Defence Holdings (ALRT) Shares Open Higher: Announces New National Security Pillar and Strategic Collaboration

Defence Holdings (LON: ALRT) shares traded 3.7 percent higher at 2.2 pence on Tuesday morning after the company launched a new national security execution pillar and announced its first project under the initiative.

The UK-listed defence software group said the new pillar, housed within its Defence Technologies division, will focus on applying sovereign artificial intelligence to domestic security and resilience. The move aligns with priorities set out in the UK Strategic Defence Review.

As part of the launch, Defence Technologies unveiled a strategic collaboration with Gloucestershire Police to deliver a Proof-of-Value program for automating ROVI and ROTI reporting.

The project will apply sovereign AI to convert unstructured interview recordings governed by PACE into structured summaries and reports.

The company said the aim is to demonstrate improvements in “speed, consistency and workflow efficiency” versus current manual processes.

A second phase is planned for spring 2026 to assess evidential-grade accuracy and requirements for broader rollout.

Defence Holdings explained that automated production of interview documentation remains one of policing’s most resource-intensive administrative tasks, with rising demand creating slower case progression and inconsistent evidential quality.

The firm believes that even modest efficiency gains could deliver material productivity benefits across the UK.

Gloucestershire Police Chief Constable Maggie Blyth stated that if reliable automation can maintain PACE standards, “it has the potential to unlock operational value for policing and the wider justice system.”

CTO Andy McCartney believes the initiative could form “a foundation for scalable deployment across policing, defence and national security operations,” while Chief Partnerships Officer Andrew Webber highlighted the co-design approach enabled through the collaboration.