Cohort blog

Andy Thomis discusses the Armed Forces Covenant and the centenary of the Royal British Legion

Naval surface ships, especially carrier strike groups, are being targeted as never before. This topic was recently discussed at a Cohort webinar on Ship Survivability. How does technology impact on a ship’s ability to navigate safely through hostile environments? And of course, naval surface ships are not just there to protect themselves. Are they still able to project power in the face of such extreme threats?

Machine autonomy is now commonplace in everyday life and applications of autonomy and wider AI in defence are already emerging. They bring great potential benefits in both risk reduction and military effectiveness. But the ethical considerations of increased autonomation must not be ignored. Andy Thomis, Chief Executive explores the complexity of this emerging technology.

Over the years, simulation has revolutionised many aspects of individual and collective military training. Synthetic environments like aircraft flight simulators have reduced the need for complex, costly and risky live exercises, and delivered high quality training with ever-increasing definition and realism. The emergence of commercial Virtual Reality (VR) and, more recently, Augmented Reality (AR) into the military world takes the replication of environments and scenarios to a new level.

As the UK government prepares to launch a new defence spending review, attention turns to the capabilities needed to protect global interests. Much of the lead-up debate will focus on the types and numbers of ships, aircraft and vehicles. But is this the right approach to determining defence needs in a complex world of threats? Should platforms continue to be prioritised over warfare systems, or is it time for a rethink?