REG - Defence Holdings PLC - Second Classified AI Product Build

Defence HoldingsAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 5024B  Defence Holdings PLC   01 October 2025

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

01 October 2025

London, UK

Defence Holdings PLC

("Defence Holdings" or the "Company")

Defence Technologies Announces Second Classified AI Product Build: Edge
Analysis & Identification

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), the UK's first listed software-led defence
company, today announces Defence Technologies' second classified AI product
build. Following the launch of Project Ixian in September, the second product
is focused on edge-based analysis and identification support, one of the
highest priority requirements for UK and allied forces. In simple terms, "the
edge" refers to deployed environments, where data is captured and decisions
are made in real time, often in austere or disconnected conditions.

 

Key Highlights

●    Second classified AI product build confirmed under Defence
Technologies, focused on edge analysis, identification and decision-support
capability, addressing one of NATO's most urgent priorities.

●    Addresses a critical operational gap: improving identification,
reducing misclassification, and supporting decision making in contested
environments.

●    Software-led solution extends the value of existing hardware fleets
by processing data at the edge and synchronising outputs back to headquarters,
maximising ROI on deployed hardware and reducing procurement costs.

●    Fully aligned with the UK Strategic Defence Review 2025 ("SDR25")
and NATO interoperability objectives, giving Defence Holdings a direct policy
tailwind and adoption pathway.

●    First classified build announced since the appointment of Field
Marshal Lord Houghton as Incoming Non-Executive Chairman.

 

Product Overview

This capability is software-led and AI-enabled, designed to extend the value
of existing hardware. It ingests data from deployed sensors and moves
time-critical AI/ML inference onto secure edge devices. AI models fuse
multi-sensor inputs, flag anomalies, and prioritise actions, cued to
autonomous systems with a human in/on the loop, so operators and headquarters
receive timely, decision-ready context. The result is improved identification
confidence, faster cycles, and reduced operational risk, helping teams stay
ahead of an adversary's OODA loop.

Practical examples include on-platform sensor fusion (EO/IR, radar and
acoustic) to improve recognition and de-confliction in seconds; uncrewed
systems performing onboard detection and route re-planning to reduce bandwidth
and latency; military units correlating radar and electro-optical tracks at
the edge to enhance identification in cluttered littorals; and forward
elements using handheld edge devices to triage ISR, logistics and maintenance
data before synchronising summaries to the enterprise.

For investors, this demonstrates the repeatability of Defence Holdings'
sovereign AI model, rapidly converting strategy into a portfolio of products
with direct commercial pathways across UK and allied markets.

The programme builds directly on Defence Holdings' strategy to assemble a
portfolio of sovereign, AI-enabled products aligned with SDR25 priorities,
from information operations to Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance.

Defence Holdings will be working alongside a new hyperscale partner,
underlining the Company's ability to pair sovereign AI capability with the
reach and resilience of the world's most trusted technology platforms, while
strengthening its position at the centre of an emerging global ecosystem for
sovereign defence technology.

Leadership Commentary

Andrew McCartney, Chief Technology Officer of Defence Holdings, commented:

We're breaking through the traditional defence cycle, and the momentum we're
building is already visible across the community. Ixian demonstrated that
sovereign AI can be conceived, built, and aligned to live defence priorities
in weeks and months, not years. This second classified build is proof that the
model is scalable into areas of the highest operational value, such as
identification and edge decision support. These are not niche requirements but
critical problems for the UK and allied forces. For Defence Holdings, it
represents both a significant commercial opportunity and the chance to
establish ourselves as the sovereign partner of choice in some of the most
strategically important areas of defence, a market expected to expand
significantly as NATO and allies prioritise sovereign digital capability.

 

 

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