UK’s MOD and Alloyed Achieve Record‑Fast Flight of New Sovereign Turbojet Engine in Under Seven Months

• A new family of turbojet engines co‑developed by the Ministry of Defence and UK start‑up Alloyed has progressed from concept to flight in under seven months, demonstrating a rapid, sovereign propulsion capability.

• Designed, built and tested entirely in the United Kingdom using digital engineering and manufacturing, the engines can be developed and scaled far more quickly than traditional approaches allow, supporting everything from small drones to larger aircraft.

• The initiative has already created more than 60 highly skilled UK engineering and advanced‑manufacturing jobs, with an additional 45 positions expected as production expands over the next year, while also engaging over 40 domestic suppliers, mainly SMEs.

The programme, led by the MOD’s Strategic Capabilities Office, combines MOD investment with matched funding from Alloyed, delivering a family of digitally manufactured turbojet engines that range from 30 N to 2000 N of thrust. This establishes a sovereign propulsion capability essential for future defence systems, enabling the UK to design, manufacture, test and sustain critical defence technologies independently and at scale, while strengthening domestic supply chains.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said:

Taking a jet engine from concept to flight‑ready in just a matter of months shows how defence and industry can work together to deliver capabilities at the speed required by today’s world.

The threats we face demand the ability to produce cutting‑edge technology on demand and at scale – this programme delivers that, combining sovereign manufacturing, digital engineering and industrial innovation to ensure our Armed Forces retain an operational advantage, while delivering good jobs for working people here in the UK.

The engine family spans a thrust range of 30 N to 2000 N and represents a new domestic capability that is central to enhancing the UK’s defence readiness and deterring threats. Two models are already in production: a 300 N‑class engine that has completed flight testing and is now in serial production, and a larger 1100 N‑class engine that progressed from concept to flight‑ready status in less than seven months.

Alongside the hardware, the programme has introduced a UK‑based digital design and modelling workflow that enables new propulsion systems and variants to be conceived, evaluated and brought to market within months rather than years.

Michael Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of Alloyed, said:

Working alongside the Ministry of Defence has enabled Alloyed to bring to bear its world‑leading metals technologies to mature and demonstrate advanced propulsion systems at remarkable pace while building a lasting capability in the UK. This programme shows the power of combining defence expertise, digital engineering and industrial innovation.

By leveraging digital engineering, rapid development cycles and a modular architecture, the programme allows the UK to react swiftly to evolving operational needs, reduces reliance on overseas supply chains, and facilitates future upgrades without extensive redesign. This effort fulfills the Strategic Defence Review’s commitment to strengthen the UK’s defence industry and supports potential export opportunities, positioning the UK as a leader in advanced, digitally‑driven manufacturing for propulsion systems and contributing to allied capability development.

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