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Moderated by Nick Childs from the International Institute of Strategic Studies, the panel comprised Rear Admiral James Parkin, Director Develop, Royal Navy; Claire Mason, Adviser Strategic Engagement, Australian Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group; James Morgan, Head of Joint Maritime Security Centre, Home Office, and Will Blamey, Managing Director Maritime and Land, QinetiQ. The panel provided valuable insights into this complex and vitally important area of national defence.

Panellists discussed the current uncertain geo-political environment, with its rapidly developing threats and noted that our adversaries are often setting the pace. Three key themes emerged from the panel: technology, collaboration and integration. There was also a general consensus that enhanced support is required to assist the Royal Navy in developing their systems and adapting at a speed of relevance.

With emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence and autonomy, it became apparent that the technology of yesterday is not keeping up with the threats of tomorrow.

So what does this mean for QinetiQ?

To truly support the Royal Navy, QinetiQ leads the collaboration across industry, Government and frontline military commands, with integration at the core of QinetiQ’s capabilities. QinetiQ intends to build on our already strong and productive relationship with the Royal Navy, its allies and industry partners, to broaden our engagement across the international landscape, especially with the US and Australia.

Integration within a nation is no longer sufficient and we must be able to integrate fully with our global allies. Partnerships such as NATO and AUKUS are critical to achieving an integrated force*. Critically, the UK is well placed to deliver capability at pace through our leading role in experimentation, innovation and technology, as well as our ability to maximise the benefits that can be delivered via the various framework contracts. These contracts include the Maritime Strategic Capability Agreement (MSCA), the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA), and the Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership.

Regular engagement between industry and Government will also reduce delivery and operational risks and enable more accurate programming , providing longevity and high levels of performance across the lifespan of a contract. A key factor in ensuring success is enabling the effective management of the UK’s Test and Evaluation sovereign capabilities. This will include understanding both the forward demand for existing Test and Evaluation capabilities, as well as the development of new tools and techniques to address at pace the adoption of new technologies and emerging operational requirements.

To bring these points to life, in May this year we facilitated Formidable Shield 2023. This large scale exercise demonstrated integration across a multi-domain landscape, with participation from land, naval and air forces, providing an opportunity to work together in a realistic ‘train as you fight’ environment. Participation included personnel from 13 nations, helping to ensure that NATO forces are mission-ready. This is just one of the ways that QinetiQ can continue to support the Royal Navy and our NATO allies, in a realistic and world leading manner.

QinetiQ’s world-class Test and Evaluation facilities, capabilities and personnel ensure that we remain a key partner to the Royal Navy and its allies as they develop, deliver and maintain their cutting edge operational capabilities.

*Theme of DSEI ‘23