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RAFCT Defence Engagement Programme 2026

Uniting global defence leaders to enhance dialogue and build alliances

Newton and RAFCT

Newton are the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT)’s long-standing strategic delivery partner. Through the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) – the world’s largest military airshow – RAFCT annually inspires over 500,000 young people with STEM education programs and experiences. This year, RIAT is taking a new shape: instead of the traditional public airshow, it’s being reconfigured into a focused global defence engagement programme. This revitalised format is designed to strengthen dialogue, deepen relationships and enable targeted collaboration across the global defence community, bringing together international delegations, senior military leaders and industry partners at a critical moment for collective security.

RIAT’s ambition has always been to grow its role as a central strategic platform showcasing UK Defence on the international stage, building credibility, influence and long-term impact with partners around the world. Achieving this vision requires close collaboration between RAFCT, government and industry – and it’s exactly where we contribute. As RAFCT’s strategic delivery partner, we work side-by-side with the charity to turn their ambitions into reality, ensuring this next chapter of RIAT’s evolution not only convenes the right people and ideas, but also translates strategic intent into lasting outcomes for UK and allied defence capability.

 

 

“This event is absolutely essential to maintaining strong international ties across the defence enterprise. It enables direct engagement between governments, Front Line Commands, and industry leaders in a high-trust environment. We’re very proud to support RAFCT in delivering such a critical convening platform.”

Camilla Wigmore, Partner & Aerospace Market Lead Newton

Newton and RAFCT

Supporting the delivery of RIAT for 5 years

Digital and operational foundation

2022-23

Building the backbone of delivery:

We delivered and stabilised a meeting management system for RIAT, freeing the RAFCT team capacity from manual coordination to focus on attendee experience.

Optimising and automating

2024-25

Transforming performance and experience:

  • We built an integrated digital ecosystem which delivered a real step-change in efficiency and reliability, reducing planning time from days to hours
  • We produced an Economic Impact Report to articulate RIAT’s national value

Strategic delivery partnership

2026-

Shaping RIAT’s future role in defence:

Supporting strategy, business planning and growth ambition, operating shoulder-to-shoulder with leadership to turn ambition into reality

Newton in aerospace and defence

Turning strategic intent into operational reality

The challenge of maintaining operational advantage amidst rising geopolitical tension and multiple threats, while navigating a time of accelerating technological change and increasing cost and resource pressures, is increasingly daunting.

As strategic delivery partners to the defence and aerospace sectors we tackle the most persistent, urgent and deep-rooted challenges, helping turn national and allied strategic intent into operational reality. Our combination of on-the-ground delivery, enterprise-level scale and focus, and commercial risk alignment is genuinely unique in the market. We are a proven partner, thriving in areas of deep complexity and fully invested in our clients’ success. From defence readiness and industrial resilience to multinational capability programmes, we help deliver measurable, mission‑critical impact.

We operate across the full defence enterprise, working with governments, front line commands, industrial partners, multi‑national programmes and critical supply chains. Together we strengthen security, resilience and operational output across entire industrial bases and allied networks. The result is a more capable, integrated and resilient allied international defence ecosystem, prepared for the threats of today and ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

Meet our Defence and Aerospace team

Phil Sunley

Global Head of Defence & Aerospace

Phil Sunley

Global Head of Defence & Aerospace

Camilla Wigmore

Partner & Aerospace Market Lead

Camilla Wigmore

Partner & Aerospace Market Lead

John Strijdom

Director

Robert Lewis

Director

Philip Weller

Director

Find out more

Newton in defence & aerospace

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