The Ministry of Defence’s Digital and Technology Solutions (DaTS) apprentices studying at University Centre Weston (UCW) have achieved a remarkable milestone by emerging as part of the winning team at the prestigious Defence Cyber Marvel 2026 cyber defence exercise, held in Singapore.
The week-long event, which took place from 9 – 13 February 2026, brought together more than 2,500 participants from 70 organisations across 29 countries, forming 36 highly competitive teams. Participants included representatives from across UK Defence and wider UK Government, including the National Crime Agency, Department for Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office and Department for Business and Trade. Teams worked under intense pressure to respond to complex, simulated real-world cyber threats in a highly collaborative and fast-moving environment.
The Defence Cyber Marvel exercise, delivered by the British Army Cyber Association, is designed to test and strengthen cyber defence capabilities across military, government and industry. Scenarios challenged teams to understand the operational impact of cyber threats and make critical decisions as pressures escalated in real time, reflecting the realities of today’s digital threat landscape.
UCW is proud to celebrate the outstanding contribution of its MoD apprentices. Fourteen digital engineering apprentices represented the MoD as the ‘Blue Team’, demonstrating exceptional technical capability, teamwork and resilience to secure overall victory in the competition. In addition, six further digital engineering apprentices supported other contributing teams during the exercise, highlighting the depth of talent and impact of the DaTS apprenticeship programme.
Emily Aindow, Digital Engineering Apprentice Manager at the Ministry of Defence, commented:
“This achievement is truly extraordinary and deserves significant recognition. Our apprentices demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork and resilience throughout the competition. Their professionalism, initiative and commitment exemplify the very best of our digital engineering community and underline the immense value our apprentices bring to our business.”
The Defence Cyber Marvel exercise forms part of the UK’s wider commitment to building interoperable and resilient cyber capabilities with international partners, supporting the Ministry of Defence’s strategic objectives and preparing the next generation of cyber professionals to operate confidently in complex, high-pressure environments.
This achievement highlights the strength of collaboration between higher education and Defence, and the vital role University Centre Weston plays in developing world-class digital talent ready to meet the evolving challenges of cyber security.
For more information about studying on a Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship at University Centre Weston, please visit: Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship, BSc (Hons) – University Centre Weston.
