Industry reaction to the defence and security Integrated Review

Land March 17, 2021

This week the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, set out the conclusions of the Government’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy.

The 100-page document ‘Global Britain in a competitive age, the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy’ is the most comprehensive foreign policy and national security approach published by a British Government since the end of the Cold War.

Encompassing the UK’s national security, foreign policy and approach to the global economy together, the report strategizes the Government’s vision for the UK in 2030 and how its international policy will be used to help achieve it.

Here, Defence Online has gathered some of the defence and security industry’s initial reaction to the release of the strategy.

Rob Pratten, CEO at Conducttr, argues that new plans must not overlook information warfare which is already providing a more worrying and significant risk and could destabilise the nation if a skills gap is not addressed imminently.

Mr Pratten commented: “It’s great to see a shift away from traditional battlefield techniques towards science and innovation. However, it’s critical that we don’t overlook newer types of threats like information warfare which pose just as big, if not a more worrying risk to national security, as cyber security.

“While, our security and defence industry is well versed in traditional combat training simulations, currently immersive training in a virtual information environment is rare. Yet, foreign nations are increasingly seeking to use information warfare a to destabilise society and international relationships.

“Social media has been weaponised and the defence and security sector is trying to catch up, so it’s critical that sufficient budget is allocated to for training in narrative combat.

“Adversaries are already attempting to undermine democracies by weaponising freedom of expression to make our cultural strengths a weakness, so the need for a high-fidelity, realistic simulated information warfare training environment is more pressing than ever.”

Dr David Blagden, of the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute, felt that a focus on science should maintain the UK’s strong position as a leader in technological sophistication.

He said: “The publication of the Integrated Security, Defence, Development, and Foreign Policy Review confirms much of what was already expected. There is emphasis on a “tilt” in UK commitments towards more engagement with the Indian Ocean and Pacific theatres, but also continued recognition that our Euro-Atlantic home region will have to remain the enduring focus of UK strategy; there could therefore be difficult balancing acts to come when deploying forces ‘East of Suez’ means less availability for European/Atlantic/Mediterranean operations.

“There is also significant commitment to developing new science and technology – both in general, and also with specific military applications – that should help to keep the UK at or near the frontier of technological sophistication, but that may also come at the expense of proven conventional capabilities; next week’s Defence Command Paper will contain more detail on that front.

“There is an eye-catching decision to raise the stated ceiling on the number of nuclear weapons in the UK stockpile, reflecting growing concern about several possible deterrence challenges, including a potential Russian threat to NATO, fears over a catastrophic cyberattack that could inflict damage akin to an atomic strike, or state supply of weapons of mass destruction to a terrorist group”

The review includes details of the UK’s national cyber security strategy and priorities in 2021, including details of the role of the National Cyber Force. Dr Jamie Collier, Intelligence Analyst at Mandiant Threat Intelligence, commented: “The review has correctly identified that cyberspace is an increasingly contested domain. While the National Cyber Force signals a greater willingness to engage, it is encouraging that the language demonstrates there is still a focus on remaining a responsible player. This is therefore not a complete overhaul of the current playbook but the National Cyber Force responds to a threat landscape that is growing in complexity for at least three reasons.

“First, beyond the big four of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, other states are now developing cyber capabilities. Vietnam is one example of a country that has quickly ramped up its ability to conduct cyber operations. The UK must therefore plan ahead and anticipate the growing threat posed by emerging players.

“Second, cybercriminals are becoming increasingly professionalised and sophisticated. This is showcased by the growing scourge of ransomware operations – where data is encrypted and rendered unusable unless an extortion fee is paid. The issue has quickly moved from something of a nuisance to a matter of national security. This has been showcased over the past year by the prominence of ransomware operations targeting critical infrastructure and the healthcare sector amidst a global pandemic.

“Third, the UK must counter growing levels of online disinformation. These operations are now conducted by a variety of countries beyond Russia. Here, the link between disinformation and cyber security is increasingly blurry. For instance, disinformation operators are known to first steal sensitive documents before leaking them at a time intended to cause maximum disruption. These campaigns will also often seek to compromise and then use government social media accounts or websites as a platform to distribute their message.”

Kevin Brandstatter, GMB National Officer, called for more investment in ministry of defence facilities. He commented: “The Integrated Defence Review is very long to how tackle ‘adversaries’, including references to serious organised crime and flooding, neither of which are part of the MoD remit.

“But is effectively silent on issues which actually matter to defence workers – secure jobs, decent pay and workplaces which are fit for purpose, properly heated and ventilated and free of asbestos.

“Our members want workplaces to be modernised, safe and secure. They want new and up to date tools to enable them to do their jobs properly and with pride. Abandoning outsourcing as the automatic first choice for civilian work must become a priority.

“Despite all its problems the implementation of this review gives the MoD an opportunity to provide young people in particular to develop skills through enhanced and well supported apprenticeship and training programmes and this is an opportunity which the MoD must not ignore.”

Patrick Magee, British Business Bank Chief Commercial Officer, welcomed the outcome of Integrated Review. He commented: “As joint partners in the National Security Strategic Investment Fund, we welcome the publication of today’s Integrated Review. Going forward, we will continue to play a major role in accelerating the development of dual-use advanced technologies, helping to build the UK as a science and technology superpower.”

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Integrated Review