MOD Advanced Materials S&T Professor Ian Youngs Dstl Fellow, Principal Advisor Advanced Materials [email protected] Ministry of Defence Dstl - Delivering Mission Success 02/10/2025 © Crown Copyright, Dstl (2025) DSTL/PUB172456 OFFICIAL The contents include material subject to © Crown copyright (2025), Dstl. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to: [email protected] Our role (Dstl - Delivering Mission Success): - Trusted provider of analysis, decision support and advice - Work across the S&T ecosystem - Specialist analysis and capabilities - Identify S&T threats, counters and opportunities - Drive the pace of exploitation - In-government/national capability OFFICIAL Deliver through a portfolio of programmes and projects: Programmes will have an emphasis on driving, responding or servicing science & technology. Portfolio includes: - Advanced Materials - Artificial Intelligence - Autonomy - Chemical Biological and Radiological (CBR) Defence - Communications and Networks - Cyber Security - Defence Science and Technology Futures - Electromagnetic (EM) Activities - Future Kinetic Effects and Weapon Systems - Future Workforce and Training - Future Sensing - Human Performance and Protection - Hypersonic Weapons - Influence and Command - Air Systems - Deterrent and Submarine Systems - Land Systems - Maritime Systems - Security Systems - Space Systems - Specialist Operations Systems - UKStratCom Integration - High Level Decision Support - Platforms and Weapons Threat Evaluation - Support and Sustainability - Support to Operations and Crisis - Crime and Policing Services (*) - S&T Data Exploitation Enabling Programme (DEEP) OFFICIAL Highlighting 'Advanced Materials' as a driving programme within Dstl's S&T portfolio across defence systems and operational support areas. OFFICIAL “Understand global developments and innovations in the science, engineering, and manufacturing of key materials in order to exploit innovation and derisk early development for UK Defence” OFFICIAL Programme Structure: - Theme 1: Materials in Extreme Physical Environments (DMEx) - Project ASTRAL: - WP1 Air - WP2 Weapons - WP3 Space - Project TERRAN: - WP1 Maritime - WP2 Land - Theme 2: Materials in Contested Electromagnetic Environments - Project FAME (Functional, Animate and Metamaterials Exploration): - WP1 Communications - WP2 Sensing - WP3 Electromagnetic Effects - WP4 Morphing & Animate - Low Observable (LO) Materials Project: - Challenge 1 - Challenge n… - Theme 3: Programme Delivery - AMP Delivery Project: - Programme Support - Principal Advisor Support OFFICIAL Materials in Extreme Physical Environments - Defence Materials Centre of Excellence - DMEx Imagery illustrating multi-domain applications across air, naval, land, space, effectors, and individual protection systems. OFFICIAL THE CHALLENGE: Advanced Materials - a global battleground for strategic advantage Our VISION to rise to the challenge: - Advanced Materials S&T Programme - deliver on MOD’s Capability Challenges by driving innovation, collaboration and exploitation - Create a transformed national enterprise harnessed for defence - bring together the best UK capabilities as a single Centre of Excellence in Materials for Extreme Physical Environments - Advanced Materials always includes manufacturing / processing OFFICIAL Domains: - Air - Land - Maritime - Space - Effectors Extreme service environments: - Temperature, e.g. temperatures greater than 1000 °C, including in oxidising and erosive environments, and temperature cycling - Polar to tropical operations and associated environmental challenges - Vibration and fatigue – and the unpredictability of cycles - Impact and shock (ballistic and blast) - Radiation (from natural & man-made sources, e.g. directed energy weapons) - Vacuum (e.g. outgassing) - Water depth – e.g. pressure at low temperature, & shock - Erosion and accretion, e.g. sand, dust, ice - Length of service… Focus Areas: - Structural and Protection (armour) materials, and materials & structures that improve their properties / protect them from degradation OFFICIAL DMEx: Materials in Extreme Physical Environments - Advanced Materials & Manufacturing S&T is a global battleground for strategic advantage - We have harnessed existing world-class capabilities to transform delivery of Advanced Materials S&T for the defence, security & prosperity of the UK to enable innovation at pace - DMEx is one of the most well-connected, capable and collaborative materials R&D capabilities in the world, able and committed to enabling UK Defence and Security to maintain strategic and operational technological advantage - 25 partners working closely with Dstl to deliver MOD’s highest priorities in advanced materials - £42.5M over 5 years to 30 Nov 2028 Partner Ecosystem across UK: - Royce partners: Strathclyde, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford - University partners: Liverpool, Swansea, Birmingham, Cranfield, Brunel - Industry/RTO: Jacobs, FNC, Lucideon, TWI, UKAEA - Catapult: Advanced Forming Research Centre, Centre for Process Innovation, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Manufacturing Technology Centre, Warwick Manufacturing Group, National Composites Centre, Satellite Applications Catapult - Hub: Dstl Hub Mailing list sign-up: https://www.royce.ac.uk/programmes/dmex/ OFFICIAL Boundary of DMEx covers: - Structural Materials and Manufacturing (inc. Armour and Protection Materials) - Testing in extreme environments - Materials & structures to protect structural materials and components (e.g. coatings, vibration damping, thermal management…) - Intelligent structures Broader / adjacent material domains: - Functional Materials - Multifunctional Materials - Animate Materials OFFICIAL Key Materials Classes: - Metals - Polymers - Ceramics - Composites (PMCs, MMCs, CMCs, laminates…) - Coatings - Materials & structures that protect, interact with / influence the structural material - Includes joining and interface management Materials Tetrahedron Interrelationships: - Microstructure - Properties - Performance - Processing OFFICIAL Domain Challenges: - AIR: - Weight & Cost Reduction - Reach & Persistence - Mission Survivability - Transformative Asset Management - EFFECTORS: - Increased Speed & Range - Sensing & Communication - Survivability - Modularity, Adaptability & Affordability - Propulsion and Manoeuvre - SPACE: - Testing & qualification - Materials for compliance with legislation - Satellite protection - Advanced manufacturing of lightweight structures - LAND: - Improved Force Survivability - Improved Force Sustainment - Net Zero 2050 - Tools, Tests and Methods for Decision Support - Multifunctional Materials - MARITIME: - Build Cost & Time - Extended Deployment - Survivability and Recoverability - Modernising Maintenance - Environmental Compliance OFFICIAL Pan Domain Challenges across all operational domains: - Response of materials to LDEW (Laser Directed Energy Weapons) - Advanced Manufacturing - Multiscale modelling OFFICIAL Programme Delivery Streams: - Explore stream: - Tasks to explore the art of the possible, typically TRL≤3 - Accelerate stream: - Fewer higher value endeavours to focus on some big S&T topics for each Domain, goal of TRL 4 - An Explore task can develop into a task under an Accelerate Topic - Pathfinder projects – driving exploitation: - Working with DMEx Partners and the Materials Technology Exploitation Group (MTEG) to create credible roadmaps to TRL 6 and beyond - Create opportunities for MOD’s Systems S&T Programmes and other funding bodies to take our S&T further - Respond: - S&T demanded (and funded) by other Dstl Programmes and potentially Front Line Commands - Not core AMP-funded - Supporting Dstl SQEP development: - Example, rejuvenating the defence maritime sector SQEP in ferrous metallurgy OFFICIAL Core definitions and focus areas: - Functional: Materials with intrinsic properties/function; - Animate: Self or command actuated materials and structures; - Metamaterials: Resonant, sub-wavelength structures; - Exploration: Future focused. Generation after next (GAN); OFFICIAL Strategic Alignment: - National Materials Innovation Strategy, Jan 2025 - UK Modern Industrial Strategy: - Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan - National Materials Innovation Programme coming soon! - Promote a coordinated approach nationally, building on the National Materials Innovation Strategy. - Champion national approach, bolstering defence capabilities. - Coordinate across government, industry, and academia (and across application sectors). - Accelerate the development and adoption of new and improved strategically important materials. - Exploit digital developments to shorten timeline for development and scaling. - Make more attractive to private investment. - Maintain our world-class environment for R&D in advanced materials. - Build international partnerships to set standards and strengthen innovation globally. - Address shortage of high-quality STEM skills and experience required for materials innovation. - Launch National Materials Innovation Programme: - £50M+ for Phase 1 - Start multiplying impact of existing fragmented portfolio (e.g. £395M invested in Royce Institute to 2027; £19.6M combined from EPSRC and industry for 3D Nanoscale Metamaterials Hub; e.g. DMEx) Economic Impact – Materials Innovation: - Businesses contribute c. £45 billion pa to UK economy (2% of UK total GVA). - Enables six times that value in wider production activities. - 52,000 people in materials-specific roles. - 2,700 companies active in materials innovation in UK, employing 635,000 people (90% SMEs; 70% located outside London and South East). OFFICIAL Metamaterials Overview: - UK Metamaterials Network ([email protected]) - Rapid Technology Assessment: - $10.7 Billion global market value by 2030 for metamaterials. - UK ranks 1st globally for research impact and quality by FCR 2018-2021; 4th globally for overall research output in 2018-2022. - Pilot Industrial Collaboration Programme - Application areas across sectors: Manufacturing, Space and Aviation, Transport, Energy & Net-Zero, Aerospace & Defence, Future Telecoms, Healthcare, Photonics & Sensing. OFFICIAL Dstl - Delivering Mission Success Discover more: X, LinkedIn, YouTube/Web Open Government Licence (OGL) The contents include material subject to © Crown copyright (2025), Dstl. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to: [email protected] OFFICIAL