Centre for Defence Engineering

In this section

Our aim in the Centre for Defence Engineering is to create world-leading academic knowledge within the multiple disciplines that make up defence engineering and technology.
The Centre is focused on the provision of teaching, research and consultancy excellence; our academics are keen to help you find solutions to real life problems. We strive to produce international-standard scientists and engineers through our educational programmes, which are designed to enable students to reach intelligent decisions concerning design, development and acquisition of technologies.

We share our knowledge with our partners in the UK’s Ministry of Defence, wider government and industry through publications, teaching, collaboration and entrepreneurship.

The Centre, led by Dr Gareth Appleby-Thomas (Head of Centre) and supported by Dr John Economou (deputy Head of Centre), consists of three groups that maintain and develop the staff, teams and facilities required to deliver internationally-recognised teaching and research.

Download Research Yearbook

Cranfield student at the forefront of ceramic armour research.

Our facilities

Protective solutions laboratory

Providing ballistics testing and research capabilities, utilising state-of-the-art facilities

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Aeronautics Centre

We operate seven wind tunnels under the curatorship of the Aeromechanical Systems Group

Boundary layer wind tunnel

The BLWT is an open circuit, blow-down tunnel which was commissioned, designed, and built by the Aeromechanical Systems Group

Ordnance Test and Evaluation Centre

Performing independent test and evaluation on weapon systems and explosive stores

Closed section wind tunnel

The CSWT is a closed section, closed circuit tunnel which has been designed, built and commissioned by the Aeromechanical Systems Group

Closed section wind tunnel - small section

A closed section, closed circuit tunnel, designed, built and commissioned by the Aeromechanical Systems Group

DS Houghton wind tunnel

The Houghton wind tunnel is an open-jet, closed-loop, temperature-controlled tunnel

Greenwich small wind tunnel

An open-jet, closed circuit tunnel

Open-jet wind tunnel

An open section, closed circuit tunnel

Transonic wind tunnel

The TSWT is a closed-circuit ejector-driven tunnel

Intelligent propulsion and emissions laboratory

The IPEL houses three separate engine test cells, used for monitoring emissions or power output of combustion engines

IPEL indoor test facility

An indoor facility for small-scale unmanned ground vehicles which brings experimental work one step closer from the laboratory

Materials and engineering research and training capabilities

We are well placed to support the materials testing and quantification capabilities of both local and national businesses

Our people

Our research groups

Aeromechanical Systems Group

We are an aeromechanical research group with wide expertise in aeronautical systems

Survivability, Lethality and Materials Group

Lethality and Survivability Group

Leading expertise in the philosophy of lethality and survivability through in-depth knowledge of the associated technologies and science

Vehicles and Mechatronics Group

Our Group combines world-renowned expertise on various vehicle and weapon technologies from individual elements to complex military systems

Highlighted courses

Professional and technical development

Introduction to Ballistic and Cruise Missile Technology

The course develops a broad understanding of the principles of ballistic and cruise missile flight and the technologies for those involved in Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) activities.

Ballistics

This 10 day intensive course taught at Shrivenham takes students though all aspects of ballistics for weapon design of all calibres

Airworthiness of Military Aircraft

Providing an understanding of MOD airworthiness organisations, policies and procedures

Fighting Vehicle Design

Providing a general understanding of the overall requirements, characteristics and design of fighting vehicles and their sub-systems

Fundamentals of Ballistics

This five-day intensive course takes students though the fundamental principles of ballistics for ammunition design

Guided Weapons

This course aims to provide an overview of guided weapon systems and technology, introduce students to the theoretical design of relevant subsystems and demonstrate how these form the weapon system

Foundations of Modelling and Simulation

Breaking the subject into a surface skim of many of the key technological areas

Survivability

Covering the underpinning science to aspects of military survivability pertaining to blast and ballistic impact including armour technology

Ordnance Design

An analysis of the design and manufacture of a gun system, integration and the integrity of various sub-systems based upon the ammunition, gun, propellants, ballistics and the thermodynamics

Uninhabited Aircraft Systems UAS Technology

An overview of primary Uninhabited Aircraft Systems technologies. Wide-ranging and covering the modern major developments, it looks into the future by way of existing trends