The Ministry of Defence has signed a £279 million contract to build new accommodation and specialist facilities for the Army’s cyber regiment at Duke of Gloucester Barracks in Gloucestershire.
The investment will support 13 Signal Regiment, which carries out defensive cyber operations for the Army, and will include new technical and training buildings alongside upgraded living and family accommodation.
New facilities for cyber operations
The redeveloped site will become home to the Army’s Cyber, Information and Security Operations Centre, which is intended to help protect Defence networks during exercises and operations in the UK and overseas. The move aligns with priorities set out in the Strategic Defence Review, which described cyber and electromagnetic threats as central to modern warfare.
The MOD said UK military networks have faced more than 90,000 attacks from hostile actors over the past two years, and plans are also in place to establish a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command.
Accommodation and family housing included
The contract, awarded to UK construction firm Bovis by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, will deliver:
- new specialist technical and training facilities
- 248 single living accommodation bedspaces
- 30 new service family accommodation homes, alongside refurbishment of existing housing at the site
Construction is due to begin in summer 2027, with completion expected in spring 2030 to support the regiment’s move.
Jobs and local supply chain commitments
The MOD said the project will create 92 jobs, including roles for former service personnel, and 32 apprenticeship opportunities. It also set out commitments aimed at supporting local businesses, including spending targets for suppliers within 50 miles and a requirement for a proportion of local employment and offsite manufacturing.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said the project would strengthen cyber capability while improving the lived experience for personnel and providing new family accommodation.
Major General AJ Smith CBE, director of basing and infrastructure, said the investment would enable growth in Army cyber capability and help modernise the Defence estate.
