Security cleared jobs news roundup: December 2024

Keep up-to-date with some of the biggest stories in the world of security cleared jobs in our monthly roundup.

We’re rounding up some of the biggest security cleared stories of the past few weeks. In December, a new training facility for Ajax troops was opened, a global strategic sealift contract secured 150 jobs, Britannia Royal Naval College held the final pass-out parade of the year and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported a UK start-up to develop prosthetics care.

New training facility for Ajax troops opens

A new purpose-built training facility has been opened to accommodate the ​​British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme, commonly known as Ajax. Housed within the Combat Manoeuvre Centre in Bovington, it features a suite of truly immersive simulators and vehicle instruction sheds (VIS) for training on the live platform.

It will enable Ajax to use a family of tracked, all-terrain, digitally-enabled vehicles within the context of the British Army. They’ll be equipped with a range of weapons and sensors, capable of creating  transformational change in capabilities as the military modernises.

Colonel John Godfrey, deputy commander Combat Manoeuvre Centre and commander Bovington Garrison, said: “AFV [Armoured Fighting Vehicle] simulators are integral to the Safe System of Training. The facility formally opened at ARMCEN [Armoured Centre] today provides a step change in our simulation training capability and enables us to thoroughly prepare new drivers, operators and commanders to get the very best from Ajax.

Global strategic sealift contract saves 150 jobs

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a seven-year global strategic sealift contract to UK-based Foreland Shipping Limited (FSL), securing 150 jobs. Worth £476 million, the contract will support the transport of crucial defence equipment and supplies to strengthen national security.

FSL will provide four roll-on roll-off shipping vessels to transport armoured vehicles, emergency medical supplies and complex weapons across the globe. It comes in the wake of news that UK-based defence firms will be prioritised for government investment under a new Defence Industrial Strategy.

Maria Eagle MP, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: “By ensuring the efficient movement of equipment and supplies, strategic sealift is pivotal to our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats, project global reach, and sustain critical operations.”

Britannia Royal Naval College holds final pass-out parade of 2024

Some 186 future leaders have made the transition from civilians to junior officers, as the final pass-out parade of the year was held at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. The parade came at the end of 29 weeks of intensive training for cadets from the UK and eight partner nations – Oman, Qatar, Lithuania, Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya and Bahrain.

A further 26 officers from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the Royal Navy’s crucial support fleet, joined them on parade. The turnout was completed with 16 senior upper yardmen and 11 warrant officers promoted from the ranks. 

Emma Baptiste from Epsom in Surrey said: “I chose to join the Royal Navy as it offers more capability to make a difference. Joining the Royal Navy is part of being a team and part of a larger family all working towards the same goal.” 

DASA funding helps SME develop prosthetics care

DASA, which is the part of the MoD that finds and funds exploitable innovation for a safer future, has helped a six-person UK SME to develop an app for veterans. Radii Devices has now moved from being a university spin-out to securing a contract with the US Department of Veterans Affairs for the app, which has transformed how veterans record and report prosthetic socket comfort.

Difficulty collecting data on gradual changes in comfort can impact the optimisation of socket fit and reduce the veteran’s quality of life. The app helps to condense weeks of prosthetic use into insights that can be used in appointments to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Jenny Bramley, clinical lead of Radii Devices, said: “We wanted to bring a solution that not only benefitted the wearer, but genuinely enhanced clinical practice and built on clinicians’ expertise.”