As 2025 concludes, we take this opportunity to reflect on a busy year and the accomplishments and milestones achieved by the team. GRiD Defence Systems has grown its UK industrial footprint, introduced new capabilities, and continued our commitment to our diverse customer base ensuring we continue to deliver the best-in-class rugged devices worldwide.
This blog takes a dedicated look at just some of the highlights from this year.
New technology
This year we introduced the new GRiDCASE 1517 , a 17” rugged laptop with a full HD, 1,000 Nits display and customisable interfaces. It is a streamlined model but still maintains the military-grade rugged capabilities that GRiD’s devices are renowned for.
The growing requirement for Full HD screens sparked this technological innovation. The GRiDCASE 1517 features a 17” 1920×1080 screen, which gives greater resolution to users. Furthermore, it is suited to requirements where users require many data points on a single screen. This is particularly useful for system testing and diagnostics. The GRiDCASE 1517 is also able to deliver this in a modernised chassis that includes expansion options.
Importantly, the GRiDCASE 1517 has the option to integrate GRiD’s newly released ruggedised and removable configuration of Viasat’s new Data At Rest Cryptography (DARC) drive as standard.
It is also fully qualified to Def Stan 59-411 for EMC, Def Stan 00-35 for Environments and TEMPEST SDIP-27 Level B. More news on that to follow in early 2026.
GRiD Grows
GRiD is supported by a growing team as well as new initiatives that promise to make our facilities greener and more sustainable well into the future. Driven by a 50% increase in order volume and customer requirements since 2023, GRiD has expanded its team by over 20% in the last two years to boost capacity.
Earlier this year we made the decision to bring temperature testing in house and acquired a test chamber that enables us to enhance designs, troubleshoot issues, conduct root cause analysis, rapidly turn around specific environmental requirements, and carry out confidence testing.
The chamber has proven particularly valuable for carrying out diagnostics on ongoing programmes, allowing our engineers to single out and fix any faults that might occur in units during development.
The results from diagnostic tests are then benchmarked against UK and international standards to ensure that they meet acceptable thresholds. This guarantees that customers receive units that are safe, secure, and reliable even under the most extreme conditions. We look forward to continuing this work in 2026 and investing in our testing capabilities further.
GRiD’s Wins
Market demand for our core rugged technologies translated into a record-breaking year for product shipment. The total volume of units shipped throughout the fiscal year was the highest in GRiD’s history, reflecting the confidence our clients have in our systems and the growing relationships we are forging globally.
Successfully handling this surge in throughput validates the recent strategic investments we have made in GRiD’s industrial capacity, ensuring we are well-equipped to sustain and build upon this high level of operational output into 2026 and beyond.
While operational security precludes us from disclosing specifics, we have continued to secure and fulfil critical mandates for NATO and allied forces, delivering our rugged solutions on schedule to support their missions.
Customer insights
By working closely with our customers, we can tailor solutions to their specific needs. This approach is driven by our engineering expertise, enabling GRiD to remain at the forefront of new technology as it emerges.
To support our customers on the latest industry trends and topics in 2025, we have continued our efforts to inform and educate, which has included guides on Connectors, Graphic Cards, to Legislation and Compliance Standards. These provide key insights when navigating the challenges and opportunities within the defence systems market.
This year has also been a year of significant defence investments from regions including North America, Europe and beyond. GRiD is proud to play a role in many major programmes, including key aerospace programmes such as Eurofighter Typhoon, ground vehicle programmes, as well as naval systems.
GRiD’s commitment to high quality, technology leadership and reliable delivery has made it a partner of choice for many large primes, which we will continue in 2026 on several major programmes.
Defence Investment in 2026
We are excited about the future, especially as we continue to grow as a team and strive to meet the operational demands of our customers.
GRiD looks forward to building on its long heritage in supporting fighter programmes and is ready to support and deliver the capabilities required for the next evolution of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme.
In October, the UK and Turkey announced a new order for the Typhoon programme, which we are excited to see and is a welcome boost for industry.
We also look forward to continuing our support to the maritime sector, particularly the highly covert and sensitive missions conducted by submarines, GRiD has developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced at sea and continues to provide leading solutions in this space.
In October, we provided a ‘deep dive’ on how many nations are investing record levels in undersea technologies, including crewed submarines. GRiD will play a key role in providing systems for many of these boats, including in NATO nations.
Conclusion
Our success is built on our customers’ success, and we thank each one for continuing to put their trust in GRiD and our rugged solutions. Many of our solutions are also used in mission critical situations by armed forces, which is also a key driver for our team and something we never forget.
Defence is a complex and challenging space, for many reasons. We recognise these challenges and address them head on, whether it is technical, regulatory, sensitivities, or external factors, and with this comes our reputation as a trusted supplier for both industry and direct to government.
We look forward to sharing our success with you in 2026. Thank you to our customers for their enduring support, and from the GRiD team to yours, we wish you all a peaceful festive period and a Happy New Year!
