UK MoD awards $2.6bn Army training contract to Raytheon-led consortium

Omnia Training will provide the British Army with a digital training system to prepare soldiers for modern warfare. Credit: RTX

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a new contract valued at £2 billion ($2.6 billion) to train 60,000 British soldiers each year using artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, aiming to build a more capable and combat-ready British Army.

The MoD has selected Omnia Training as its Strategic Training Partner to lead the delivery of the Army’s Collective Training Service (ACTS) over a 15-year period.

Consortium Partners

Omnia Training is a consortium led by Raytheon UK, an RTX business, with the following partners:

• Capita
• Cervus
• Rheinmetall UK
• Skyral

Modernising Training Through Technology

The consortium will work with the British Army to introduce a comprehensive training system that fuses virtual, synthetic, live, and data-driven exercises, aimed at modernising how soldiers prepare for operational duties.

Central to this modernisation is the introduction of the Army’s Combat Laboratory, a digital platform that uses AI, advanced analytics, and virtual environments to simulate the realities of modern warfare.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Combat Laboratory will:

• Bring together simulation, live data, and analytics
• Support operational assessments
• Identify patterns in performance
• Enable faster decision-making for both soldiers and commanders

This technology aims to improve collective readiness across all command structures, from small units to formations as large as 50,000 personnel.

Industry Leadership

James Gray, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Raytheon UK, said:

"We launched Omnia Training over three years ago to deliver cutting-edge training systems to help the British Army effectively prepare for operations. Our UK-based team of innovators, engineers and experts will give soldiers and commanders a new level of training realism and set an example for effective collaboration between the Army and industry."

Strategic Context

The training initiative is delivered as part of the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP), which seeks to transform current training practices and better align the Army’s capabilities with evolving mission requirements.

Technology developed in the UK, along with contributions from UK-based suppliers and partners, will be used to deliver immersive exercises at any time and location.

Economic and Operational Impact

With the ACTS contract, Omnia Training expects to:

• Create 270 new jobs
• Sustain a further 150 roles

The use of digital systems and advanced synthetic environments will allow soldiers to undertake realistic and adversarial collective training, supporting the Army’s preparedness and alignment with NATO and allied operations.

The contract supports the British Army’s objective to enhance its operational effectiveness by 2035, within the context of the Defence Investment Plan, which allocates £298 billion in funding over the next four years.