Pioneering battlefield system could combat hackers from Royal Navy ships - UK faces "daily cyber attacks"
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A pioneering battle system is due to be created to deal with hackers which can be used from Royal Navy ships.
Defence secretary John Healey announced more than £1bn is being invested to tackle online attacks. The decision was made following “lessons learned” from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
“Ways of warfare are rapidly changing – with the UK facing daily cyber-attacks on this new frontline,” Mr Healey said. “The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine leave us under no illusions that future conflicts will be won through forces that are better connected, better equipped and innovating faster than their adversaries.
“We will give our Armed Forces the ability to act at speeds never seen before - connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster. By attracting the best digital talent, and establishing a nerve centre for our cyber capability, we will harness the latest innovations, properly fund Britain’s defences for the modern age and support the government’s Plan for Change.”
The fund have been invested in pioneering ‘Digital Targeting Web’ to spearhead battlefield engagements across the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF. It’s hoped the system will better connect Armed Forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster.
The Ministry of Defence cited a scenario where the system could be used on Royal Navy deployments. “As an example, a threat could be identified by a sensor on a ship or in space before being disabled by an F-35 aircraft, drone, or offensive cyber operation.”
Evaluating on the lessons from Ukraine, they added: “Delivering this new Digital Targeting Web is central to UK efforts to learn lessons directly from the front line in Ukraine. When the Ukrainians achieved a step-change in lethality early in the war – by being able to find the enemy, target them and attack quickly and at scale - it allowed them to stop the encircling Russian advance.”
Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will sit under General Sir James Hockenhull’s Command. More than 90,000 cyber attacks were aimed at UK military networks over the past two years. The Command will lead defensive cyber operations and coordinate offensive cyber capabilities with the National Cyber Force. It will utilise all of the electromagnetic warfare skills the armed forces have at their disposal - degrading command and control, jamming signals to drones or missiles and intercepting an adversary’s communications.
The announcement is part of the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, which is due to be released imminently. Its recommends the MOD should deliver the Digital Targeting Web by 2027.