www.des.mod.uk Issue 150 February 2021 the magazine for defence equipment desider and support State-of-the-art thermal sight technology secured for British Army desider February 2021 Foreword ForewordBy Sir Simon Bollom, CEO Defence is entering a period of our relationships with industry significant change, bringing both and international allies; challenges and opportunities for COVID-19 has actually had a us all. positive effect on the level and While we do not yet know quality of communication and the final shape of the Integrated collaboration. We have much Review and Defence and to look forward to as we face Security Industrial Strategy, we the challenges ahead, such as do know that DE&S will continue the vision of a global Britain and to have a vital role in supporting investing in British ship building. defence going forward. Both will contribute to UK The review will define the prosperity as well as strengthen Government’s vision for the UK’s and enhance the capabilities of role in the world over the next our armed forces. decade which provides DE&S Elsewhere, DE&S signed with a platform to demonstrate the F-35 Lightning Air System consistent delivery, high quality National Availability Enterprise support, value for money and to (LANCE) contract to support deliver capabilities that provide the UK’s Lightning fleet – the operational edge to our delivering an enhanced level of armed forces. performance to our customers The additional £16.5-billion and supporting a key part of settlement announced by the the UK’s Carrier Strike Group Prime Minister in November that will venture on its inaugural was very positive news. It will deployment this year. enable defence to modernise It was great to see Kat and prepare for the threats Rolle and John Allen from the Leading technology for the and opportunities of a rapidly Weapons and Engineering changing world and to meet the & Safety operating centres UK’s security and economy requirements of the Integrated respectively, represent DE&S at Review. the Sustainability Symposium Translating the agility, conference. The conference The global“ crisis we innovation and confidence that centred around corporate find ourselves in is we have demonstrated through social responsibility, sustainable the pandemic into our core development and Lieutenant unprecedented and we programme will be at the heart General Richard Nugee’s vision all have a role to play in of exploiting new technology for a Sustainable Defence Tempest – innovation for at pace. We recently signed a operating model. DE&S ensuring that DE&S remains contract with Atlas Electronik UK continues its commitment to to procure three autonomous, challenging ways of working agile and responsive to the ‘uncrewed’ minesweeping and reducing our environmental the next generation systems to dispose of sea mines impact in support of the target of inevitably changing needs and reduce the risk to life of Net Zero 50. We can expect the of our customers Royal Navy personnel. This type sustainability issue to become of technology is accelerating increasingly prominent in our baesystems.com/tempest in all Domains and it is great to work going forward. see an exploitation path in the Finally, I must congratulate maritime sector which will bring all those recognised in the New ” a significant enhancement to Year Honours – it’s excellent the Royal Navy. The RAF has, seeing so many of our staff for many years been operating acknowledged for all their hard unmanned systems procured by work and dedication. Very well DE&S, and the Army Warfighting done. Experiment demonstrated the I want to thank you all for utility of autonomy and AI in the your continued commitment to land environment. By working defence. The global crisis we find across Domains with our industry ourselves in is unprecedented partners we have the opportunity and we all have a role to play to shape the market and become in ensuring that DE&S remains world-leading in this area. agile and responsive to the I am very proud to see inevitably changing needs of our DE&S continue to develop customers. Copyright © 2020 BAE Systems. All rights reserved. BAE SYSTEMS is a registered trademark. 3 desider February 2021 desider February 2021 Contents Contents Contents Twitter: @DefenceES On the cover Facebook: @DefenceES Soldier operating surveillance system that gathers information from the Dismounted Joint Fires Integrator. LinkedIn: Defence Equipment & Support 11RAF Voyagers support French mission to Djibouti YouTube: DE&S (Crown copyright) www.gov.uk/government/publications/desider-2021 Editor: Louisa Keefe Louisa Keefe - 07971 013054 [email protected] Contributors: Daniel Evans, Louise Allford, Tom Morris, Lowri Jones, Hannah Swingler, Paul McLennan Photography and Design: Katherine Williams, Jack Eckersley, Charlie Perham, Andrew Linnett, Geraint Vaughan, Grace Tamsett, Will Andrews and Hannah Bone Distribution Manager: Dick Naughton - 0117 9134342 6Senior Leader Comment 12LANCE F-35 support contract DFJI State-of-the art surveillance system [email protected] 18 Vice Admiral Rick Advertising Manager: Thompson Edwin Rodrigues [email protected] 07482 571535 Picture: Jack Eckersley Picture: Printing desider is distributed free to DE&S employees and the equipment capability organisations. 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Ships domain take the defence sector on the challenge 4 5 desider February 2021 Senior Leader Comment Project Manager VAdm Rick Engineer Thompson, Director Commercial General Air, talks to Desider Finance about returning to DE&S, Graduate learning from the COVID-19 FIND pandemic and the challenges ahead YOUR FUTURE As we settle into 2021 and returning to the organisation after smartly by a number of years. delivering to performance, time take stock of the situation we a prolonged absence is getting up Remote working has helped and cost. The current economic continue to find ourselves in with to speed with the demands of the build upon our cultural aims of climate, alongside the pressures Business Manager COVID-19, I’ve been reflecting job. In a pandemic, this has been embedding trust, empowerment on the defence budget, means this on the past 12 months. While an made even more difficult as I've and delegation throughout the is more important than ever. We incredibly difficult time, 2020 been unable to meet colleagues, organisation. I hope the result must spend every penny wisely did bring positive changes to our customers and suppliers face-to- of this will be demonstrated by and deliver value for the taxpayer. working lives – particularly on a face and have instead had to build better achieving our projects and If COVID-19 was our biggest Communications personal front. these relationships virtually. programme milestones, not just challenge in 2020, I think I joined DE&S in September Delivering through COVID-19 for the 2020/21 financial year, but delivering the outcomes of the 2020, taking up the role of DG remains a challenge. As recent beyond. Integrated Review with restricted Air. Being successful in the months have proved; we never In future, we need to become resources is the number one competition for the post was the know what's around the corner. more agile; increase our efficiency challenge for 2021. Project Controller biggest highlight of my year. It Throughout 2020, everybody and effectiveness; and focus on was a huge privilege to be offered – DE&S, industry, customers the opportunity to become the and suppliers – was forced to first Naval officer to lead the Air significantly change their way of domain, especially as it’s been a working and it certainly tested us Human Resources long-standing career aspiration of in terms of how we communicate mine. and engage with each other in This isn’t my first time at DE&S a virtual world, to achieve a – I originally joined what was the common understanding and meet Defence Procurement Agency our goals. In future, we need to become Security in 1993 and have held numerous Now we need to begin to “ posts in the intervening years – but understand the longer-term more agile; increase our this is the first time I've returned impact this continued disruption in the last four years. may have on our projects and efficiency and effectiveness; Stepping back into DE&S, programmes. Due to their lengths and focus on delivering to it’s easy to see how significantly and complexities, this may not be the organisation has changed fully understood for several years, performance, time and cost during this time. It’s grown into but we must do all we can now to a professional, customer-focused ensure there are no detrimental organisation and has embraced effects further down the line. the ‘great delivery, great people, Deciding