Maintaining advantage through enhanced technology
This problem is a UK government area of research interest (ARI) that was originally posted at https://ari.org.uk/ by a UK government organisation to indicate that they are keen to see research related to this area.
Self-sustaining forces - When the UK deploys forces overseas it has to ensure that they are supported by an appropriately robust and effective logistics infrastructure that ensures the timely delivery of consumables and other materiel. MOD is interested in all aspects of technology, or alternative ways of working, that minimise the logistic infrastructure particularly that exposed to risk. Interests span technology for reducing the logistic footprint itself for example through the use of renewable or alternative energy sources, through to the use of additive manufacturing that might reduce the need for a large holding of spares in-theatre.
As commercial investment introduces widely available and low cost systems, the technological lead of the UK and its allies over adversaries is likely to be further eroded, with the democratisation of technologies such as additive manufacturing, cyber and unmanned systems enabling non-government actors to strike at the UK. To counter these advances we need to explore technologies which will improve the survivability of our people and platforms, extended their endurance, and ensure robust and resilient military capabilities.
Contact details
accelerator@dstl.gov.uk