IT 2 EC 2020 IT 2 EC Extended Abstract Template Presentation/Panel IT 2 EC 2020 – Hyperreal xR SEAN BELL Chairman, Close Air Solutions Ltd, UK Abstract : HyperReal Immersion is a unique partnership approach to capability development. MOD and industry are co-funding an initiative to explore the potential of Mixed Reality training to transform the defence operational training environment. This has huge implications for defence, not only as a way of exploiting the te chnological advances in adjacent markets, but also for the MOD’s future relationship with industry. 1 Executive Summary military forces procure and develop capability; the UK MOD is very keen to collaborate with other nations facing the same challenge. Technology used to provide military forces with their asymmetric advantage; however, the increasing pace of 2 Introduction technological advances - particularly in adjacent markets in response to huge investments – is creating new challenges for global military forces. Procurement The UK MOD – like many other military organisations – processes that have matured over decades are well suited sees technology as its asymmetric advantage. However, to large complex equipment programmes, but are less well the rapidly increasing pace of technological innovation, suited to exploiting technology, where the pace of change coupled with a procurement process better suited to large outpaces defence’s ability to set requirements, go to complex programmes, has demanded a fresh approach. In competition, down-select, contract award, take delivery addition, the large Original Equipment Manufacturers and finally get technology into service – by which time the (OEMs) that dominate the defence market have extremely technology is already outdated. In addition, training is a impressive latent capability; however, agility, dynamism vital ingredient in converting equipment into relevant, and flexibility are more often the characteristics of the credible capability. However, defence is not the market Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) rather than leader in simulation technology, and its procurement large OEMs. The MOD is not the market leader in many processes tend to drive industry to the cheapest compliant of the technological areas that it wishes to exploit; adjacent solution, rather than incentivising industry to capitalise on markets – such as gaming, banking and wider commerce – adjacent market advances to create a vibrant and evolving are investing £Bns to address wider market requirements, training eco-system. and thus defence risks being left in a technological “backwater”. As a result, MOD is looking at ways to The UK MOD is pioneering a fresh approach. Through the engage with the technological revolution, leverage Defence and Security Accelerator initiative, it has down- adjacent market investment, and re-define its relationship selected Close Air Solutions and its Hyper Real Immersion with national industry. MR capability to be a vanguard project in a co-investment partnership approach to capability development. MOD Equipment endures as the essential foundation of military believes that HRI has the potential to transform the capability – the “Industrial Age” of warfare. Whilst operational training landscape and provide our armed equipment and kinetic effects will endure as core forces the ability to fight as we train – quite the opposite of capabilities within a credible military arsenal, increasingly what our peacetime training model provides today. Rather strategic success will be achieved by those best able to than waiting for a mature product to be available and then achieve decision agility and dominance – the “Information start a lengthy procurement process, leading to early Age”. This new information environment has fundamental obsolescence, MOD is exploring the benefits of a implications for Defence – for defining military capability, partnership approach, through rapid iterative development what it means to project military power, and how to ensure activity, to inform MOD’s f uture requirements. relevance in a fast-moving society in which the Military serves. Furthermore, as the late Sir Michael Quinlan, The HRI project is thus exploring not only the potential Permanent Secretary at the United Kingdom Ministry of technological benefits that MR might offer defence in the Defence, observed [1]: near future, but also whether a very different relationship with industry is required to capitalise on the technological ‘In matters of military contingency, the expected, precisely revolution. This exciting Team UK approach to because it is expected, is not to be expected. Rationale: addressing future Modelling and Simulation requirements what we expect, we plan and provide for; what we plan could have profound implications for the way modern
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