After numerous delays and a prolonged procurement process, Armada has learned that the UK may have finally selected an industrial team for a major national electronic warfare programme, but questions remain.
Armada has been told by two senior figures in the United Kingdom’s Electronic Warfare (EW) community that Roke has been awarded the contract for the UK’s Project Cornerstone EW requirement. Project Cornerstone was launched in November 2022 and is valued at between $121 million and $485 million. Cornerstone will see the delivery of a “networked land (electronic warfare) and signals intelligence capability” the project’s tender specified. Few details were revealed in the tender notice beyond the requirement for Cornerstone’s architecture to use “common standards”.
As Armada reported in October 2025 the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) plans for Cornerstone to comprise a hardware and software architecture that will be integrated onboard “relevant platforms to support brigade combat teams” the MOD previously shared in a written statement. Plans call for the delivery of a baseline Cornerstone architecture to UK land forces which can then be enhanced and upgraded as the threatscape and operational exigencies demand. To this end, it is possible that future vendors, beyond those currently involved in the programme as bidders, could provide capabilities that may be added to Cornerstone in the future.
Team Protect
Armada understands that the Roke is providing Cornerstone through the UK MOD’s Team Protect initiative. Team Protect, which is led by PA Consulting, includes Leonardo, Marshall Land Systems and Leidos. The consortium was established to deliver Project Crenic to the MOD which was launched to provide Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) protection for personnel, vehicles and bases against remote-controlled IEDs. Systems are planned for delivery to the British Army, Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment, the latter of which performs land warfare tasks relevant to the RAF. Team Protect was awarded the contract for Project Crenic in October 2022. However, as Armada reported in August, Project Crenic is experiencing delays. Regarding Project Cornerstone, it is thought that PA Consulting will act as the intermediary between the MOD and the preferred bidder to facilitate the architecture’s initial, and then full, operational capability.
MOD plans had called for Cornerstone to reach an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in late 2026 with Full Operational Capability (FOC) following one year later. Inevitably, this schedule has now been delayed. Realistically, an IOC in late 2027 at the earliest appears more likely with FOC following in 2028.
The MOD published its Defence Investment Plan, popularly known as the DIP, in June. The DIP specified the capabilities the MOD would acquire, retain and divest from to meet the goals of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) published in June 2025. The DIP contained no specific mention of Cornerstone, or its Poynting sibling which is an operational/tactical cyberwarfare capability.
Distributed architectures
As for the reasons behind the delay, one issue that may have slowed selection and contract award is the overall shape of the Cornerstone architecture. Initial plans had called for Cornerstone to be installed onboard eleven dedicated ARTEC Boxer wheeled armoured fighting vehicles to be deployed with the British Army’s 14th Signals Regiment (Electronic Warfare). However, these plans were later abandoned. Other mooted platforms included the army’s Force Protection Cougar/Mastiff mine-resistant/ambush-protected vehicles.
Instead, it seems possible that the Cornerstone architecture will be procured as a networked collection of electronic attack systems and electronic support measures that can be deployed either individually or to provide wide-area coverage across a specific location. Lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine have underscored the vulnerability of large EW vehicles to artillery fire and attack by uninhabited aerial vehicles. Conversely attritable, networked, distributed systems have shown their worth in not only gathering signals intelligence across large areas, but also delivering electronic attack. Such capabilities can be deployed at, or close to, the zero line with operators connected to the systems, but kept in comparative safety, beyond the kill zone.
The apparent downselect of a preferred bidder is the clearest indication yet that the MOD is serious about getting Cornerstone into service. Nonetheless, some sources close to the programme have queried whether Cornerstone will ever see the light of day. They have told Armada that the MOD is yet to formally allocate any budget for its acquisition. Furthermore, the British Army is said to have acquired an interim land forces EW capability the force is apparently happy with, and which may provide the solution Cornerstone was intended to satisfy.
The MOD was approached regarding the programme and told Armada in a written statement that “(t)he procurement process for Project Cornerstone is ongoing. As the competition remains live, we are unable to comment on bidder selection or related commercial matters”. This statement seems to contradict what we have been told regarding the selection of a preferred bidder. Roke sources informed Armada that they could not discuss the Cornerstone programme publicly. Alas, much remains unclear regarding the trajectory of Cornerstone, and whether the capability will ever end up in the hands of British soldiers. Hopefully, the MOD will be able to clarify these uncertainties and disclose the current status of the programme in the near future.
by Dr. Thomas Withington
