We work with organisations for whom safety, reliability and security are critical and where digital technologies underpin innovation and competitiveness.
Customers must also strike a balance between achieving cost effectiveness and sustainability goals, without compromising operational outcomes, and this is why RINA has put data science at the heart of everything we do. Our data scientists, analysts and digital experts work alongside our traditional engineering and consultancy capabilities to ensure that we offer the best possible advice and solutions.
With over 250 core consultants in Space & Defence alone, we provide a comprehensive range of services to enable defence capability, optimise operations, ensure compliance and stimulate R&D.
Our customers value the strength and depth of our expertise, covering everything from service design and support, safety, training, and human factors through to cyber, electromagnetic compatibility testing, legislative compliance and data science.
We also have the backing of the global RINA corporation, with over 3,900 talented professionals providing engineering, consultancy, testing, inspection and certification services to many industrial sectors.
With a history of working with government defence ministries, space agencies and prime contractors, our capabilities support programmes across all domains and throughout the entire lifecycle. Our ability to react quickly to changing requirements and be flexible and agile in our approach enables us to provide sustainable and value-added solutions to our customers.
RINA is a trusted, technical partner, working alongside our clients in all defence domains; from early design and options analysis, through the competitive process, including major bid preparation, and into acceptance.
Our specialist consultancy services cover the full range of technical disciplines that underpin defence capability including safety, training, integrated logistics support, human factors, electromagnetic compatibility testing, legislative compliance, security & cyber resilience, as well as data science and analytics.
The RINA difference is the way in which we combine our deep specialisms to develop innovative approaches that help our partners to differentiate their capability solutions. For instance, bespoke training approaches targeted to specific user groups, and the design and optimisation of the service and support solution at all phases in the lifecycle.
RINA has experience of all types of capability programmes, from traditional platform procurements through to data management solutions underpinning battlespace infrastructure as well as track record in supporting export and import business by providing translation between UK MOD DEFSTANS and other international standards.
- DISMOUNTED JOINT FIRES INTEGRATOR (D-JFI) - Client: Elbit: RINA was selected by Elbit as technical capability, training and support partner for the £100M MOD DJFI programme. Elbit will provide the Fire Support Teams with advanced target acquisition, communications and networking technology, with RINA providing safety, environmental, human factors and EMC expertise support to the design and manufacturing phase, with the training and ILS teams forming a collaborative partnership with ESUK, to provide a sustainable and agile through-life support solution.
- SUBMARINE SYSTEM - Client: Defence equipment provider: RINA is contracted to provide integrated logistics support, training development, safety, environmental and associated programme management for a key system that will be fitted onto the Dreadnought class of submarines. We are contracted up until the delivery of Boat Set 1, forming a fully collaborative team approach with the client to produce their contracted deliverables. The scope included generating all documentation including the ARM programme, integrated support and supportability analysis plans, reliability prediction report and HAZID assessments, and both preliminary and critical design reviews were passed with no outstanding actions.
- COUNTER-REMOTELY PILOTED AERIAL SYSTEMS (C-RPAS), URGENT CAPABILITY REQUIREMENT - Client: Kirintec: Kirintec are supplying a number of C-RPAS devices to be used by Royal Navy personnel on ships in response to the emerging threat of RPAS to assets on deployed missions both at port and at sea. Kirintec have considerable experience within the field of battlefield electronics applications and are being supported by RINA to ensure the comprehensive requirements for EMC, safety and ILS are met within a tight timeframe. We have provided in-depth consultancy support to interpret MOD requirements, partnering closely to advise on industry best-practice and develop the suite of design evidence and support documentation that will ensure the delivered equipment is safe, effective and supportable throughout its life.
- ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURES - Client: UK technology provider: RINA delivered the ILS programme relating to an on-the-man electronic countermeasures system, supporting the design by conducting ARM analysis, safety and environmental assessments, and HFI. As part of an integrated engineering design team, we supported the programme from concept to demonstration, providing the technical expertise to assist the client and generating the body of evidence essential to demonstrate legislative compliance and adherence to MOD policy.
- GALILEO (EU-GNSS) SECURITY ENGINEERING - Client: Thales Alenia Space Italia: RINA provided security engineering support on behalf of Thales Alenia Space Italia to the European Space Agency and to the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency for Galileo, Europe’s global navigation satellite system. Our activities included technical, operational and management aspects impacting the security design, operation, maintenance and evolution of the entire system.
The cornerstone of our offering is the integration of our supportability engineering and data analytics, which combines industry best practices with innovative modelling tools & techniques. By modelling your support system architectures and/or scenarios, we can identify and analyse areas of risk and high cost, ensuring that key decisions are based on robust and auditable analysis, reducing whole life cost, improving processes, and increasing availability. The resulting reduced logistical burden also delivers further benefit by lowering your carbon footprint, contributing to wider sustainability goals.
Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) is how RINA optimises your way of working and ensures you realise value from your assets. We cover the full range of ILS transversals including supportability analysis, dependability, training, asset management, supply support, obsolescence management and human factors, with each ILS programme carefully coordinated and tailored to meet your needs.
This blend of domain expertise and data analytical capability expands beyond the detailed system decision level and is also used to support strategic-level decisions and planning. RINA combines techniques such as lifecycle cost modelling, reliability-centred maintenance and obsolescence management to inform evidence-based capability decisions.
80% incurred during the operation and support phase
- COMMON COMBAT SYSTEMS - Client: BAE Systems: RINA developed and initiated implementation of the through-life support for the next generation submarine Common Combat System (CCS) to facilitate a fleet-wide, cross-platform coherent support strategy driving down total cost of ownership and enabling Royal Navy personnel utilisation efficiencies. We also acted as ILS Manager for the retrofit of a specific variant of CCS into Vanguard class submarines, deemed essential as an in-service life extension programme for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent and as risk-reduction for the Dreadnought Future Ballistic Missile Submarine.
- TRAINING DESIGN SUPPORT & TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING (TEL) - Client: MOD: RINA was contracted by the Defence College of Technical Training (DCTT) to provide training design support over a 3 year period and have since been re-contracted to provide targeted TEL courseware development over a further 2 years. We provided augmented support for the training design teams, implementing major improvement projects, specialist media development and supporting high level transformational change programmes and are now building on this, developing 3D modelling, Virtual Reality and eLearning, providing tangible benefits in the effectiveness of training delivery and increasing efficiencies by reducing training days and costs.
- VEHICLE CONCEPT PROGNOSTIC HEALTH MONITORING ALGORITHM - Client: UK MOD: RINA undertook all software development and hardware integration activities required to deploy a prognostic health monitoring concept algorithm for deployment on-board a fleet of Foxhound vehicles during crew training. Health assessments across multiple systems were streamed to a cloud service for real-time interrogation and decision making. We recommended a high-level roadmap for introducing a full system to the Foxhound fleet, raised awareness of data quality issues in the Army data warehouse and demonstrated the feasibility of live diagnostics onboard the platform, displaying actional information to multiple command levels.
- PROTECTOR SMS MATURITY ASSESSMENT - Client: Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team: RINA undertook a maturity assessment of 8 key aspects of the Protector SMS and supporting key policy, plans and assurance to enable UAST to gain an objective understanding of its maturity. The assessment took the form of document reviews and audits, as defined by the UAST ISA Project Execution Plan, and we provided classified and prioritised recommendations to focus future efforts on those aspects of the SMS which require development in order to ensure and assure the safety and airworthiness of the Protector UAS prior to entry into service.
The onus is placed on organisations to provide assurance to the UK MOD that they have adhered to rigorous standards and regulations with regard to safety and airworthiness or legislative compliance with import regulations. The standards and regulations are not always easy to interpret and are subject to a continual process of evolution; consequently, it can be challenging for equipment manufacturers and supply organisations to provide supporting data and arguments that meet requirements. Likewise, those requirements can vary internationally which can lead to delays, extra costs and even financial penalties. With our support, these areas can be easily understood and addressed.
Our teams maintain their knowledge and experience at the cutting edge of evolving standards, working with MOD and industry partners to ensure they are satisfied. Specialising in the construction of logical and coherent argumentation using contemporary tools and processes, we help you gain an advantage by presenting artefacts in a format that ensures minimal adaptation to be coherent with MOD system safety cases and procurement processes.
The costs of being assessed to be non-compliant with the MOD’s requirements may be great, so the value that RINA adds can help to de-risk enterprises and assist in building a successful partnership with the MOD.
- SUPPORTING SAFETY CULTURE - Client: Animal Dynamics: Bringing our expertise in safety, training and certification, RINA is assisting in supporting the safety culture in the client’s growing business which is based upon an exciting advanced portfolio of products and systems. As part of the agreement, we will deliver a training package to all employees covering safety management, together with a package on certification of unmanned air vehicles and a further package on software compliance with DO-178C.
- SDA LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE - Client: Submarine Delivery Agency: RINA seconded a consultant to the customer site to minimise any delay in response to queries regarding compliance issues with the GFA being entered into the CASD build programme. In addition to supplying legislative compliance evidence, we also produced a compliance evidence directory for the SDA to store the compliance documents and supporting evidence. The CED now has legislation compliance documents stored in a secure area only to be made available to the relevant personnel at the request of the MOD.
- PROGRAMME AERIAL - Client: HQ LWC: RINA was engaged to help manage safety performance during the Project ARIEL transformation of the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration (DCLPA). We advised on inadvertent risk transfer to the receiving front-line organisation, dilution of process safety from use of computer-based tools, safety management system coordination across Whole Force interfaces and contracts and enterprise-level risk-based decision making and targeted assurance. Our advice informed Director Land Warfare’s intent to find the programme, site and cultural means for whole force investment in safety, even under the pressures of resource limitations.
- PROTECTOR - Client: Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team: RINA provided independent safety audit support for the Protector remotely piloted air system, supporting UAST with their challenges faced due to the continuous nature of changes and updates to the regulation and certification requirements. We provided UAST with appropriate interpretation of MOD regulations in a variety of certification contexts, taking a realistic approach to compliance in consultation with the MAA and exploiting the learning from an earlier contract where we developed the type certification basis, plan and exposition for a mini UAS to comply with the military air systems certification process.
- AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT APPROVAL ORGANISATION SCHEME - Client: Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions (SDATS): SDATS was awarded a contract to install and operate a remote digital tower at Royal Naval Air Station Predennack, the first of its kind for the UK MOD. Part of the contract terms were for Saab to either hold or gain Air Traffic Management Approval Organisation Scheme (AAOS), awarded by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA). RINA is providing continual support to SDATS through the year-long process by attending meetings with the MAA, interpreting the regulatory requirements and producing the exposition that will be used to gain AAOS.
Research shows that 80% of a system’s whole life cost is incurred during the operation and support phase of its in-service life; a fact that is often overlooked during the early lifecycle phases of a system. RINA champions an approach that analyses system support architecture and operational use across the lifecycle, and in doing so can influence system design and service arrangements prior to manufacture avoiding costly recall, upgrade, and/or contract amendment once in service. Following entry to service, systems are continually monitored and carefully selected (pre-determined) data metrics can be analysed for trends to inform decisions that deliver efficiencies from both operational and contractual perspectives.
The effective use of analysis and modelling techniques to answer questions is key to the successful application of this approach. Mathematical modelling is used to assess aspects such as throughput over time, performance, asset holdings and service operation costs, while the use of simulation software tools enables a virtual and dynamic environment where uncertainty can be focused on and assessed.
RINA has extensive experience in helping our clients design systems for support, whilst ensuring the associated support service solution is optimised.
Competentis is a web-based system providing organisations in the safety-critical public and private sectors with the tools to manage and display competence data at individual, team, department, and business levels in real time.
Designed by our training and competence management consultants in conjunction with RINA’s Digital Solutions software developers, Competentis is highly configurable and allows organisations to adapt the tools to their specific competence management requirements.
- AIR MOBILITY FORCE FUEL EFFICIENCIES & EMISSIONS REDUCTION - Client: Brize Norton: RINA led the data science and analytics element since the project’s inception in 2015, process-mapping the data flow through the defence enterprise and establishing data pipelines, developing a suite of analytics and fusion processes to validate & merge data sets to create and development of visualisations in a variety of formats to present the data and information in a digestible manner for stakeholders. The project has realised over £25 million of benefits and was recognised twice at the 2019 MOD Sanctuary Awards
- PROGRAMME GATEWAY - Client: KPMG: RINA provided data science & analytics capabilities to deliver comprehensive analytical & modelling support throughout the three-year life of the programme across dozens of projects and pan-DLOD. We were responsible for the design, development preparation and subsequent analysis of numerous simulation projects, contributing directly to the identification of £800 million of benefits over ten years including increased manpower and equipment availability, visibility of risks and uncertainties, informed decision making using advanced modelling & simulation techniques and instilled best practices for data quality and exploitation in key decision making.
- SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CASE REPORTS - Client: Leidos: RINA developed SECRs in accordance with Def Stan 00-056 and ASEMS guidance material. The SECR evidence supports a safety argument, presented in goal structuring notation, that aeromedical equipment is acceptably safe to operate in the air domain. We carried out independent technical evaluation of supporting SECRs produced by other defence contractors to provide assurance that the technical information is correct, suitable to achieve the objectives and fit for purpose, successfully providing SECRs to support Release to Service Recommendations for 8 items of aeromedical equipment on behalf of air system delivery teams.
- DEFENCE LOGISTIC FRAMEWORK (DLF) - Client: DA4TQA: RINA was employed as part of a joint team to deliver support in developing and producing DLF compliant engineering processes for in-service forward support. We focused on the value stream, developed processes and conducted qualitative quantitative modelling to assess and drive process improvement, delivering 9 engineering processes and providing hooks to link to the existing wider process, developed so that they can be applied at strategic, operational, and tactical levels, independent of environmental domain (air, land, sea & joint).
Independent assurance can include technical evaluations, safety audits or safety advice in a complex environment. Civil and military regulators require system manufacturers, engineering authorities and operators to argue that their systems are acceptably safe and demonstrate this through compliance with standards & regulations.
RINA’s advice is not only there to satisfy the regulators, but also to provide help and guidance in navigating the maze of regulatory articles, assist equipment manufacturing organisations in establishing their safety cases to help them be coherent with the MOD’s client requirements and to offer insights into the maturity of an organisation’s safety management system, helping to engender an engaged safety culture.
RINA can take the results of tests and evaluations and apply them to the exacting safety requirements for a system to establish whether that system poses any hazards that require mitigation.
- F35B - LOSS MODEL DEVELOPMENT - Client: DE&S Lightning II Delivery Team: The project combined system failure probability data with real-world usage parameters, resulting in a tool capable of predicting the probability of aircraft loss and loss of life for pilots and other personnel. Our bespoke user interface enables questions to be answered about the safety impact of changes to either the aircraft systems, the way the aircraft is flown, operating locations and the differing use of weapon systems, and output from the tool is now being used to prioritise risk reduction efforts by both the procurement team and the operating authority.
- EMBRAER KC-390 HIRF CERTIFICATION TESTS - Client: Embraer: RINA undertook High Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF) testing and assessments on the KC-390, a new generation twin-engine jet-powered multi-mission transport aircraft under development and able to perform aerial refuelling and to transport cargo and troops. The successful completion for both the civil and military configurations has enabled Embraer to achieve type certification from the Brazilian aviation authority.
- SHIP AIR INTERFACE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS - Client: Navy Command: RINA provided technical advice to support Navy Command’s Ship Air Interface Technical analysis. Our scope of work included the recommendation of relative wind envelopes for a given aircraft/ship combination, analysis of air/ground crew workload levels, deck motion limits for aircraft operations and movements on deck using aircraft handling equipment, aircraft all up mass correction parameters and engine performance as well as EMC and radio frequency effect considerations including safety distances.
- APACHE ISA (AUDITOR AND ADVISOR) - Client: UK MOD: RINA recently supported development of the Apache safety management system, identifying areas for improvement and proposing new processes to link the equipment risks managed by the TAA with the risks managed by the Deputy Duty Holder in his Unified Air Safety Risk Register. To support the implementation of process improvements, we advised workshops at the Apache Front Line HQ at Wattisham and presented the process improvements at the recent Apache System Safety Working Group. This commonality of approach and joined-up risk management by the TAA and DDH is now seen as best practice in Joint Helicopter Command.
- DREADNOUGHT PROGRAMME - Client: MOD Submarine Delivery Agency: The SDA was seeking support on contract negotiations for the Dreadnought Nuclear Propulsion programme to ensure the future agreed value relating to four functions represented value for money to the MOD. RINA’s specialist understanding and functional reports resulted in either validating existing Roll Royce planning of resource levels, or challenging down planned levels of resource through improved SAP data, better understanding of demand signals in the function for resource, and reduced duplication of roles overlapping and helped generate a saving of approximately £30 million.
Building on our extensive international network of leading universities, research and technology organisations and research-intensive enterprises allows RINA to place R&D at the forefront of our strategic business thinking. In this way, new ideas can be quickly transferred to industrial practice.
In recent years, the R&D team have focused on contributing to the EU programme of activities, most notably the 7-year, €80 billion Horizon 2020 programme which represents 50% of the overall public funding for security research in the EU. The majority of the member states depend entirely on Horizon 2020 to cover their needs regarding the development of innovative security solutions. The team has also been successful in recent years in their proposals for participation in circa 30 EU R&D projects per year, where projects typically consist of multiple partner organisations (from industry, research and academia) from a wide representation of member states.
The team recently strengthened its relationship with the Space & Defence team - and in particular Training and Learning Solutions - and have actively participated through the provision of training analysis and design experts supported by our Digital Media team in four Horizon 2020 projects concerning:
- EU-wide border control
- Security / protection of EU health institutions
- The protection of gas pipelines across Europe
- The resilience of critical transport networks