The aerospace research and development capability covers a number of key technology disciplines, which fall into the following categories:
- National aerospace technology strategy programmes
- Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
- National defence industries technology strategy priorities
- Ministry of Defence (MoD) defence technology needs
National aerospace technology strategy programmes
Aerospace innovation networks (AIN)
- Advanced aerospace materials and structures
- Advanced electrical power systems
- Aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics
- Electromagnetic systems engineering
- Environmental technologies
- Health management and prognostics
- High temperature materials
- Interactive network systems
- Sensor technologies
- Synthetic environments and simulation
- Systems engineering
- Through-life support
Aerospace technology validation programme (ATVP)
- Air traffic management
- Autonomous systems
- Environmentally friendly engine
- Future air battlespace
- Integrated wing
- More electric aircraft
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
Civil aerospace MRO
- Engines
- Avionics
- Air frames and equipment
- Other
National Defence Industries Technology Strategy priorities
Emerging/Potentially disruptive technologies
- AI/Intelligent agents
- Commercial off the shelf electronic materials/devices
- Directed energy weapons
- Fuel cells
- High power computing
- Lasers
- Micro-engineered mechanical systems
- Nanotechnology
- Network enabled capability
- Smart materials and structures
- Software standard and architectures
- Unmanned vehicles
Ministry of Defence (MoD) defence technology taxonomy
Underpinning/Enabling technologies
- A01 Structural and smart materials and structural mechanics
- A02 Signature related materials
- A03 Electronic materials technology
- A04 Photonic/Optical materials and device technology
- A05 Electronic, electrical and electromechanical device technology
- A06 Energetic materials and plasma technology
- A07 Chemical, biological and medical materials
- A08 Computing technologies and mathematical techniques
- A09 Information and signal processing technology
- A10 Human sciences
- A11 Operating environment technology
- A12 Mechanical, thermal and fluid-related technologies and devices
Systems-related technologies
- B01 Lethality and platform protection
- B02 Propulsion and powerplants
- B03 Design technologies for platforms and weapons
- B04 Electronic warfare systems and directed energy technologies
- B05 Signature control and signature reduction
- B06 Sensor systems
- B07 Guidance and control systems for weapons and platforms
- B08 Simulators, trainers and synthetic environments
- B09 Integrated systems technology
- B10 Communications and CIS related technologies
- B11 Personnel protection systems
- B12 Manufacturing processes/design tools/techniques
Military assessments, equipments and functions
- C01 Defence analysis
- C02 Integrated platforms
- C03 Weapons
- C04 Installations and facilities
- C05 Equipped personnel
- C06 Miscellaneous defence functions and policy support
- C07 Battlespace information
- C08 Business processes