Transforming training is crucial to future-proofing our armed forces

Future-proofing our training is the best way of ensuring our Armed Forces are equipped to keep us safe and secure in the future says Frazer Ross, Head of Government & Military Training Solutions, Raytheon UK.

The world has had to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19. The current climate has encouraged organisations to adapt to new ways of working and learning, and their ability to embrace digitisation has played a big role in this. 

Businesses have been forced to be agile to adapt to recent events, with many deploying digital learning tools for employees working from home; something that has proven to enable more effective learning and at a lower cost. Through adapting to new ways of working and learning, these businesses are building resilient workforces that can withstand challenges of the future. 

Defence is no exception. In these uncertain times, the defence industry has faced its own set of challenges, from job cuts across defence supply chain businesses and in the aerospace industry, to disruption in the manufacturing sector. As the industry grapples with these new challenges, it must also face the changes that have defined the sector for the past few years.

The defence industry continues to face enormous pressure to ensure that it remains highly agile, fit for purpose and cost effective; it must do so within increasingly volatile national and international environments. From new forms of artificial intelligence, right through to non-traditional forms of warfare, terrorism and cyber threats, the entire defence landscape is evolving exponentially. Traditional warfare has changed, and these new and ever-evolving threats are no longer predictable or conventional, working only to intensify current uncertainties. 

Here in the UK, it is our armed forces (and the security agencies) that stand at the forefront of understanding this changing landscape. It is for this reason that our armed forces are a crucial first line of defence for our national security and ensuring Britain remains protected. It is therefore critical that we equip them to face uncertainties and ensure that they are always one step ahead, by providing them with what they need to keep the nation safe. 

Making military training fit for the future is key to ensuring we have the right talent, strong national defence and an unshakeable military resilience. At Raytheon UK, we have a proven track record of providing the right training both in the UK and overseas. We have been able to transform our approach to training and deliver virtual and digital learning programmes that have equipped forces with world-class skill-sets. 

Through harnessing innovative training programmes and digital platforms, we have been able to deploy our Advanced Battlespace Computer Simulation programme across the UK and in Canada. This has given UK and Canadian armed forces state-of-the art training, equipping them with essential battlefield dexterity. The training programme constructively simulates a complex battlefield environment designed to put a team’s critical decision-making skills to the test, allowing them to respond to threats more rapidly. 

As a business, Raytheon UK knows the benefits brought by modernising training and how this does not mean compromising on learning quality and outcomes. We have taken our expertise in innovative military training overseas to deliver solutions to a multitude of complex issues. 

For example, our Warfighter FOCUS programme equipped the US Army with virtual training domains, working with the US Department of Defense to deliver trained personnel through numerous advanced live, virtual and constructive training systems.

Future-proofing training through the utilisation of technology is crucial to building resilience in our national defence and security. We must continually look for ways that we can adapt our training so that the strength of our operational capability over-matches any risk that we may face in the future. Training must be underpinned by transformative technology and global expertise; only then can our armed forces become digitally agile and fit for the future. 

Digital training programmes can offer immersive and flexible learning to help prepare for challenging operations; real-time analysis can also be run alongside training to demonstrate the best approaches to difficult real-life battlefield situations. Simulation exercises and tech-enabled training solutions are critical to equipping the military with the proficiency they need to accomplish complex operations in order to combat future threats. 

There is a need for the defence sector to shake up its approach to training so that our military can continue to overcome and alleviate such risks in the future. This includes seizing and utilising technology in a way that strengthens military capabilities and generates an innate agility to counter constantly evolving threats, whether technical or otherwise. 

Transforming our armed forces’ training in tandem with the evolving military landscape can help us manage future national security risks and enhance resilience, while ensuring the people who protect Britain are kept safe themselves. This means transforming and future-proofing our training with the best-in-class technology and capabilities, something that Raytheon UK has done before and will continue to do.

To learn more about Raytheon UK's training capabilities, listen to episode 1 of the Defining the Future podcast.