28 May 2026

London, UK

Defence Holdings PLC

("Defence" or "the Company")

 

Defence Holdings Provides Operational Update, Publishes Operating Model, Announces Strategic Equity Position with OM Defence Systems, CEO Interview and Update on ATM Facility

 

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), the UK’s software-led defence technology group, today provides an operational update following an initial assessment of the business and wider market opportunity undertaken by Chief Executive Officer Andrew Roughan. The Company also announces the publication of its Operating Model and a strategic equity position with OM Defence Systems, representing an early validation milestone for the Defence Holdings model and its strategy of creating value through multiple aligned routes across the defence technology ecosystem.

Highlights

·        Defence Holdings publishes its Operating Model at playbook.defenceplc.com, formalising the Company’s framework for operational execution and long-term value creation across the defence technology ecosystem

·        Operating Model positions Defence Holdings across customer requirement, emerging technology capability and private capital within a single integrated structure

·        Strategic partnership, revenue participation and equity position agreed with OM Defence Systems, representing the first strategic partnership established under the Defence Holdings Operating Model

·        First public comments from CEO Andrew Roughan to be broadcast live via the company's web platform and X account at 12:00 noon. BST on 1 June 2026.

 

Operational Update

Over the past two months, Chief Executive Officer Andrew Roughan has focused on refining the strategic and operational structure required to support Defence Holdings’ long-term commercial execution across the defence and national security sector.

This work has focused on formalising how Defence Holdings positions itself across three core areas: customer requirement, emerging technology capability and private capital, with the objective of creating a scalable operating structure capable of identifying, supporting and commercialising strategically relevant defence technologies.

The Company believes the combination of these three forces within a single integrated operating model creates differentiated pathways to long-term value creation across the evolving defence technology ecosystem.

The Company believes significant structural change is underway across the European defence technology environment, driven by increasing demand for sovereign, software-defined and AI-enabled capability alongside growing emphasis on accelerated innovation and SME participation across UK Defence procurement.

The output of this process has been formalised within the Defence Holdings Operating Model published today at playbook.defenceplc.com, establishing the Company’s framework for operational execution and participation across multiple aligned routes to long-term value creation.

The playbook will be available to view at www.defenceplc.com

 

Strategic Partnership, Revenue Participation and Equity Position Agreed with OM Defence Systems

The Company can confirm that it has entered into a strategic partnership arrangement with OM Defence Systems, an emerging autonomous defence systems and sovereign manufacturing business focused on counter-UAS capability, autonomous targeting systems, deployable defence infrastructure and rapid operational manufacturing capability for contested environments.

OM Group is developing software-defined autonomous defence systems and sovereign European defence manufacturing capability informed by operational experience across Ukraine and Europe, with current capability focused on drone interception, field support systems and deployable counter-UAS infrastructure.

The agreement represents the first strategic partnership established under the Defence Holdings Operating Model and reflects the Company’s strategy of connecting emerging defence technology companies with customers, commercial infrastructure and strategic capital.

Under the arrangement, Defence Holdings will support OM Defence Systems across capital strategy, operational scaling and Defence market access through the Defence Holdings Operating Model and broader commercial ecosystem.

As part of the structure, Defence Holdings will receive long-term participation in revenues associated with customer contract opportunities introduced through the Defence Holdings commercial ecosystem, and a strategic equity-linked position in exchange for strategic support, operational enablement and commercial access delivered through the Defence Holdings platform.

In addition to the strategic equity position, the structure provides Defence Holdings with long-term participation in revenues associated with customer contract opportunities introduced through the Defence Holdings commercial ecosystem.

The arrangement represents an important validation of the Defence Holdings Operating Model and demonstrates how the Company intends to create value through multiple aligned routes across the defence technology ecosystem, including:

·        Revenue-generating operational delivery

·        Strategic advisory and capability support

·        Long-term strategic participation

·        Exposure to future contract economics linked to deployed capability

The structure creates alignment between Defence Holdings and strategically relevant emerging capability whilst enabling the Company to participate across multiple layers of long-term value creation.

This approach enables Defence Holdings to align itself closely with strategically relevant emerging capability in sectors experiencing significant global demand growth, particularly across autonomous systems, drone warfare and counter-UAS capability.

CEO Interview Broadcast

Defence Holdings further announces that the first public comments from Chief Executive Officer Andrew Roughan will be published via the company's web platform and X account at 12:00 noon. BST on 1 June 2026.

The video broadcast will provide shareholders and market participants with Mr Roughan’s first detailed public comments since assuming the role, including further insight into the Company’s Operating Model, strategic direction, operational priorities and broader approach to long-term value creation across the defence technology ecosystem.

Mr Roughan will also provide updates relating to the Company’s commercial progress, including developments across customer contract activity and operational execution against the Defence Holdings strategy.

Mr Roughan will additionally discuss his ambition and vision for Defence Holdings, alongside his expectations for the Company’s operational development and strategic progress over the coming months.

Andrew Roughan, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Holdings, commented:

“We believe European defence is entering a period of significant structural change, creating demand for new operating models capable of moving faster across customer requirement, emerging technology and operational delivery.

The work undertaken over recent months has focused on refining how Defence Holdings positions itself within that environment and formalising a scalable framework capable of supporting long-term commercial execution.

Importantly, the strategic partnership agreed with OM Defence Systems demonstrates that the model is already beginning to operate in practice. We believe the structure creates multiple aligned routes to value creation through strategic participation, operational support and exposure to emerging sovereign capability aligned to evolving Defence requirements.

We believe Defence Holdings is positioning itself to become an important platform through which novel defence technology can be identified, supported, commercialised and scaled across the European defence ecosystem.”

Update on ATM Facility

 

Following the announcement dated 17 February 2026, Fortified Securities has successfully raised another gross proceeds of £123,400.00 (the “ATM Proceeds”) for the period ending 22 May 2026. The distribution of the ATM Proceeds has been settled.

 

Following the ATM-related sales, Fortified Securities’ shareholding has decreased from 109,000,000 (4.41% of the issued share capital) to 98,000,000 (3.96% of the issued share capital) as a result of this settlement.

 

Taking into account the ATM Proceeds announced on 31 October 2025, 14 November 2025, 18 December 2025, 5 February 2026, 17 February 2026 and the new ATM Proceeds set out in today’s announcement, the Company has now raised total gross proceeds of £877,967.49.

 

About Defence Holdings PLC (ALRT)

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT) is the UK's first listed software-led defence company. Its five-year strategic plan focuses on delivering sovereign digital capabilities across national security, resilience, and defence readiness.

Website: www.defencetechnologies.com

 

 Media Enquiries
Name – Director, Andrew Roughan
Defence Holdings PLC
Tel: +44 (0)20 3855 5551 · Email: [email protected]