves new technologies, creating a world-leading test and evaluation enterprise that helps government, industry and regulators work together to accelerate the delivery of military capability at the pace demanded by modern warfare.”
How Will Project Safari Upgrade MoD Hebrides and Expand SME Access?
As part of the initiative, Pollard visited MoD Hebrides, the U.K.’s largest weapons test range, where he signed an agreement with QinetiQ covering the initial design phase of a multimillion-pound investment to develop the facility.
The planned upgrades are intended to enable the testing of hypersonic missiles and other advanced technologies.
During the visit, Pollard and Wadey also convened a roundtable with representatives from small and medium enterprises to discuss the challenges smaller businesses encounter when accessing testing and evaluation services.
Project Safari aligns with the U.K.’s Strategic Defence Review, which committed the defense sector to increasing annual spending with SMEs by $3.3 billion by summer 2028.
How Does Project Safari Build on QinetiQ’s Existing MOD Contracts?
Project Safari builds on the MOD’s existing relationship with QinetiQ.
In May 2025, the MoD extended its long-term partnering agreement with QinetiQ for five years under a $2.1 billion contract. The agreement covers testing, trials, training and evaluation services across 16 MOD sites and is expected to sustain more than 1,200 jobs in the U.K.
In the same month, QinetiQ also received a two-year extension to its Weapons Sector Research Framework contract with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The $213 million extension provides the U.K. government with access to a network of more than 150 industry and academic organizations conducting research into weapons science and technology, including hypersonics and directed energy weapons.
