DE&S’ mission is to equip the UK’s Armed Forces with the edge by delivering and supporting the platforms, systems and services they need. And, with its guiding principle of ‘operational excellence’, the new operating model has been designed to ensure they continue to achieve that.

The aim of DE&S’ transformation is to keep the best of what the organisation does now, while leveraging greater automation, integration and simplified ways of working that focus on outcomes over process. A more agile approach to managing and supporting its people will ensure they are allocated to where their skills can be deployed to meet defence priorities.

The Gateway, Corporate and Core Delivery areas are all now stood up, with the System Integration area due to reach that target in October. All four are due to complete the transition to full operating capability by early 2025. Combined, they form an operating model that provides the UK’s Armed Forces, industry partners and allies with a service grounded in greater consistency, reliability, standardisation and repeatability, that drives improved pace, efficiency and equipment availability.

Core Delivery, the new engine at the heart of the organisation, will now gradually take over the work currently carried out by DE&S’ Ships, Strategic Enablers, Land and Air domains. Personnel transferring into the new structure will continue to ensure that equipment and services are safely delivered and sustained.

The move saw people from the Ships domain become the first Core Delivery group. With this, 100 of around 700 total order book items held in DE&S now sit in Core Delivery, and that number will grow in the weeks and months to come. This includes the in-service maintenance of the UK’s flagship aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

Alongside this, while the Gateway, Core Delivery and System Integration areas focus on delivering the MOD Equipment Plan, Corporate will support the whole of DE&S. Corporate people will provide guidance and support across every part of the organisation, from communications to infrastructure, and maintaining a culture of continuous improvement. The Business Services team, the first to move into the Corporate area, will quickly and efficiently support needs across DE&S, freeing up their colleagues to focus on delivery.

Core Delivery will be led by Dr Simon Dakin, previously the Director of the DE&S Integrated Battlespace Operating Centre.

Simon said:

“Our new model gives us the tools to deliver at pace by deploying the right people with the right skills and experience to the right place at the right time.”

“It builds in clear and consistent processes, and provides an operating environment where every person can develop, flourish and contribute their best. It builds in quality and safety as golden threads that run through every project, while driving us forward at speed.”

DE&S people will now work with partners from across the defence enterprise, whether in the Armed Forces or industry, in the UK or around the world, to test and refine the Core Delivery and Corporate areas.

Commenting on Core Delivery standing-up, MOD Chief Operating Officer Dr Nina Cope said:

“At the heart of our work in Defence Design are the same principles that drive the DE&S Operating Model – particularly Core Delivery – a more efficient Defence with a clear and simplified approach to how our system works together to deliver common goals. Change for the better of our people, customers and armed forces will never be easy, but is always worth it; and together we can certainly achieve our vision of ‘One Defence’ reform.”