Formalising Our Strategic Partnership with Defence Holdings on AI for Defence and National Security

Last week, we announced a Letter of Intent with Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT). In doing so, we set out a simple principle: critical AI for defence and national security must be built here, secured here, and controlled here.

Today, that principle moves into execution. Whitespace and Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT) have completed a binding Strategic Partnership to deliver sovereign AI infrastructure and mission-ready applications utilising the Whitespace CollectiveOS platform.

Why this matters now more than ever

AI is becoming foundational to national security and operational decision-making. The UK requires capabilities that are trusted, resilient, and deployable where it matters - including air-gapped and low-connectivity environments. By combining Defence Holdings’ market access, strategic relationships, and delivery capabilities with Whitespace’s proven AI infrastructure, we can deliver at the pace modern defence and broader national security demands require.

Areas of initial partnership

Whitespace is collaborating with Defence Holdings on an initial portfolio of sovereign applications and AI agents focused on operational advantage:

- Autonomous decision-making and human–machine teaming
- Secure intelligence fusion across domains
- Multi-domain situational awareness
- Protection of critical national infrastructure
- Information domain dominance, including counter-disinformation

And we have already started…

Our first AI product is already in development. While details remain part of an operationally classified programme, the opportunity is commercially significant with long-term deployment potential. We are also already engaged with one of the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate timelines and scale where appropriate.

Proven where it counts

The Whitespace CollectiveOS platform is already operational in classified defence environments, including the deployment of a GenAI knowledge management application on a UK naval platform. That operational foundation allows us to translate strategic intent into deployable capability - safely, securely, and at speed.

Sovereign by design

Consistent with our commitment to “built here, secured here, controlled here,” this partnership prioritises:

- UK‑designed and hosted AI systems
- Deployment in secure, low‑connectivity and air‑gapped settings
- Protection of sensitive and sovereign data across the full lifecycle

Through our partnerships with leading technology firms, Whitespace can rapidly scale these capabilities to support our NATO allies and deploy them securely into their operational environments.

Strategic significance

The combination of Whitespace and Defence Holdings creates one of the very few UK‑listed platforms with the infrastructure, operational traction, and capital markets access to challenge foreign incumbents and establish a sovereign AI leader in defence technology.
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“Our immediate focus is delivering operational advantage for priority UK defence programmes and preparing pathways for allied adoption. We’ll continue to embed with users, iterate rapidly with our CollectiveOS platform capability, and scale what works—safely and securely.” Paul Jenkinson, CEO of Whitespace