The Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt Hon MP, visited Strategic Command
at our innovation hub in White City, where he met with various
teams from across the organisation. This included soldiers,
sailors, aviators, civil servants, industry partners, and
international allies, all collaborating as part of One Defence.
During his visit, the Defence Secretary was briefed on Strategic
Command's work on current operations, including the UK's support
to Ukraine. Our medics showcased their efforts in rehabilitating
injured Ukrainian personnel by sharing expertise, equipment, and
providing support through telemedicine.
The Defence Secretary also learned about the work of the
Permanent Joint Headquarters who, alongside Defence Support, have
coordinated the movement of tens of thousands of tonnes of
equipment to Ukraine by air, land, and sea. Digital connectivity
underpins everything we do, and the Defence Secretary heard from
the team who are enhancing the speed of decision-making by fusing
data from many sources to provide a real-time, comprehensive view
of operational activity.
A highlight of the visit was the Defence Secretary's meeting with
the cyber warriors who protect our digital network, which
connects over 230,000 users across 1,300 sites worldwide. These
dedicated individuals monitor, identify, and counter threats to
the network – 24/7 – to ensure the security of Defence and the
nation.
The visit also emphasised the importance of learning from current
operations to improve and prepare for future challenges. The
Defence Secretary met with those responsible for training and
education, including representatives from the Defence Cyber
Academy, which offers a wide array of courses and uses impressive
digital learning tools to develop Defence's cyber workforce.
Looking further ahead, Strategic Command is home to Defence
Futures, a team that brings together expertise from Defence,
government, industry, academia, and international partners to
anticipate future trends and provide evidence-based insights for
long-term strategic decisions. Their latest publication, ‘Global Strategic Trends:
Out to 2055', is a valuable resource used by governments
worldwide.
Throughout the day, digital and technological innovation was a
recurring theme. The JHub innovation team demonstrated how
augmented reality technology can enhance mission preparation and
provide decision-makers with a better understanding of
situations, no matter where they are in the world. Meanwhile,
Strategic Command's Digital Foundry demonstrated how they can
develop digital tools and make the most of our data for users
across Defence.
The visit highlighted the remarkable talents within Strategic
Command. From coders and analysts, to medics, operators,
scientists, educators, strategists and more, everyone in
Strategic Command plays a crucial role as part of One Defence.
The Defence Secretary expressed his gratitude for the dedication
and hard work of everyone in Strategic Command, reinforcing the
importance of their contribution to our national security.
