A key focus for organisations adopting solutions like AI is ensuring customer assets such as warships, armoured vehicles and combat aircraft, remain mission ready. With 80% of respondents stating that available, reliable assets are crucial as customers respond to mounting geopolitical tensions, around two-thirds said they are investing more in digital solutions for asset management this year compared to 2024.
Gathering insight from 540 senior IT, business decision makers and engineers from across the globe, the report – Emerging technology behind the scenes of defence – examines the state of asset readiness in defence and the technology challenges decision-makers face.
Defence under pressure amid a new era of threat
These findings come against a backdrop of complexity. Nearly all (97%) of decision makers in defence & aerospace said there is pressure to keep assets mission ready and eight in ten (81%) state that transforming their organisation’s approach is a key priority for 2025, citing challenges such as a lack of interoperability between systems and a deluge of data.
Andrea Thompson, Group Managing Director at BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business, said:
“The rapidly evolving nature of warfare is placing heightened pressure on many of our customers to meet the demands of a constantly shifting threat landscape. That pressure includes ensuring critical assets operate at peak performance, for as long and as often as possible.
To help, we’ve developed our data integration solution, PropheSEA®, which harnesses emerging innovation to ease the burden on forces and support the fast, informed decision-making today’s battlespace demands. Next generation, AI-powered solutions can help to overcome key data challenges – ultimately ensuring that assets remain warfighting ready amid a new era of threat.”Andrea Thompson, Group Managing Director at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
The research demonstrates a clear need for complex asset management solutions, such as BAE Systems’ PropheSEA® – a systems and data integration software that uses AI to deliver integrated product support across an asset’s entire lifecycle. Already in use with the UK Royal Navy and NATO allies, PropheSEA® enables users to securely connect data related to their assets. By bringing together information around the asset’s condition, preparedness and performance into one place, the solution cuts through the complexity so that leaders can make accurate and quick decisions.
Digital strategies prioritise data management, AI and analytics
Moving forward, introducing more advanced digital solutions will elevate asset management and levels of readiness. Only 12% of respondents, however, can say they’re at an advanced or optimised stage with this currently, highlighting the potential still to be realised.
Despite this, there are signs of strong momentum. Alongside putting AI at the heart of their strategies, some of the ways organisations are evolving their complex asset management approach include: standards-based technologies; big data and advanced analytics; condition-based monitoring systems; advanced simulation and modelling tools; and product life cycle management / enterprise resource planning.
To learn more about the emerging technologies behind the scenes of defence, download the report today:
For supporting materials, visit: https://baesys.resourcespace.com/?c=47849&k=2c942040ef
Notes to the editors
BAE Systems recently made a strategic investment in Oxford Dynamics, a deep-tech start-up specialising in AI and robotics. The collaboration will see BAE Systems combine its defence and security knowledge with Oxford Dynamics’ AI driven data expertise to explore ways to deliver next generation advantages to the UK and its allies across all domains of the modern battlespace; air, land, sea, space and cyber. The first stage of this work will embed the Oxfordshire based company’s AI technology into BAE Systems’ PropheSEA® platform.
Methodology
We surveyed 540 senior IT decision makers, business decision makers and engineers in defence and aerospace from the UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Japan, France and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Each respondent was asked to reveal their perceived levels of mission-readiness when it comes to complex asset management, and their plans for further digital adoption in the future.
The data was collected by Censuswide between 24.04.2025 - 14.05.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
About BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business
Digital Intelligence is home to over 4,500 digital, cyber and intelligence experts across 13 countries. We operate at the cutting edge of digital innovation and at the heart of organisations that keep vital infrastructure running, national security protected and armed forces prepared. Digital Intelligence is part of BAE Systems, which has a rich heritage in delivering technology today to protect our tomorrow. BAE Systems partners with governments, communities and companies large and small to design, build and maintain advanced defence and security solutions.
For more information, visit: https://www.baesystems.com/digital
Emerging technology behind the scenes of defence