Defence: ICT

Since publication of the Strategic Defence Review, Defence has made progress in embedding open architecture and shared technical standards as core principles for future digital capability. This work is being taken forward through the Digital Targeting Web, the Digital Backbone, and the pan-Defence Digital and Data Function.

Key progress includes:

• Open architecture is being built into future capability design. The Digital Targeting Web is being developed as an adaptive, supplier-agnostic ecosystem rather than a single end-to-end system, enabling different platforms, sensors, effectors and services to integrate over time.
• Shared technical standards are being defined and owned by Defence. Defence is establishing common technical, data and software standards, including common interfaces, reusable integration patterns and data schemas, to improve interoperability and reduce duplication.
• Governance and assurance arrangements are being strengthened. The Digital and Data Function is developing pan-Defence controls, architecture governance, standards and interoperability requirements to ensure new digital capabilities are designed and delivered coherently.
• Priority operational use cases are being used to drive delivery. Work on the Digital Targeting Web is using mission threads and service maps to identify integration gaps, accelerate delivery and support faster data flow between sensors, decision-makers and effectors.
• Skills and adoption are being addressed alongside technology. The Digital Skills for Defence programme is supporting the workforce capability needed to adopt common standards, exploit digital systems and operate effectively in a data-enabled environment.