Published 17 Sept 2021

This is the second Centre of Expertise the business has set up in 2021.

A Digital Battlespace Centre of Expertise (CoE) has been set up by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) in collaboration with its defence customers across all Front-Line Commands.

The CoE will accelerate Digital Battlespace capability to deliver operational advantage at pace and will act as the focal point for Defence.

Led by the Future Capability Group (FCG) based in DE&S, it brings together separate capability projects into single groupings, directed by long-term goals to exploit the benefits of key and emerging technologies.

The CoE will act as a pool of knowledge, drawing on the experience and skills of industry, academia, Front Line Commands, Defence Digital and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

FCG Head James Gavin revealed the new initiative to UK suppliers at DSEI, while DE&S CEO Sir Simon Bollom mentioned it in his keynote speech.

James said: “While we have always been working in this capability area, this new Centre of Expertise will help accelerate our capabilities into the hands of the users. By working in an ‘agile by default’ way, we can be more innovative and faster in creating solutions that will mean a more effective capability overall.”

The FCG team has a direct line to market so can bring solutions to the digital battlespace with the pace and agility required.

The new initiative follows another FCG-led CoE, for Expeditionary Robotics, that was announced earlier this year at a joint event with the British Army. It supports the delivery of the Army Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Strategy (announced this week at DSEI), collaboratively with industry.

Also announced during DSEI this week have been laser and radiofrequency weapons demonstrator contracts, which DE&S is delivering for the British Army and Royal Navy as part of Team Hersa.