In an environment where Defence is creating new ways to generate speed, resilience and choice, Mark Todd, Innovation and Technology Director, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, looks at what it takes to deliver integrated force advantage and why innovation is a team sport.
Three key ingredients to digital defence:
1. A resilient digital backbone. Data, decisions and effects can only move at speed if the underlying network can survive disruption and continue operating in contested environments.
2. Command and control that reduces friction. Effective C2 turns data into understanding, supports human judgement and helps commanders operate inside an adversary's decision cycle.
3. Cyber and electromagnetic integration. Embedding cyber and electromagnetic activities within the wider mission system will allow every platform to contribute to a richer operational picture.
The innovation story in digital defence
Defence doesn't lack innovation. Across the sector, SMEs, technology specialists, academia, government organisations and primes are developing outstanding ideas and capabilities. The challenge is that too many innovations struggle to make the journey into operational use.
How to play:
In modern defence, the side that integrates, decides and acts fastest creates the advantage that matters most.
Digital defence innovation is a team sport. That means combining the strengths of customers, SMEs, government organisations, academia and industry partners. It means creating architectures that allow innovation to plug in. And it means helping customers benefit from new technology without compromising assurance, resilience, security or long-term support.
How do we play?
- Start with the customer's mission
- Design for integration from day one
- Use open architectures wherever possible
- Bring SMEs into the conversation early
- Create practical routes to adoption
- Test in realistic environments
- Generate evidence customers can trust
- And focus relentlessly on transitioning innovation into operational capability