Dr. Oliver Steward Ph.D.’s Post

𝗙𝗮𝗰 𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗼 – 𝗗𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲. The wonderfully opportunistic motto of the Matheson Clan. This is the state of mind I take with me when entering the doors of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Abbeywood as a representative of JET Connectivity, a highly ambitious and rapidly growing SME. The need is great. Some have said (Grant Shapps) that we are turning to a pre-war footing. But as the remarkably insightful Andrew Kinniburgh pointed out today, (a) there’s no pre-war-esque defence budget and (b) unlike 1938, we no longer have an industrial base worth a damn. These are huge and glaring caps in our sovereign capability. Today’s DE&S SME day was about helping plug these gaps by enabling accelerated and effective contributions by the UK’s best SMEs. Despite looking so young, I’ve been about long enough to have heard this sort of thing before. But perhaps not so compellingly stated as it was today by Andy Start, Alex Barnett, Samira Braund MBA and Major General Anna-Lee Reilly among others. And I’ve never heard it against the backdrop of a world in such tumult. The speed at which we innovate and deliver capability, outpacing our adversaries, will provide critical operational advantage. Let’s get to it. (Thanks Simon Crouch for the cufflinks). #defenceinnovation #5G

SOCOM isn't ready for strategic competition: The capabilities SOF can deploy in non-kinetic cooperation, competition and conflict scenarios are merely extensions or amplifications of USSOCOM core responsibilities as listed in 10 U.S.C 167(k) and capabilities as cited in JP-3-05. - What Special Forces can do in strategic competition: •Active SOF presence •Operation, JCET, Exercise, or Key Leader Engagement (KLE) •Extend the US political-economy into the area of competition •Capital, Resource & Labor supply chains established •Counter economic subversion, counter-economic insurgency operations •Non-kinetic strategic cooperation, competition and conflict ops •Purchase, Presence & Movement •Disintermediation of PRC networks • Intermediation of LINC networks •Dis-integration of PRC systems • Integration of local systems to US Political-Economy https://lnkd.in/eBb_W33V

The need to build up defence and national security infrastructure in northern Australia to enhance our capacity to defend our national interests is only growing with the increasing number of global security flashpoints. In the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's The Strategist Dr John Coyne and Dave Malone highlight the need for Defence Australia to take the necessary steps to harness the capacity of industry to achieve this. The piece reinforces the importance of the recommendations in Master Builders Billion Dollar Partnership Report https://lnkd.in/gCGZhx6h https://lnkd.in/ga8iTazx #defenceindustry #defence #construction #masterbuilders

Today’s ambitious EDIS/EDIP announcements risk being rather a damp squib due to the limited €1.5bn funding allocation. €1.5bn (€0.75bn/year in 2026 and 27) equates to only 1.6% of what EU member states spent on procuring defence kit in 2022. EU countries’ reluctance to procure collectively is deep-rooted and seems unlikely to be swayed by such token subsidy levels. The Commssion is hoping for a €100bn funding pot in the next EU budget cycle, starting in 2028. That would certainly shift the dial. But with a major war raging in Europe now, 2028 feels like a lifetime away.

#AUKUS 🇦🇺🇬🇧🇺🇸 The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO - Co Chair of the AUKUS Forum “Industry can shape government requirements by demonstrating the range of new capabilities now coming on stream. Government can spell out what it expects and how the private sector, particularly SME’s, can access information on how to be part of government procurement. The very impressive array of SME’s presenting at the conference leaves me with no doubt that given the chance, SME’s can play an important role in the supply chains that will evolve under both pillars of AUKUS. This requires a mindset of dealing directly with SME’s, not just mediated through the defence primes, and a willingness to back them by being an informed government customer willing to take risks to back Australian innovation. The conference was also a reminder that if the AUKUS Forum did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. By bringing SME’s, potential customers, and investors together, we can educate government and the community about the potential to deliver homegrown solutions to some of our most challenging defence problems. AUKUS is a moon shot; it will only happen if we harness the full resources and talents in our midst.” https://lnkd.in/geT8YvWG

A new C2 architecture is as much about upgrading the Japan alliance as it is about broader C2 in the theater. We should recall Congress has pushed for and legislated on this for years. Multiple commanders have decided not to pursue it. Where will Adm a Paparo stand? This is important. A new commander has the chance to set a new path. There is a history here - look up JTF-519 and its disestablishment in 2013 A 3-star JTF in Japan is the ideal balance to me. Will there be a second theater JTF or just one? Question being debated.

The BattleLab is full today. Not an inch of space was wasted. 💢 We have ongoing experimentation and testing with the UK government. 💢 An over-subscribed marketing and communications workshop. 💢 A technology demonstration with Dstl and the UK Ministry of Defence. 💢 A high-level conference with a digital trade body. 💢 Visiting unit personnel to see how they can get involved and utilise their facility. The team continues to work their tails off in the background to ensure all this activity happens, with the facility and its core objectives being continually worked on to ensure we get value for Defence. We have some great activities lined up for the future! #defence #ministryofdefence #technology #innovation #smebusiness #ukbusinesses

Watch the video and discover the highlights of our recent European Protected Waveform (#EPW) meeting in EU HQ Brussels, where consortium members and stakeholders shared their progress, emphasizing shared commitments and collective dedication in synergy with other EU cornerstone programs like IRIS2. The European Protected Waveform (#EPW) is an EDF program and co-funded by the European Union. #EPWProgram #SatelliteCommunication #Innovation #EuropeanAutonomy #EUDefenceIndustry #StrongerTogether | European Defence Agency

Th value of tiltrotor in the Indo Pacific cannot be understated. The CV 22 has the capabilities for long range personnel, recovery and combat search and rescue in that theater. The V-22 has the range, reach, and runway independence to be a game changer in any potential conflict with a near peer competitor. https://lnkd.in/gwEWjCyz