Minister for Defence Procurement’s speech at the Military Robotics and Autonomous Devices Conference in London.
From:
Ministry of Defence and James Cartlidge MP
Printed
9 April 2024
Area:
London
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8 April 2024 (Transcript of the speech, just as it was sent)
Good afternoon, every person. So I’m the Minister for Defence procurement in the United kingdom, I never have a speech as this kind of, and what I imply by that is I have not bought a person composed by the Civil Service. When I was a Treasury Minister, prior to I acquired this job, I went to a meeting a little bit like this about AI. And there had been four Secretary of States speaking at this meeting, and what neither of them knew was that they all had the exact gag when they started, which is they browse their speech, the initial paragraph and guess what? As if it experienced been penned by Chat GPT. After you get to the fourth iteration of that is not as humorous as it was the to start with time. So this hasn’t been created by Chat GPT, this is me since I’m really passionate about this challenge because I assume autonomy in defence is an wonderful opportunity.
And I’ll make clear why but 1st of all, congratulations to my hosts. Thank you for inviting me due to the fact this takes place to coincide with a incredibly significant day. These days the Ministry of Defence we’ve introduced officially our new procurement process, which I’ve put ahead. It’s named the Integrated Procurement Design. Now, just to place that in context, when I got this job final April, right after Alex Chalk turned Lord Chancellor, I replaced him as Minister for Defence Procurement, we ended up in the center of a vote in the Residence of Commons and as I was walking close to the foyer voting, my colleagues were being coming up to me and they all congratulating me. And each of them in the very same phrase would say, but by the way, you’ve obtained Ajax. So this occupation is kind of synonymous with one particular individual task, and I think from day a person, I realized we required to reform procurement. And when I announced the new procurement product on the 28th of February I was very clear that while this is about responding to all the worries that have been brought up about the years, with programmes like Ajax but not just Ajax, Nimrod there is numerous of them going back over quite a few years’ time.
The most critical purpose to reform procurement is much much more fundamental than any of those causes or to do with any of individuals programmes. And it is merely this that if we as a country, and our allies, as properly, are to compete in the long term with our adversaries with the way they are investing in defence and technological innovation, we have no preference but to reform procurement. And one particular of the causes why I think this new product ideally will in fact get effect not just currently being introduced, but as you will know it has develop into cultural inside MOD, which is a thing we’ll be doing work on, it’s fair to say.
The cause for that is due to the fact if we don’t reform procurement, our adversaries will just transfer as well much absent from us. And so I wished to initial of all set out what this reform is all about. For the reason that it is coronary heart is engineering, and for me, the most essential part of that is close to uncrewed methods and also all the technological innovations that appear with that and the programs that they depend on. So fundamentally, it’s not about platforms is as you know, it is about programs, it’s about architectures, about computer software.
And so there’s 5 critical characteristics of the new procedure. And now the to start with 1 is essential. It’s termed an Integrated Procurement Design for a explanation. You’d be mindful that in 2021, we declared a new integrated working principle for the United kingdom Armed Forces, but in announcing that and recognising the actuality of contemporary warfare is an integrated battlespace. We sustain what’s known as a delegated procurement product ie. primarily having three frontline providers procuring what we describe as base up basis whilst to me, if you want an built-in strategy, you have to integrated procurement.
And so the very first position is to have joined up tactic to procurement in apply. The bête noire is what we contact more than programming, this phrase over programming signifies that basically, the armed forces are making an attempt to procure additional stuff than there is management potential to get or frankly, capability in DE&S and elsewhere to supply and so the way we have managed paying in recent decades is you shift programmes to the appropriate, delay so that practically to command expense. And it’s not exceptional to MOD, it’s regular of major cash assignments. They cost taxpayers a good deal of dollars but it’s a unique situation in defence, simply because if you hold off programmes they become a lot more expensive and issue marks that come out about the foreseeable future these programmes.
And so one particular detail I want to see extra of is by using a joined up technique that is pan-defence, you are more likely to make your priorities based on the most crucial rationale which is the threat we experience and procuring in a joined up fashion. All right, so a excellent case in point we’re now operating on our munitions program for the munitions we acquire as a British isles MOD over the future 10 years, specially to replenish our shares, subsequent the sizeable gifting to Ukraine. The very best way to do that is pan-defence. If we just reported to the single solutions, what do you each and every want? We stop up with an consequence that experienced a 3rd, a third a third. But to me, that shouldn’t be the priority, the precedence is the threats we encounter as a place and what we require to counter it and I’ll just end on that position since we’re in this article to chat about autonomy.
The ideal example of that joined up solution is drones truly. So we’ve basically had some fantastic, army entrepreneurs in the MOD we have witnessed within the frontline command some fantastic experimentalism. That has led to some genuinely reducing edge abilities in the uncrewed space, some of which has been made use of in Ukraine, as you will be informed of. The issue is, as soon as you take people to the upcoming amount, procuring those techniques to grow to be portion of an built-in pressure that can be efficient in struggle, at that position, you do require to have a more built-in technique.
We cannot just rely on the theory of 1,000 bouquets that 1,000 flowers will bloom, as you will know, you have to have typical facts specifications, the capability of your abilities to discuss to each other and to the other providers. So that is a seriously fantastic case in point of where by we want to now go into a additional joined up period which was a important piece of the Uncrewed Tactic that I announced earlier this 12 months.
The next portion is checks and balances. Now, to start with of all, that’s about oversight. So we will have a new Built-in Structure Authority to oversee these adjustments to make sure they truly transpire in fact, if the procurement comes ahead, and the necessities never permit what ever that system is to discuss to the other services, it would be scored negatively, it’d be returned to where ever it arrived from. I mean, which is in a nutshell, but I feel there’s a definitely crucial aspect checks and stability which is my perspective as Minister for Defence Procurement, which is that to be as diplomatic as I can, my encounter with this past yr is that when the needs come ahead to you, the Minister, when the programme comes up to be signed off, shall we say there was one thing of an expectation that it will be signed off. Whereas I consider a a bit distinct look at. And to me, the most essential element of this next component of checks and balances is what I simply call the generation of a second belief.
Truly kicking the tyres on programs at the commencing. So that you check with the suitable questions and you get the ideal respond to. Because there has been history, which is entirely understandable, institutional, as in the United kingdom defence I’m confident it is the similar in other nations, in actuality I know it is as I have discussed some of my colleagues and my counterparts in other nations around the world, is this form of what we get in touch with the platform presumption. We’ve bought the mark five and immediately after 10 many years we can have the mark 6, 7, etc. But what if that’s not the proper answer for the menace that we confront?
And so the second opinion… we are very luck in the MOD, we really do not just have the army. We have incredible scientists in the Dstl. We have DE&S with all their interface with business, which is now getting strengthened with some thing named the DE&S gateway. We fundamentally have this repository of facts and data that is remarkable. And so I want to have a placement in which when that procurement commences, that large programme, you really don’t just have the armed forces assessment of the specifications that you need to have. You have the problem of the other industry experts that we have in our institution, the Dstl and so on telling you how technically viable that is. So for example, that key query, really should it truly be an uncrewed process? And this is not a insignificant subject matter of conversation.
We’re chatting about basically questioning some assumptions about the capabilities that we presume we’ll almost certainly be procuring in the future and I suspect the armed forces proof for wargaming from Ukraine, will clearly show that increasingly we are heading to be vulnerable, and that we want to do what other international locations have started out to do, I have just witnessed that the the US has just declared they have cancelled a main programme and that would have been crewed and that will now be uncrewed, it was a significant reconnaissance programme FARA.
So the third issue is about exportability to checks and balances all joins up with exportability, the FT coated this these days, when I was chatting to them truly saw this as a standout attribute, and I assume that’s fair, simply because, once more, heading again to the to start with day of the career, you get your initially submission, which is what the Civil Support give you as a piece of tips. And initial a single I had on procurement had about a sentence about exportability in fact, the letter to the Main Secretary that went with it advised to procure it. And awaiting my sign-off was that it it didn’t point out potential added benefits of exportability and I believe this need to be ingrained in acquisition from the starting.
And there is two essential reasons for that. The initially one is what is the main trouble at the instant in defence it’s the resilience of our supply chain, because we had good success with NLAW in Ukraine. We picked up the phone and reported give us more of individuals, ok, if you’re ready to hold out years. You’ve received to have that continuous greatest amount of aggregate demand from customers, appropriate? Continuous offer chains. That is why you will need to travel exploitability but the other part of it is a bit refined, but is genuinely essential in procurement. I’m generally asked the hypothetical problem, would your new strategy have prevented the Ajax difficulties. Physically unattainable to reply of course, because we’re not in the period of acquiring a time device. Which is the if you if you have to take into account global necessities, my watch it is a good counterbalance to becoming that horrible phrase extremely exquisite, ie getting plenty of really bespoke needs. It doesn’t assurance it but it is more probable that. There tends to be a vector among worldwide desire and your best domestic United kingdom manufacturing. And if you can minimise that, you’ve received a quite great product for the reason that it suggests you get it into line with the British isles and then export it to defend your offer chain.
So the third level on exportability it is now one thing I’m pushing. So on the New Medium Helicopter procurement. We’ve received a powerful weighting for exportability. The fourth stage is about empowering industrial innovation. Now this is actually exactly where you fellas notably appear in all those from field in this article one thing I’m keen to see substantially a lot more normally I hope you’ve been aware of this that we are accomplishing much more and additional engagement in marketplace at a labeled level.
So the marketplace can recognize our specifications much earlier in the method. And in convert, we can select up the opinions from what’s occurring in the real entire world. And I hope that what is taking place with all these people talking is pretty intriguing. So I’ll give you a fantastic example, the most uplifting expertise I have experienced as a Minister for Defence Procurement was very last October when I went see a Uk corporation building a drone getting employed in Ukraine. Whilst I was there, they have been acquiring feed-back from the frontline. And they were being then spirally responding to that inside of days.
Now when we used to have individuals coming in and expressing Minister this factor is heading to be delayed another 27 a long time or what ever. And you see that type of spiral improvement in the flesh. It is very anything to behold primarily for the reason that the ability is hugely efficient and expenditures a very small fraction of the factor I was speaking about that’s going to be delayed quite a few a long time, we begin to seriously consider about irrespective of whether you have bought the appropriate approach for procurement and it is really revolutionary what is taking place.
So I always have a condition the place the British isles field feels shut to MOD. It does not indicate shut as in the poor way of staying shut it is a actually rich marriage dependent on this feed-back with the knowledge from the frontline and from Ukraine and so on, and what is starting to be probable what is becoming essential and quick improvement of goods on the back again of it.
And the fifth and final one is about possessing spiral development by default. Spiral growth wonderful phrase as the FT said to me yesterday, it is really actually type of very prevalent position in the corporate planet. The phrase is not commonplace in defence and which is where the modify requires to be made.
What does it truly indicate? So we say properly, if you want to go get 60 to 80% of your requirements in its place 100%. In its place, of acquiring IOC and FOC very long standing approaches of measuring your progress, we just want to insert bare minimum deployable product or service. Generally, you measure the efficiency of the product, the issue at which it is ready to be applied, and I consider that is a actually superior way of measuring.
So we talked about the military, I have bought composed solutions and I glance at them at them if this is crazy. That were my opponents asked me the IOC and FOC all of our programmes, and fairly a handful of of them are in use. They are getting used and we’re expressing they’ve only been obtained IOC if they’re getting utilised by military services but there’s fairly a great example in our missile techniques.
And I think it just demonstrates the place that which is since we’re focusing on the great issue to realize. Where we want to get into services immediately and spiral enhance it. It does occur, but it is not cultural. Which is the important stage we want to develop into the cultural assumption in Defence for the reason that there will be programmes like nuclear submarines, which will not conform to this tactic. By definition, they’ll continue to acquire many a long time, absolutely important. Remarkably unlikely so there is however heading to be a large programme which is an exception sitting down exterior the norm but the fact is, from currently by means of the new procurement design in defence, we have time limits – 3 years for application, five yrs for components.
So I stated in my speech to the Dwelling, on our Cell Fires Platform which is our engineering artillery ability. It will be procured within five yrs, which in lots of methods did not seem that fast but it is as you all know when compared to what’s absent on ahead of on our key platforms etc.
Just to say and so what does this suggest for uncrewed and robotic systems and so on. And I assume this solution I’m outlining is all about know-how. We have this factor known as the Gear Strategy. What I indicate is we have 10-year programme, right, which everybody is targeted on. And nevertheless, we are explained to that the very same time that we could be at war in two or three years, we’re in a pre-war ecosystem. And we’re continue to targeted on this system iteration model. Effectively, we’re gonna get much more ships. Now those ships will get nine yrs to establish, but you know, we’re just gonna get far more ships. That’s what we will need to do for the region. Whereas to me, generally have to do is why this is so important. And why you are meeting nowadays, we’ve bought to aim ever more on how you make your present platforms and individuals and abilities far more deadly, extra survivable.
And also the platform you are developing out in the water and in the air, in a few of many years. That’s wherever the target in my see demands to be. And if you do that, it is conceivable that some of the acquisition you presumed to be executing later on in the Products Strategy you believe to occur.
Now I can appreciate this is not regular wondering but that’s essentially what is going on in Ukraine. So it is telling us we will need to get started focusing on what form of weapons we can deliver forward promptly, what form of weapon methods what sort of IT methods to help them. There will be abilities we have currently, which we will use if we were in conflict imminently where by there are it upgrades, software AI, that will make them more deadly and extra survivable.
So I believe to me, which is a huge element of the concentration. That doesn’t indicate you never nonetheless have the more time programs that consider time to do that. It is just yet again, where’s your cultural focus? Mainly because I would put it to you now , where do we imagine the concentration still is institutionally in defence? Which is a fair dilemma. And I feel that has to change and it’s starting off to change.
I will finish on this broader place about the place to up coming move on uncrewed. I really feel this is an incredible opportunity. When men and women say to James, outstanding, it is just, it’s hardly ever gonna happen in exercise. Way too superior to be correct. It is taking place in apply. I talked about the drone corporation. There’s numerous other examples in which we have SMEs who are coming forward with actually chopping edge things and promptly, specifically software providers. Definitely, this type of solution is conventional in computer software. Continual enhance. We all know that often it’s exceptionally annoying, in particular with a legacy notebook or IT system.
But it is standard practice in a great deal of field and we will need to adapt it into the society and DNA of defence.
We’re not chatting just be apparent about Urgent Operational Prerequisites. This is wherever you are actually not just on the cusp of more why circumstance you are making ready to go out to wherever and there are factors you need to do to your motor vehicles to your kit, iterations that usually means you can face up to no matter what that threat is. This is unique to that. This is about acquiring taking edge of the tempo of innovation that’s out there. The United kingdom could have a lot far more survivable and meaningful capacity within just a comparatively smaller sum of time, cost-proficiently, which really should be stressed.
So I think it’s incredibly interesting people today that are involved in this market. I consider that we are on the cusp of a significant pivot to considerably bigger use of uncrewed methods. I necessarily mean, it’s designed me imagine which is an clear point to say. Some discussion on if uncrewed overhyped or underhyped. I have the privilege of being aware of what is going on in theatre, but also Just visualize what it could do, in the palms of a leading tier armed forces. The issue I’m earning is genuinely producing cohesively built-in battlespace, it could do extraordinary issues, it can include mass.
My colleagues, my parliamentary colleagues will stand up in the Household and they want us to dedicate to far more ships additional personnel, much more plane and so on. But how will the common platforms cope heading ahead? Whereas we can bring out new drones, new floor outcomes and in specific in maritime somewhat speedily, it is currently occurring. We all know what’s took place in the Black Sea. Which is an remarkable strategic victory for Ukraine, which is unlucky, underplayed due to the fact of the coverage understandably for what is going on on land, but it is an amazing effect they’ve achieved as a nation of British isles we are really very well placed actually the greatest placed state other than Ukraine to find out the classes from what is going on in this really day and has been occurring in that fight space in the uncrewed programs and you know, we require the maritime capability coalition with Norway we need to have the drone coalition with Latvia.
This is finding out lessons in authentic time. There is no far better test lab than that. We as a region have got to get that possibility to generate suitable embracing of uncrewed units and all standard units, the stuff that goes with it working with electronic warfare, which is all pervading in Ukraine, as you all know, signifies that our armed forces can fight the struggle that is going to occur nowadays. And if we do that, I consider we construct prosperity for our sector and bigger protection for our individuals. Thank you pretty substantially for your time.
Published 9 April 2024
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