Five futuristic projects that could benefit from £16.5bn defence boost
Britain this week unveiled its biggest military spending increase since the Cold War, pledging an additional £16.5bn over the next four years.
Boris Johnson said the extra cash would help create 40,000 jobs, many of which are set to be in hi-tech roles as part of a space command and an artificial intelligence agency.
In the future, a soldier in hostile territory would be “alerted to a distant ambush by sensors on satellites or drones”, with AI helping devise the best response that could involve an air strike, an assault by a swarm of drones or a cyber-attack, said the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, warships and combat vehicles could be equipped with “inexhaustible” lasers to take on opposing forces, Mr Johnson suggested, with no prospect of them running out of ammunition.
Such innovations are already being developed by private companies. Here are some of the futuristic projects poised to benefit from the cash:
Skyrora’s space launches
The Prime Minister outlined his desire to set up a centralised Space Command, akin to a similar ambition of Donald Trump, the outgoing US President, who launched his own Space Force last year.
Among the companies that could benefit from the additional focus on space is Edinburgh-based Skyrora. The company launched its 32ft rocket, the Skylark Nano, in May.
The company has grand designs on becoming the British rival to Elon Musk’s Spacex. Skyrora aims to launch commercial rockets in 2022 that will carry satellites into orbit for corporate uses, such as telecoms and navigation.
The Government has already shown its commitment to backing satellite companies, having this year splashed nearly £400m for a stake in Oneweb.
Adaptix’s Gadget-scanning X-rays
Oxford start-up Adaptix is best-known for its 3D medical X-rays that give doctors a detailed look at people’s bones. Its X-rays show multiple depths of a person’s body, allowing medical experts to better understand injuries such as fractures.
But the start-up has also received more than £200,000 in funding from the Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Accelerator for an unusual project that could scan electronic devices to detect if they had been tampered with.
The same x-ray techniques that reveal people’s bones can also be used to detect if a spy has placed a bug inside a laptop or switched out a smartphone chip without anyone needing to disassemble the device.
BAE’S laser weapons
The Ministry of Defence is investing about £130m into “directed energy weapons” that can be installed on warships and helicopters.
Penny Mordaunt, the defence secretary at the time, said last year that the technology “has the potential to revolutionise the battlefield.”
Laser weapons are due to be tested in 2023 on Royal Navy ships and Army vehicles. They are part of a suite of technological advancements that should be deployed within 10 years.
A consortium of defence contractors including GKN, Arke and BAE Systems has already been working on Dragonfire, a laser weapon that can be used to dazzle a target’s sensors or destroy it completely.
Improbable’s wargaming software
Improbable, a gaming technology business that has expanded its wargaming service in recent years, announced this month that it had signed another 12-month contract with Strategic Command, the organisation that oversees the country’s armed forces.
The company’s modelling service lets the military play out scenarios, examining how things such as troop morale and ammunition suppliers affect the likelihood of a successful operation.
The Telegraph reported this year that the Ministry of Defence had spent more than £8.3m on Improbable’s software, a figure that is set to rise significantly over the next year.
Joe Robinson, the head of Improbable’s defence business, said modern technologies “have the very real potential to enhance the UK’S national security, and also drive significant cost savings over time”.
Adarga’s AI tools
Adarga uses its AI tool to scan and analyse defence reports before creating accurate summaries at speed.
The company currently supplies its service to Strategic Command through a contract with defence contractor BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.
Rob Bassett Cross, the company’s chief executive, welcomed the announcement of higher defence spending.
The spending pledge “will enable the MOD to leverage the UK’S worldleading data science and software engineering talent”, he said, “to not only help meet the nature of threats now presented in an era of persistent competition, but to benefit the security and prosperity of the UK.”