The UK Ministry of Defense has awarded a 2 billion ($2.7 billion) AI-based military training contract to Omnia Training, a consortium led by Raytheon (RTN) and supported by Rheinmetall AG (RNMBY), a major German defense company. The consortium also includes Capita, Cervus and Skyral, UK-based companies that specialize in artificial intelligence for defense applications. The ministry said the program is designed to build a more lethal and combat-ready British Army, suggesting the contract could become a significant long-term defense technology program for the companies involved.
The new training platform will use a digital combat laboratory to produce military simulations and performance assessments for as many as 60,000 soldiers each year. The project is also expected to create roughly 400 domestic jobs over the next 15 years, with much of the employment focused on southwestern England. Investors may view the scale and duration of the award as evidence of continued UK spending on AI-supported military training, although the ministry did not provide separate contract values for most consortium members.
Rheinmetall is expected to provide physical training infrastructure, system configuration and logistics, with the company valuing its share of the contract at just under 1 billion ($1.14 billion). The defense group also plans to expand its UK presence at locations including Southampton and the Isle of Wight. Implementation is scheduled to begin this summer, potentially giving Rheinmetall a sizable multi-year order while increasing its operational footprint in the UK defense market.