Astute Group at IDEX 2025: Enhancing Defence Supply Chains with Innovation and Strategic Partnerships

In today’s rapidly evolving defence landscape, electronic component supply chains are facing unprecedented challenges—from obsolescence risks to counterfeit threats and supply chain disruptions. At the forefront of tackling these issues is Astute Group, a global leader in electronic component procurement and lifecycle management.

As the Director of Sales & Marketing, Mark Shanley has witnessed Astute’s transformation from a niche supplier into a trusted mission partner for some of the world’s largest defence primes, including BAE Systems, Leonardo, Raytheon, L3Harris, and Thales. With an expanding global footprint and cutting-edge AI-driven solutions like Astute Intelligent Marketplace (AIM), the company is redefining how defence organisations manage supply chain risks, obsolescence, and technological innovation.

Ahead of IDEX 2025, we sat down with Mark Shanley to discuss Astute’s strategic priorities, its role in supporting multilateral defence programs like GCAP, Type 26, and Eurofighter Typhoon, and how the company is leveraging R&D to drive next-generation solutions in counter-drone technology, semiconductors, and predictive analytics.

1. Astute is known for its deep expertise in international electronic component procurement and supply chain management. Can you tell us what sets Astute apart from other companies in this highly competitive industry?

It’s remarkable how we’ve evolved from simply sourcing obsolete parts to delivering complex, project-based solutions. When I joined in the 90’s, we were a small reactive supplier. Today, we’re a global solutions partner across every continent. A key differentiator is our adaptability: we thrive in tough markets. It’s said that rough seas make for great sailors! When lead times balloon or conflicts disrupt supply chains, we shine by anticipating risks and offering tailored supply chain solutions. Our long-tenured team (20-plus years for many of us) has lived through numerous market cycles, building deep expertise that helps us navigate fresh challenges. Defence isn’t just about components; it’s about solving problems others can’t, whether obsolescence or finding the latest and greatest technology.

2. What are your priorities for IDEX 2025?

I’m here to show that Astute is not just a supplier—we’re mission partners. Our solutions have developed to meet the ever-growing complexity in defence, and the ever-broadening horizons of defence cooperation. We’re keen to build relationships with key decision-makers in the Middle Eastern defence sector and explore opportunities to partner on upcoming projects.

This event is the perfect platform to emphasise how we support both legacy equipment—like long-serving aircraft or naval vessels—and cutting-edge technology simultaneously. Our priority is making sure our partners know we’re always ready to adapt, evolve, and tackle whatever logistical or technological hurdles their programmes encounter now and in the future.

We’ll show our expertise in defence electronics supply chain management, particularly our AS6171 testing capabilities and counterfeit mitigation strategies. We’ll highlight how our AIS services, obsolescence management, and predictive supply chain analytics keep long-term defence programmes running smoothly. We’ll also demonstrate our ongoing commitment to bridging skills gaps, acting as an extension of our customers’ teams to retain critical engineering knowledge.

We hope that sharing our techniques on counterfeit mitigation, showcasing the wide breadth of commodity handling, and demonstrating our dedicated project management and supply chain expertise will open their eyes to our capabilities.

3. Could you talk about your collaboration with the world’s most prestigious defence companies such as BAE Systems, Leonardo, Raytheon, L3Harris, Thales, and so on?

Many of those ‘Who’s who’ defence primes have been with us since the early days. We’ve grown shoulder to shoulder with them, transforming from a small, reactive business into a global supply chain partner.

Astute now supports many globalised supply chains and technology innovation within some of the largest multilateral programmes – GCAP, Boxer, Type 26, and Type 31 – plus legacy support for Eurofighter Typhoon, MSSP, FLAADS, Morpheus, AJAX, and FCIC among many.

For example, we supply spares for every fixed-wing and rotary aircraft in the UK, from airfield barriers to wiper blades for Chinooks. And when legacy systems like the Typhoon need upgrades, we’re embedded in their teams, offering stability amid retiring engineers and shifting threats.

We’re not just providing parts; we’re providing solutions to complex challenges. It’s a genuine partnership built on trust and proven performance across countless defence programs. Our longevity with these primes testifies to how we consistently adapt, innovate, and deliver—ensuring their platforms remain operational, technologically current, and ready for future challenges.

4. How strong is Astute’s R&D capability, and how does it contribute to your ability to deliver innovative solutions in the market?

R&D isn’t a department—it’s in our DNA. We’ve made strategic acquisitions to strengthen our capabilities in early concept technology and design innovation. We co-design with customers. Take drones for instance – both offensive and defensive – we have a lot of technology providers in this area. There’s a lightweight drone jammer we co-developed with a UK prime, using GaN semiconductors for higher power efficiency. We’re also partnering on agile builds, ensuring components survive harsh desert environments.

Like most defence projects, it’s about marrying legacy support with innovation. We’re typically involved in the conceptual phase of design, helping customers manage obsolescence and integrate new technologies into existing platforms, such as upgrading technology in a 70-year-old aircraft without affecting the airframe.

Our R&D strength sits in a multifaceted approach: design, fulfilment, and support, all working together. Early in a project’s life, our engineering team collaborates with customers’ engineers to identify the latest and great tech —whether that’s in submarines, radar systems, or advanced drone technology. We also invest heavily in analytics, so we can predict supply chain hurdles before they happen. This kind of foresight proved invaluable when the semiconductor shortage hit—our proactive strategies helped customers navigate a global crisis.

We’ve evolved to manage lifecycles, including obsolescence risks and stringent testing through our labs in the UK and US. Essentially, Astute’s R&D is about preventing problems, seizing opportunities with new technology, and ensuring our customers always stay ahead in a rapidly evolving defence landscape.

5. Can you tell us more about Astute’s export operations and how you are expanding your global footprint?

We currently operate from more than 20 offices around the world, growing year on year, which include key locations like the UK, the US, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, Israel, Malaysia, and Australia. Recently, we’ve focused on strengthening coverage across EMEA by employing new teams in multiple European countries. We’re building more European distribution hubs on top of existing sites in the UK, Munich, Texas, Hong Kong, and Australia, with plans for MENA too.

This wider reach lets us offer positioned inventory and “placed stock” programmes so customers can hold minimal inventory themselves. This lets us offer positioned inventory—holding stock locally so customers avoid cash traps. In Asia, our Malaysia hub secures hard-to-find components for Australian defence primes. Post-COVID, we embedded teams across EMEA, ensuring face-to-face relationships despite remote trends. For a Thales Middle East project, we leveraged Istanbul offices for agile logistics. It’s strategic: local presence with global sourcing muscle.

6. Could you elaborate on the features of Astute Intelligent Marketplace (AIM)?

We’ve developed predictive AI software that tracks lead times, pricing trends, and potential supply chain pinch points worldwide. This capability allows us to act as a one-stop shop for customers needing real-time insights into component availability and market shifts so they can make pre-emptive buys. Our software flagged the 2023 FPGA shortage six months early!

We pair global sourcing AI technology with rigorous testing—backed by our Astute Counterfeit Avoidance Programme (ACAP)—to ensure genuine products. Then there’s our comprehensive AIS offering – Astute Intelligent Solutions – which includes kitting, stock positioning, and customised logistics. By combining data-driven forecasts, secure component sourcing, and flexible delivery models, we essentially give our customers a marketplace that keeps them proactive and protected against ever-changing procurement challenges.

We also manage global vendor networks, ensuring compliance and quality. It’s a seamless ecosystem: from design-phase risk mitigation to EoL support, all underpinned by data-driven insights. Our customers like to say, “All Roads Lead to Astute.”

7. Astute has a dedicated maritime division supporting naval and civil marine applications. What are the latest updates from this division?

Our ability to keep vital platforms active (much like we do for aircraft) extends naturally to maritime fleets. That means fewer disruptions, more dependable operations, and a comprehensive approach that covers everything from global sourcing to advanced analytics and testing.

For the GCS – Global Combat Ship – Astute directly supports BAE Systems Maritime for Type 26 as well as Babcock, Thales, and L3 on a variety of platforms. For a UK submarine programme, we kit 5,000+ components per vessel, including obsolescence-managed semiconductors.

We’re also supporting green energy transitions—like offshore windfarm comms systems—with ruggedised parts. A highlight? Partnering on a counter-drone system for naval vessels, ensuring EMI resilience in saltwater environments. It’s about blending legacy support with tomorrow’s tech.

The principle is the same as with our other defence projects: working from concept design right through to end-of-life support. Whether we’re dealing with submarines or radar systems, we customise our solutions services—like kitting or box-build—to reduce handling and streamline supply chains. Customers in naval and civil marine sectors have extremely long platform lifespans, so we focus on ensuring parts availability, mitigating obsolescence, and adapting new tech onto legacy frameworks.

Visit Astute Group at IDEX 2025