With modern wars no longer fought only on battlefields, the UK has just announced a £1 billion investment in AI, designed to supercharge their ability to engage in digital combat.
The announcement by the UK Ministry of Defence marks a new era for UK cybersecurity and will include a Digital Targeting Web and a newly established Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to help the Armed Forces combat cyber treats faster (and better!) than ever before.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP commented that “The keyboard is now a weapon of war…We are under daily attack, and this new command will allow us to defend and strike back more effectively.”
What Is the Digital Targeting Web?
A big part of the new defence plan is a system called the Digital Targeting Web. This will be designed to better connect all of the UK’s military tools, like satellites, aircraft and drones.
Through this, threats will be able to be detected faster, allowing soldiers, cyber units or fighter units to respond quicker.
For example, if a threat is spotted by a satellite, the Digital Targeting Web can instantly alert a cyber or nearby naval, aircraft or fighter team, allowing them to stop it faster than before.
The system has been developed in response to lessons from the Ukraine War, where soldiers are already using tech and AI to identify and hit Russian targets faster.
The Ministry of Defence says this new system will be fully operational by 2027.
“We will give our Armed Forces the ability to act at speeds never seen before,” said John Healey, “connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster.”
What About The Cyber and Electromagnetic Command?
Running alongside the Digital Targeting Web is the new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, led by General Sir James Hockenhull.
The unit will act as a troop of cyber-soldiers, focusing specifically on defensive and offensive cyber operations, working alongside the current National Cyber Force (NCF).
The Ministry of Defence commented that this unit would be in charge of electromagnetic warfare, with the ability to jam drones and missiles, intercept communications and attack enemy control systems from afar.
Why Now?
Modern wars are no longer only fought on the battlefield. In fact, the UK’s military has been hit with more than 90,000 cyber attacks in the past 2 years, mostly from countries like Russia and China.
These attacks have not only tried to affect larger military systems, but also smaller devices with malware.
In recent months, UK businesses like M&S, Harrods and Co-op have all announced their own cyberattacks, putting civilian data at risk. With crime online on the rise and both countries and businesses at risk, deploying this new unit is surely a step in the right direction.
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