From Information to Insight (sponsored)
Until the 21st century, intelligence was gathered in discreet ways. People would go undercover, use secret codes, and pass intelligence over at park benches.
With thanks to the huge leap forward in technology, we now live in a world with an abundance of easily accessible information.
Every day, hundreds of millions of photos, comments, articles, videos, and documents are published online. The challenge for governments, therefore, is how to harness the information and insights within these data sets.
When the effort is made to crunch through this stream of information, it’s proven to be key for winning battles. Ukraine’s defence against Russia is perhaps the best modern example of this.
While the Russian armed forces are unquestionably larger, by matching intelligence to public information from satellites, drones, and directly from citizens on the ground, Ukraine’s forces have been able to defend themselves extremely effectively and with precision.
With 127 new devices being connected to the internet every second, it’s clear new methods of sourcing military intelligence are increasingly available.
For governments around the world, this means focusing their investment on ways in which to make sense of the data available to them, in a timely and effective manner.
This paper by Paul Rimmer, From Information to Insight, highlights ways militaries can seize on this opportunity.
It outlines how the defence industry has grown its capability alongside the private sector to develop new ways to distil intelligence, and how governments could move forward, alongside ongoing Whitehall reviews, to stay ahead of the pack on the huge information shift.
While some nations may continue to rely solely on old-school techniques for intelligence gathering, Rimmer’s paper clearly reinforces that governments could gain a huge military advantage by utilising what’s already available.
It is this “fusion” into actionable, insightful intelligence that is key to the future conduct of operations. And in our increasingly connected world, that snippet might come from a camera-enabled doorbell, mobile phone or a satellite.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend]()
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
![UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release]()
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
![Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)]()
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
![US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts]()
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.
-
![Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces]()
Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces
Airbus was awarded the Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO) contract at the end of 2010. This included an option for a third satellite, which was activated after Germany joined the programme in 2015.
-
![Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)]()
Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)
In today’s contested operational environment, adaptability is key. The new Geospatial-Intelligence as a Service (GEO IaaS) solution from Fujitsu and MAIAR empowers militaries by enabling intelligence advantage, combining advanced technology with human expertise to deliver actionable insights.
