Why is ‘software-defined’ warfare vital for maintaining our military advantage?

Being anchored to a defence acquisition system ill-suited to the rapid tempo of modern technological innovation is undermining the nation’s ability to effectively deter near-peer adversaries in the short term and jeopardises its capacity to prevail in a major conflict.

This report places increased urgency on the rapid adoption of a software-centric, hardware-enabled approach to warfighting. An approach that centres around the effective integration and delivery of cutting-edge technology, and leading interoperable software into legacy and future defence systems.

The recommendations outlined within propose actionable steps to shape software investments, build a cohesive digital ecosystem, modernise software development practices, and cultivate a skilled and sustainable workforce.

Its contents are by no means only applicable to the US. The UK’s ability to innovate faster and more effectively than its rivals is now the defining foundation on which contemporary military power rests. Establishing a truly software-defined UK Ministry of Defence in today's global security environment needs to be the utmost priority for UK defence.

Rachel Reeve's recent pledge to turn Britain into a defence industrial superpower and significantly increase spend on tech innovation was a welcome one. But we need to put sustained effort into addressing the systemic challenges holding the UK back from deploying this technology at pace, implementing bolder plans to ensure the nation can maintain its leading position on the global stage. We urge UK defence to take stock of the actionable steps provided in this report and move with urgency to truly modernise its defence capability.

Read the full report here.