Defence Holdings Regulatory News (ALRT)

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014, as retained as part of the law of England and Wales. Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

03 October 2025

London, UK

Defence Holdings PLC

(“Defence Holdings” or the “Company”)

Defence Holdings PLC Selects Hyperscale Provider for Project Ixian

· Google Cloud chosen for Project Ixian, Defence Holdings inaugural sovereign AI product focused on information integrity and resilience.

· Built natively on Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped, a platform designed for stringent data residency and security controls.

· Co-development with Whitespace engineers embeds sovereign standards from inception.

LONDON, UK – October 3, 2024: Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), a leading UK software-led defence company, today announced it has selected Google Cloud as its hyperscale provider for Project Ixian. This initiative marks the company’s inaugural sovereign AI product, developed under its Defence Technologies division, and is focused on enhancing information integrity and resilience against information warfare.

Project Ixian will be built natively on Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped, a platform specifically designed for the most stringent data residency, security controls, and operates fully disconnected from the internet. 

"Information has become critical infrastructure, and its protection is paramount," said Andy McCartney, Chief Technology Officer of Defence Holdings. "By selecting Google Cloud, we are establishing sovereign AI capability on the same technology, aligned with UK Government investments. Project Ixian exemplifies how infrastructure translates into capability – sovereign by design, scalable from inception, and directly addressing one of the most urgent areas of focus of our time: information operations. Project Ixian is just the first in a multi-product pipeline we intend to bring from concept to operational use over the next 18 months."

Project Ixian is specifically designed to address critical focus areas of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review 2025 (SDR25), countering challenges such as disinformation, digital vulnerabilities, and narrative manipulation by malicious actors. Its development has been deeply informed by Defence end-users and includes co-development with Whitespace engineers to embed sovereign standards, resilience, scalability, and compliance from inception.

John Abel, UK Managing Director, Office of the CTO, Google Cloud, commented: "This initiative brings together our sovereign infrastructure with Defence Holdings’ focus, ensuring that the UK can benefit from technologies that are both operationally relevant and sovereign by design."

ENDS

About Defence Holdings PLC

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT) is a leading listed software-led defence company, focused on developing sovereign defence capabilities for the digital age. The Company's five-year strategic plan, announced in June 2025, positions it to become a leading force in software-first defence solutions.

About Whitespace

Whitespace helps Defence and National Security organisations rapidly deliver capabilities against their AI unmet needs. As a sovereign UK SME, headquartered in Belfast, they’ve developed Collective – a secure software architecture specifically designed for rapidly developing and deploying AI solutions in any environment, from edge devices to air-gapped networks and cloud solutions. This enables Whitespace to deliver Generative AI (GenAI) and Agentic AI applications that operate independently or seamlessly integrate within existing systems. Since 2019 Whitespace has been designing, developing and deploying Defence AI across UK Defence and across all military commands.

Notes for Editors