For years, UK defence has been trying to solve the challenge of accessing information from lots of different systems and sources. The goal is to make sure all this information can be shared quickly, so military decision makers at every level have the full picture and can make smart decisions for successful military operations.
Information integration is the foundation of interoperability.
Information needs to be shared quickly from:
- radar
- satellites
- aircraft
- warships
- drones
- air defence systems
- soldiers on the ground
In the future, the military will use a mix of old and new systems, including autonomous platforms and fully digital tools like AI decision support. This will make managing and connecting all the information even more challenging.
How Single Information Environment architecture can help
Dstl’s Cyber and Information Systems (CIS) began tackling this problem in 2018 to explore the scope of the challenge, build consensus and develop possible solutions.
By 2021 the team, along with industry partners, had built the foundation of what is now known as the Single Information Environment (SInfoE) architecture. This is a set of MOD-owned software components that enable rapid search, discovery and access to data.
They ensure information can move smoothly from its point of origin to its point of need.
Involvement of MDIS
In 2021, Dstl’s work caught the attention of the Defence Equipment and Support led Game Changer programme called Multi-Domain Integrated Systems (MDIS).
What is Multi-Domain Integration?
The aim was to unlock the potential of drones working collaboratively to provide the UK Armed Forces with freedom of access and manoeuvre on the battlefield.
ARCHERON: the trial
In July 2024, MDIS conducted a month-long trial, ARCHERON, in which Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force systems were integrated with drones from industry partners.
The trial successfully showed how the Single Information Environment can help different military systems from different suppliers quickly share critical operational data.
Amanda, Dstl Senior Principal Consultant and originator and coordinator of SInfoE architecture says:
The Single Information Environment facilitates fast discovery of, and access to, information from a range of military systems, allowing any system to be connected. It means defence can quickly get all the information it needs to carry out successful operations.
NATO interoperability is a priority for UK MOD. NATO standards at the heart of the Single Information Environment make it easier to interoperate with NATO partners.
Richard, Dstl Communications and Networks Programme Manager says:
Having just one Single Information Environment interface per system has the potential to significantly reduce integration time, to hours and days, while saving many millions of pounds.
Find out what Dstl does and how to work with us.
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The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group Australia have announced a ground-breaking partnership.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group Australia have announced a ground-breaking partnership to develop next-generation sub-systems for low-cost weapons systems, bringing together cutting-edge technologies from both nations.
The partnership will combine the UK’s Modular Weapons Testbed and Australia’s SHARKTOOTH programme, which features innovative ‘plug-and-launch’ modular technology, aimed at accelerating the employment of advanced, yet affordable weapons technologies. This integration represents a significant advancement in complex weapons development and will help accelerate and de-risk industry’s development of guided weapon sub-systems.
Under this collaboration both nations will develop new approaches and new technologies enhancing future weapon systems capability, including low-cost seekers (sensors which are responsible for detecting and tracking targets), additively manufactured engines (created by 3D printing or similar), modular warheads and fuses, algorithms to improve guidance, navigation and control and other novel weapons technologies.
The partnership will deliver several key advantages:
- reduced development costs and risks through shared expertise
- accelerated deployment of new capabilities
- enhanced interoperability between UK and Australian forces
- develop and demonstrate innovation ideas from both nations, helping to invest in sovereign defence ecosystems
- flexible, modular design allowing rapid adaptation to emerging threats.
The collaboration enables both nations to access a wider pool of innovative ideas, co-operate on technology development and deliver faster against a broader range of operational use cases. For both the UK and Australia this will strengthen defence primes, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and academia in support of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the UK Ministry of Defence’s Complex Weapons Pipeline and Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.
Each nation is developing a concept demonstrator equivalent to a concept car to enable us to prove future technologies before they go into sovereign industrial and military capabilities.
SHARKTOOTH is Australia’s developmental weapon system, a small missile which will enable rapid integration of various components including sensors, warheads, guidance systems and propulsion units.
A spokesperson for Dstl said:
This collaboration represents a step-change in how we develop and deploy complex weapons systems.
By combining Australia’s modular approach with the UK’s missiles know-how, we’re creating more versatile and capable systems for our armed forces.
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