Prestigious Armed Forces Churchill Medal shortlist announced

On behalf of the joint Professional Engineering Institutions, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is proud to announce the shortlist for this year’s esteemed Churchill Medal, a mark of excellence in engineering and technical advancement in the Armed Forces.

The award is presented annually by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) partner Professional Engineering Institutions* to recognise outstanding contributions from members of the Armed Forces and Civil Service. This year, a high number of nominations were received and carefully shortlisted to six exceptional finalists whose work has helped advance capability in support of UK military operations and readiness.

The finalists are:

• The Trials and Modifications Team of 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron delivered the development, test and evaluation, integration and engineering assurance that enabled the rapid integration of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System onto Typhoon aircraft. Working at unprecedented pace, the team designed and executed a compressed programme of trials, analysis and evidence generation to prove the capability’s safety, effectiveness and operational suitability.
• Wing Commander Mike Tysome displayed exceptional engineering leadership in delivering Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System integration onto Typhoon in response to an urgent operational requirement. His leadership transformed a novel concept into a credible, affordable and operationally effective capability, establishing a new benchmark for rapid capability delivery. His vision and personal commitment directly enhanced the protection of UK and allied forces.
• The RUAS APKWS Weapon Preparation Team enabled the safe introduction of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System into frontline service by creating the procedures, equipment and training required to support operational deployment. Working from limited guidance and within demanding timescales, they adapted US processes to meet UK explosive regulations, developed bespoke tooling, designed transport solutions and established training packages for personnel.
• Flt Lt Di drew on her extensive front-line weapons experience to solve a critical weapons loading challenge, that had previously cost Defence several millions in damaged munitions. She designed and delivered a pioneering Meteor missile loading adaptor that now enables Typhoon rearming using existing portable equipment, reducing logistical footprint by over 90%, improving loading efficiency and safety, and enhancing operational agility. Her innovation and determination transformed capability, resilience and sustainability across the Typhoon force.
• High Risk Operations Cell (HROC) within the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) exemplifies innovation and technical excellence. Faced with compressed timelines and immature prototype hardware, the team safely integrated and released a prototype Paveway IV Glide weapon from a civilian-operated MiG-29, demonstrating a novel and agile approach to capability development. By using a commercially owned aircraft rather than scarce frontline RAF assets, the project delivered significant cost and time savings, preserved operational capacity and accelerated trial activity.
• Project OGHMA team typifies exceptional engineering initiative and grassroots innovation, delivering a novel monitoring capability that is transforming assurance of Defence’s global communications and information systems. Recognising that existing solutions were ill-suited to the modern operational requirement, this small team conceived and developed an Elastic-based architecture from the ground up, creating a scalable, secure-by-design capability spanning hundreds of points of presence across multiple security domains.

Commenting on the shortlist, Captain Pauline Aird MSc CEng FIMarEST RN, Head of Profession Engineering Team Leader, MoD, said: "Collectively, these nominations reflect the breadth and depth of expertise required to deliver this capability safely and effectively. From assurance and integration to enabling its successful entry into service, each nominee has made a standout contribution in their respective field."

This year’s awards will take place on Friday, 20 November 2026 at IET London: Savoy Place. The awards are sponsored by L3Harris.

Read more about the Churchill Medal. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

*

• Institution of Engineering and Technology
• Institution of Civil Engineers
• Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• Royal Institution of Naval Architects
• Royal Aeronautical Society
• Institution of Royal Engineers
• BCS
• Society of Operations Engineers

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Sarah Jenkins 
External Communications & PR Lead  
SarahJenkins@theiet.org