Pearson Engineering has provided more than 3,000 mine ploughs, as well as other equipment to defeat explosive obstacles and other battlefield hazards to the British Army and its allies from Newcastle for almost 40 years.
Founded in 1985 by Dr Alan Reece, a Senior Lecturer and Reader of Agricultural Engineering at Newcastle University, Pearson Engineering now employs more than 300 professionals, graduates and apprentices across two global brands.
Building on a heritage founded in academic study and a deep understanding of ground engaging mechanics, a pro-active and self-funded Research & Development initiative has been part of the company’s DNA since it was founded. This led to the development of several lifesaving counter-improvised explosive device roller systems which proved to be a critical asset to the British Army, U.S. Army and other NATO forces during campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pearson Engineering was awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category in 2012 for developments in this area.
In recent years, Pearson Engineering has turned its attention to robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, applying expertise developed over the last four decades to a new era of products that will take humans away from the most dangerous minefield breaching tasks, leaving them to critically assess and command machines to clear safe routes.
The move to Armstrong Works on Scotswood Road from a previous base in Walker enabled Pearson Engineering to grow links with co-located contract manufacturer Responsive Engineering which is now its subsidiary. Together, Pearson Engineering and Responsive Engineering are using the strength of Armstrong Works to provide expert manufacturing services to the global defence market, manufacturing armour, bridge structures and turret structures for UK Ministry of Defence programmes.
“Armstrong Works has become a critical national and international asset, increasing the proportion and value of UK content in UK land programmes and providing extensive life-preserving equipment to conflict and contested environments around the world. We are incredibly proud of the work that we produce from Armstrong Works, and its important role in defending our UK armed forces and its allies.” – Ian Bell, Group Chief Executive Officer at Pearson Engineering.
Investment at Armstrong Works continues with £5m of capital investment announced in 2023 to support the next stages of the site’s development. Early milestones have already been met with the installation and commissioning of an 800-tonne press brake that will allow both Pearson Engineering and Responsive Engineering to bend armour, preserving its ballistic and blast integrity to further enhance the protection of soldiers.
Our battle proven minefield breaching products provide armoured vehicles with the capability to defeat anti-tank mines. Whether intended for deliberate breaching or to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for fighting vehicles, our blast-resistant ploughs give Commanders the option to move unimpeded and in doing so, maintain a battlefield advantage.
Our earth loading capability delivers a powerful digging and carrying ability, enabling armoured vehicles to transport materials, clear obstacles, dig and fill trenches and to assist in construction tasks. Our loaders can be provided with varying degrees of function and therefore complexity to support different mission sets.
Our interrogation capability is rooted in providing additional capability for Counter-IED and Route Proving operations. To supplement physical detection from ground engaging roller systems, our interrogation arm can be used to further understand the nature of threats and to identify where risks may be present outside of the path of the roller.
Our obstacle and earth moving products include general purpose and multi-purpose dozer blades, designed specifically to meet the needs of different mission sets. Our blades are designed to be tough, robust and lightweight, enabling a wide range of obstacle and earth moving activities whilst minimising the impact on the vehicle’s mobility.
Typically used alongside Pearson Engineering’s Route Opening Mine Plough, Surface Clearance Device or Route Proving rollers, our highly configurable obstacle marking systems support battlefield mobility by quickly and reliably marking safe lanes and the edge of hazardous areas.
Our excavation capability is designed to support combat engineer operations such as digging, demolishing, removing obstacles and filling trenches to support Area Access and Area Denial.
Our approach is often described as a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in that host vehicles can be adapted to take on various combat engineering roles, or to overcome challenges to mobility. Integration of our products with the vehicle is made via a Pearson Engineering Direct Fit Interface or Pearson Engineering Quick Connect. The most suitable integration method depends on the mission requirements and vehicle capabilities. Our engineers will work closely with end-users and vehicle manufacturers to define the most appropriate route to minimise the impact on the vehicle and to maximise operational capability. Decisions are often based on hydraulic and electrical availability as well as the required role of the vehicle. Our integration kits are used to fit products that are designed to enhance armoured vehicle agility, tactical flexibility and adaptability. They are designed to be configurable and to deliver ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ to operations.
Our recovery capability includes a range of dedicated and multi-purpose blades which are primarily designed to support the recovery of other vehicles and for moving of heavy obstacles. A powerful ground-engaging blade sinks into the earth to hold a vehicle static, acting as the force against which the obstacle can be pulled. The same blade can be articulated to provide some obstacle and earth moving capability.
Surface laid mines represent a rising threat as Armed Forces turn their attention to near peer conflict. Our solutions, each designed to support the missions of dedicated combat engineer vehicles or fighting vehicles, provide a comprehensive detect and displace capability to support deliberate clearance or self-extraction in the face of air delivered scatterable mines.
Our highly configurable rollers have saved countless lives, limbs and assets on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and have succeeded in ensuring ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for soldiers around the world. Provided as either a full-width ‘route proving’ variant to actively check routes for the presence of Improvised Explosive Devices, or as a track-width ‘self-protection’ variant, our rollers are designed specifically to meet the needs of wide-ranging operational requirements. Our continued Research & Development and our approach to customisation provides confidence to those who use them.
Like all of Pearson Engineering’s products, our assault gap crossing solutions are designed to be modular, to be interchangeable with other mobility and counter-mobility equipment and to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ on the battlefield. In a time when units are tasked to ‘march divided and fight united’, independent manoeuvre support is key.
Our range of Mine Clearance platforms and tools provide Armed Forces and other organisations with scalable solutions for mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and the defeat of improvised explosive devices. Our platforms and their tools can also be used to create mobility challenges for adversaries. Proven around the world, these mine clearance platforms and their tools are designed specifically to meet the needs of different operational contexts from large area clearance to support logistics and peace keeping operations through to clearance in complex terrain.