Boeing Defence UK has been awarded a two-year and three-month contract extension, with option to extend by a further three months, worth £16.9 million to continue supporting the Gladiator synthetic training environment.

The Contract Extension, awarded by Defence Equipment and Support’s Synthetic Environment and Training team, will ensure continued support for Gladiator while Air Command & Control, Fast Air and Joint Fires platforms are integrated into the system.

Gladiator is an innovative capability that enables high-fidelity, safe, secure and cost-effective team and collective operational training for Armed Forces within a synthetic environment. It operates across domains, with partner nations, and at a scale and complexity that is not possible in the live environment.

The core system, including its synthetic environment, is MOD-owned and is operated, maintained and incrementally developed within the Air Battlespace Training Centre at RAF Waddington with a Whole Force team.

The two-year and three-month contract will allow essential platforms to be integrated while maintaining operational capability.

Mark Bunyan, Synthetic Environments & Training Team Leader at DE&S, said:

“This contract ensures continuity of this vital capability while we integrate additional platforms into Gladiator. The system represents a strategic investment in our armed forces’ readiness, allowing geographically dispersed training systems to come together in a secure multi-domain virtual environment to train together in complex scenarios. This contract paves the way for the training transformation outlined in the Strategic Defence Review.”

Group Captain Paul Froome, Senior Responsible Owner for Gladiator in Air Capability within Air Command, said:

“Gladiator is critical for enabling aircrew and air C2 aviators to train collectively in a realistic, networked environment that replicates the complexity of modern multi-domain operations. This contract allows us to continue to integrate platforms and decision-makers in a synthetic battlespace, that builds interoperability, enhances mission readiness, and ensures crews can operate as a cohesive force under contested conditions.”

Thom Breckenridge, Managing Director of Boeing Defence UK, said:

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Ministry of Defence on this cutting-edge training system. Gladiator represents a step change in capability for the UK, enabling crews and ground forces from all three services, along with allies and partners, to train in a secure and seamless virtual environment. Working with our UK technology suppliers, we’re delivering an open-source solution that meets current and future training needs while supporting over 50 highly skilled jobs across the UK.”