Innovation in Defence: British Science Week
To mark British Science Week (6–15 March), we’re shining a spotlight on some of the cutting-edge science and technology currently being developed by Defence. From laser technology to AI, these are just some of the innovations that will prepare our UK Armed Forces to counter the threats of the future.
Future Soldier
Advances in technology are helping us to revolutionise equipment and uniform for our UK Armed Forces, to prepare them for new challenges in the field of combat.
New innovations in equipment will make our soldiers safer and more situationally aware, with a new generation of helmets, body armour, sights, weapons, radios and uniform.
These will use the latest technology, including material science for protection, AI for data processing, and new sensors and weapons.
High tech helmets will have communication systems built in — helping our personnel to navigate hostile terrain and stay safe in challenging environments.
In previous operations such as Afghanistan, soldiers on the ground frequently carried heavy loads of up to 60kg. In the future, kit and body armour for personnel will be designed around a ‘fight lighter’ concept. The equipment will be easily adaptable so that troops can vary their kit, depending on the operation they are carrying out. It will also be lighter to carry, meaning better adaptability for different terrains and threats.
MAST-13
In the future, unmanned surface vessels will go beyond the ability of traditional ships to attack and defend in uncertain environments, giving us a technology advantage over our enemies.
One of these next generation systems currently being developed is MAST-13, an unmanned high-speed boat that will be capable of completely autonomous navigation.
The new system is similar to a water-borne drone. At 13 metres long, the boat will manoeuvre around a naval task force, either autonomously or remotely controlled from a rig. It could be used to identify threats such as mines or collect intelligence on enemy ships, and then feed this information back to Navy ships.
This could offer a crucial advantage for our UK Armed Forces in a world of evolving threats, providing more information and increasing protection for the UK’s future warships by detecting threats and operating beyond the visible line of sight.
Fingerprint technology
A new chemical designed to recover fingerprints from difficult surfaces will help identify threats to the UK both on the battlefield and at home.
Cutting-edge technology being developed by Defence will use an innovative chemical to capture fingerprints from surfaces that were previously extremely difficult or even impossible to work with, including items exposed to high temperatures such as bullets, bomb components and fired ammunition cases in a warzone. It also works on metal items that have been deliberately cleaned at a crime scene.
The technology will make the fingerprints visible, so that forensic scientists can identify individuals that are a threat to the UK at home and abroad.
Directed energy weapons
Innovative laser and radio frequency weapons will have the potential to revolutionise the battlefield in the future, countering growing threats such as missiles and drone attacks from air, sea and land.
The state-of-the-art weapons systems, known as Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), will be powered solely by electricity and operate without ammunition. Using high energy light beams, laser weapons systems will target and destroy enemy drones and missiles. Radio frequency weapons will be able to disrupt and disable enemy computers and electronics.
The systems could be fuelled by a vehicle’s engine or a generator, significantly reducing their operating costs and providing much more flexibility on the frontline.
The new systems are expected to be trialled in 2023.
