What Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems does

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems Limited (ABBS) is a UK-based private defence technology company that develops active and passive blast protection systems for armoured vehicles, founded in 2013 (Company Number 07025669) and headquartered in Ashbourne, Derbyshire with operating subsidiaries ARMS and AVCP in Shropshire. The company's core technology is a patented Linear Rocket Motor (LRM) that counteracts mine and IED blast lifting forces within milliseconds, deployed through the VGAM (Vehicle Global Acceleration Mitigation) system, the VAFS (Vehicle Active Floor System), and the CRBP (Composite Reinforced Belly Plate). These products target militaries operating in mine/IED-threatened environments, addressing a problem the company states accounts for over 80% of UK and US army casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, with customers including the US Army (GVSC/TARDEC under CRADA), UK MOD (DSTL/DASA), and an unnamed Israeli defence customer.

ABBS operates through a group structure with three primary subsidiaries: Advanced Reaction Motor Systems (ARMS) for rocket motor and initiation systems; Active VTOL Crash Prevention (AVCP) for the Zero-Zero Safety System addressing the '300-foot safety gap' in eVTOL aircraft via retrorocket and parachute combinations; and Active Safety System Technologies Inc (ASST) as the US/Canadian distributor. Revenue is generated through direct hardware sales of protection systems to defence and government customers, technology licensing of patents, funded R&D contracts from DASA/Innovate UK/DSTL/US DoD, and equity crowdfunding via Crowdcube and Wefunder. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales, regional commercial agents across Africa, Middle East, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Asia-Pacific, ASST for the US market, and defence industry conference participation. Disclosed historical profits were £145,000 in YE 2018 and £560,000 in YE 2019 from US Army and Israel sales plus UK R&D grants, with a stated order book of $368,000 and total cumulative R&D investment of approximately £7m over 11 years; current annual revenue is undisclosed but likely sub-£1m.

Beyond armoured vehicles, ABBS is actively expanding into counter-UAS (TriShield, QuadShield, MERLIN-1), UGV autonomy (4D Radar/AI via Cavonix partnership), mine clearance and breaching vehicles, humanitarian demining (HALO Trust contact), and eVTOL safety systems. The company holds granted patents across UK, Europe, and the US for VGAM/LRM and eVTOL safety systems, with further patent applications pending for 4D Radar/AI processing, counter-UAS effectors, and twin V-hull UGV designs. The company is led by CEO Roger Sloman (a pioneer of carbon-fibre chassis in 1970s Formula One) and Chairman Brigadier (Ret'd) Ian Cameron-Mowat, and has attracted over 1,200 retail investors across multiple Crowdcube and Wefunder rounds, with the most recent completed round raising £71,900 at an indicative valuation of £6.6m in January 2024.

Name

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems

Legal name

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems Ltd.

Website

https://advanced-blast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) develops patented active and passive blast protection systems (VGAM, VAFS, CRBP) for armoured vehicles, plus eVTOL safety systems, counter-UAS effectors, and UGV autonomy, serving military and government defence customers globally including the US Army, UK MOD, and Israeli defence forces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defence Blast Protection Systems

NAICS

Military Armored Vehicle, Tank, and Tank Component Manufacturing (336992)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Military & Tactical Off-Highway Vehicles (Armored, Tactical Mobility) (IMAHAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Armored Engineering & Breaching Vehicles (Combat Engineering Vehicles) (IMABAJAG), Bombs, Depth Charges & Aerial Delivered Ordnance (IMABAHAI)

Keywords

• Blast protection systems
• Armoured vehicle survivability
• Counter-UAS systems
• EVTOL safety systems
• Linear rocket motors

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Armoured Vehicle Protection Systems Sales: Direct sales of VGAM, VAFS, and CRBP protection systems to military and government defence customers. Systems are sold to armoured vehicle manufacturers and end-user military forces globally.
2. eVTOL Safety Systems Sales: Sales of the AVCP Zero-Zero Safety System and related components (stroking crashworthy seats, fire-resistant prepreg composites) to eVTOL aircraft manufacturers and the broader Urban Air Mobility industry.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of patented Linear Rocket Motor (LRM) technology, VGAM system, and safety system patents to defence primes, vehicle manufacturers, and aerospace companies. UK, European, and US patents in place.
4. Government R&D Contracts and Grants: Funded R&D projects from DASA (UK MOD Defence Accelerator), Innovate UK, DSTL, US Army CRADA agreements, and US DoD Foreign Technology Assessment Scheme (FTAS). Multiple active proposals ranging from £59,000 to £177,000 per project.
5. Crowdfunding Rounds: Equity fundraising through Crowdcube and Wefunder platforms. Multiple rounds have been completed since 2016, with the most recent November 2024 round offering up to 398,000 10p ordinary shares at £1.505 per share.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) designs, develops and supplies active and passive blast protection systems for armoured vehicles (VGAM Linear Rocket Motors, VAFS Active Floor System, CRBP Composite Belly Plate) along with eVTOL aircraft safety systems (AVCP Zero-Zero), counter-UAS effectors (TriShield, QuadShield, MERLIN-1) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) autonomy technologies based on 4D Radar and GPR. Products are sold to military forces, defence primes, vehicle OEMs and eVTOL manufacturers, supplemented by government R&D contracts and technology licensing.

Product overview

Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) is a portfolio of protection technologies organised under three main subsidiaries: ABBS (land vehicle blast protection), ARMS (Advanced Reaction Motor Systems — rocket motor solutions), and AVCP (Active VTOL Crash Prevention — aircraft safety systems). The core product lines include active and passive blast protection systems for armoured vehicles (VGAM™ Linear Rocket Motors, VAFS™ Active Floor System, and CRBP Composite Belly Plate), counter-UAS systems (TriShield and QuadShield layered defence systems, MERLIN-1 non-lethal drone interceptor), autonomous vehicle technologies (4D Radar/GPR navigation, retro-fit autonomy kits, mine-clearance UGVs), aircraft safety systems (AVCP Zero-Zero Safety System for eVTOL, stroking crashworthy seats, fire-resistant prepreg composites), and munitions (THORN mine-destruction munition). The group also includes ASST (Active Safety System Technologies Inc.) as its US-based distributor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VGAM™ (Vehicle Global Acceleration Mitigation): Patented Linear Rocket Motors (LRM) that counteract mine blast lifting forces to prevent vehicle being blown into the air
• VAFS™ (Vehicle Active Floor System)
• CRBP (Composite Reinforced Belly Plate)
• TriShield/QuadShield
• MERLIN-1
• THORN Munition

Products and services

• VGAM™ – Vehicle Global Acceleration Mitigation

Quantifiable outcome

• Keeps vehicles grounded during mine blasts: Snatch Land Rover with VGAM showed <0.5 metre jump height over 6kg (TE) buried mine vs 4–20 metres without the system
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aviation Safety Resources, Inc. (ASR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2021Strategic alliance agreement signed 22 July 2021 for joint development of the next generation of Aircraft Emergency Parachute Recovery Systems (AEPRS) for eVTOL aircraft. ABBS provides rocket motors, sensors, control units, and initiation systems from its Linear Rocket Motor expertise. ASR contributes aircraft emergency parachute recovery systems. Both parties remain independently owned and operated. ASR is based in Nicholasville, Kentucky, USA.
• Cavonix / AIM TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationABBS has exclusive rights to market and sell Cavonix 4D Radar and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology to the defence market. Cavonix is part of the AIM Technologies operation and has developed UGV autonomy technology for civilian applications in airports, docks, manufacturing, and agriculture. The partnership gives ABBS access to advanced radar systems that work in conditions where LiDAR fails.
• Active Safety System Technologies Inc (ASST)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based distributor (registered in Delaware) responsible for marketing both armoured vehicle protection and eVTOL technologies to the US and Canadian markets. ASST is 45.07% owned by ABBS, 18.03% by ARMS, and 9.01% by AVCP. A team member at ASST works at the US Army GVSC as Systems Engineer overseeing all US participants in the US Army UGV development programme.
• Aviation Safety Resources, Inc. (ASR) — eVTOL Retrorocket ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABBS providing rocket motors, sensors, control units, and initiation systems to ASR for a feasibility project on retrorocket and parachute systems for CASEVAC drones with a major UK defence company.
• Israeli Supplier (Armoured Vehicle Blast Seats)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsraeli supplier of armoured vehicle blast seats developing crashworthy stroking seats specifically for the eVTOL aircraft market. Appointed dedicated oversight for eVTOL seat design and development at their own cost.
• Advanced Reaction Motor Systems Limited (ARMS)coreOthersARMS is a subsidiary (40.74% owned by ABBS) developing rocket motor solutions. ARMS is a key technology provider within the ABBS group, contributing rocket motor and initiation system expertise to both vehicle protection and eVTOL safety applications. ARMS also holds 29.70% of AVCP.
• Active VTOL Crash Prevention Limited (AVCP)coreOthersAVCP is a subsidiary (29.70% owned by ABBS, 29.70% by ARMS) developing the Zero-Zero Safety System for eVTOL aircraft and drones. AVCP leads the EUROCAE/EASA working group for emergency descent arrest systems and stroking crashworthy seats for eVTOL aircraft.
• HALO TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect contact established with the HALO Trust, a major international de-mining charity, for potential use of ABBS autonomous mine clearance technology in post-conflict humanitarian demining operations in war-affected regions.
• Brigadier (Ret'd) Ian Cameron-MowatminorOthersAppointed as Chairman of both ABBS and ASST Boards. Has vast experience introducing new technology to the UK Army, including active protection systems, and has many contacts in UK, USA, and European defence markets.
• KBS CorporateminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAppointed to prepare professional approaches to identified major aerospace and defence industry players for potential JV, partial buyout, or buy-in deals. Focus initially on the AVCP eVTOL Zero-Zero Safety System, then on armoured vehicle technologies.
• Global Commercial AgentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of commercial agents across multiple regions: Steve O'Connor (Singapore) covering Asia-Pacific; agents in India and Turkey with active prospective sales; partners covering Japan, South Korea, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, ex-French Colonial countries in Africa, and other territories.
• Local UK Vehicle Builder/FabricatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcellent local vehicle builder/fabricator/technical systems developer identified for potential partnership on production version of UGV for DASA project and twin V-hull spaceframe UGV design for CASEVAC applications.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blastprotected

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems