Operational Update

Defence Holdings PLC (ALRT), the UK's first listed software-led defence company, has published a new whitepaper titled "AI-Native Infrastructure for Modern Defence Operations". The paper outlines the growing strategic importance of sovereign digital infrastructure in enabling modern defence capabilities and aligns with the Company's five-year plan and the priorities outlined in the UK's Strategic Defence Review 2025 (SDR25).

The whitepaper reinforces Defence Holdings' position as a leading contributor to sovereign defence readiness. It presents a clear case for national control over the digital systems that underpin operational decision-making, autonomy, and security in today's contested environments.

Key Highlights

• New whitepaper outlines the case for sovereign infrastructure as a core enabler of modern defence
• Aligned with the Company's five-year strategic plan and the UK's SDR25 policy framework
• Explores operational challenges, emerging risks, and technological requirements across key domains
• Reinforces Defence Holdings' leadership in shaping software-led sovereign capability
• Full publication available via the Company's digital platform

Strategic Context

As the defence landscape becomes increasingly shaped by software-defined capability, the question of who controls the infrastructure has become as important as who controls the hardware. The whitepaper sets out the strategic risks of over-reliance on foreign-hosted, commercially-managed digital platforms, particularly in disconnected, degraded, or denied environments.

It also addresses operational requirements for deploying infrastructure across ISR, autonomous systems, digital command environments, and influence operations. These insights reflect the Company's ongoing development efforts and its belief that sovereign, adaptable infrastructure will define future battlefield advantage.

The publication follows the Company's recent brand evolution and its continued progress in delivering software-first defence capability across kinetic and non-kinetic domains.

Key Themes Explored

• The operational demands of deploying infrastructure in active and contested theatres
• Threat vectors emerging across ISR, autonomy, and information warfare
• The need for auditability, transparency, and ethical enforcement at the system level
• How sovereign control over infrastructure supports SDR25 and Five Eyes interoperability standards

Leadership Commentary

Andy McCartney, Senior Non-Executive Director of Defence Holdings PLC, commented:

"This whitepaper sets out not just where the defence sector is going, but where the risks lie if nations don't act. Sovereign control over infrastructure is no longer a strategic luxury. It's a requirement for credible national defence."

Brian Stockbridge, Executive Director, added:

"The Strategic Defence Review 2025 makes it clear that trusted digital infrastructure is fundamental to UK sovereignty. This whitepaper reinforces our belief that the next generation of defence readiness will be defined not just by innovation, but by control, integrity, and deployability."

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