Cyber-Defence to the Fore

Robert Hewson talks to Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff, about cyber-defence

Directed Energy: A Solution Looking for a Problem, or an Answer to the Improvised Explosive Devices Threat?

David Hayes and Dr Stuart Dowling examine the potential of the electromagnetic pulse to provide the breakthrough in countering the insurgents’ main weapon

MCM-ITP: A Benchmark in Anglo-French Research Co-operation

Steve Wadey reports on the Materials and Components for Missiles – Innovation and Technology Partnership

A Dynamic Nucleus for Collective Cyber-Defence

Robert F Brammer, vice president and CTO of Northrop Grumman Information Systems, outlines the capabilities of the UK’s new Federated Cyber Range

Building Panama’s Coastal Surveillance

Michael Codner reveals how the monitoring of Panama’s busy coastal waters is set for a major enhancement

US Port Security: Seaport Security Starts Far from Home

Retired US Navy captain Edward Lundquist explains how good law enforcement comes from good relationships

The Littoral Combat Ship: Delivering Freedom – and Flexibility – at Sea

Dr Lee Willett looks at the US Navy’s requirements for its future naval capability and how the Littoral Combat Ship will deliver some of that package

The Challenge of Evolving ISR: Controlling the Data Deluge

Mark Bigham outlines how the Green Thunder and RATS systems could help solve some of the information overload issues currently dogging the front line

Space and the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure

Elizabeth Quintana argues that space is as important as the cyber domain, both to the UK economy and national resilience

RAPTOR: Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado

Mark Phillips reviews the impact that the RAPTOR sensor pod is making in Afghanistan, and how it should be factored into future UK Combat-ISTAR capability

Testing Time for RQ-4 Block 40

RUSI research analyst Avnish Patel reviews Northrop Grumman’s Block 40 Global Hawk tests

Israel’s Digital Army Programme

Colonel Gil Maoz, the head of the Israel Defence Forces’ Digital Army Programme, talks to Simon Michell about the ongoing development of the system

Talon Strike: Securing a Clear View of the Battlefield

Jessie-May Brown and Pincher Martin reveal how Niteworks is pushing the boundaries of coalition network-enabled capabilities

Information Superiority: The Vision

Air Vice Marshal Steven Hillier, Director of Information Superiority at the UK’s Ministry of Defence, presents his outlook for the next two years

Building Coherence

Alistair Murray, Key Systems Advisor for Network-Enabled Capability, gives a review of progress two-and-a-half years after taking up his position

The UK Strategic Defence and Security Review: Implications for Defence Science and Technology

Professor Phil Sutton assesses the impact that the SDSR is likely to have on defence research

A Focus on Safety

Peter Symons reflects on some of the safety engineering challenges that face the defence community

Downsizing the Ministry of Defence: Opportunity or Threat?

Simon Michell examines whether efficiency gains are possible through the rationalisation of administration tasks at the Ministry of Defence

Enterprise Architecture and Systems Thinking: Realising Capability

Nic Plum outlines how Enterprise Architecture creates a lasting account of why a system is being acquired and how best to integrate it within the defence community

Driving Change in the Ministry of Defence: Are We Learning the Lessons?

Bob Barton, managing director of Niteworks, asks whether the MoD is equipped to drive substantive change, and outlines what he thinks is required

Harmonising Naval C4ISR Suites: The Path Forward in the Face of Budget Stresses

José Carreño, George Galdorisi, Dr Stephanie Hszieh and Andrew Sutherland disclose how rapid integration of C4ISR kit can hinder maritime networked connectivity

Cost and Timescale Forecasting for Defence Projects

David Kirkpatrick reviews the causes of inaccuracy and bias in cost and timescale forecasting

Post SDSR: Where Now for the Defence Industry?

Major General (Rtd) David Shouesmith and PRTM’s Dean Gilmore consider the opportunities hidden in the small print of the Strategic Defence and Security Review

DoD Acquisition Reform: Something Old, Something New

Dr Jeffrey Bradford reviews the US approach to reining in acquisition costs in existing procurement programmes

The SDSR: Why the Coalition Government Cut Where It Did

Alex Ashbourne-Walmsley follows up her prescient Strategic Defence and Security Review forecast with an explanation of the review’s implications

Editor's Letter