At the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 23 last week, the Army showcased its radical transformation programme, Future Soldier, focusing on the themes Enduring Excellence – Disciplined and Deadly – Ready for the Fight.
The Future Soldier modernisation agenda was outlined and demonstrated through a number of captivating displays which included a demonstration by the Ranger Regiment, HYDRA drone carrying Brimstone missiles, Aether mothership drone and a SoldierWorks display detailing the next generation of wearable kit for soldiers.
The biannual event attended by large numbers of Defence and Security exhibitors attracted thousands of visitors, including international allies, offering a fantastic opportunity for bilateral and multilateral engagement with partner nations.
Major General (Maj Gen) Paul Griffiths CB, in his role as Assistant Chief of the General Staff, said:
“DSEI is a hugely significant event for us in the British Army. With an audience of 40,000 visitors from over 110 countries, DSEI provides the perfect backdrop to present to international industry and our allies and partners how far the British Army has progressed in terms of both mobilising in the face of a changing context and modernising to meet the next generation of threats.”
The Army is adapting and modernising and took this opportunity to show the progress made on the journey towards a fully “Integrated Force” which will meet the challenges of the future. The Army, through Future Soldier, is focused on bringing the very best enabling digital technology to its people.
Maj Gen Griffiths CB added:
“It’s also about the Army delivering political choice through constant readiness and agility. This can only be achieved through a closer relationship with our partners in industry. Without them, we simply couldn’t deliver. This resonates with the sentiment that ‘defences don’t fight wars, nations do’. The war in Ukraine has bought this once again into sharp focus. It has highlighted the importance of being able to maintain and scale the production capacity of our defence industry and necessity of assured supply chains at times of need.”
The Army stand provided attendees the opportunity to see a range of the Army’s next generation equipment, including those supported by the Land Industrial Strategy, such as Ajax, Boxer, GMLRS and Land Ceptor.
These are all underpinned by a digital backbone providing modern, cohesive, secure communications across a multi-domain network. Technology is ever evolving and requires constant need for engagement with industry partners to ensure the Army are at the forefront of innovation in this area.
Future Soldier is delivering an integrated, digitalised Army that is more lethal, agile, expeditionary, and resilient; to fulfil its core purpose of protecting the UK by being ready to win wars on land.
Fundamentally, the Army’s people remain its competitive edge, match-fit for the digital age.
The British Army continues to be a modern, world-class army ready for the next challenge, and DSEI helped demonstrate how we will achieve this.