UK MoD Launches New Cyber Warfare Command

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command and £1bn worth investment to boost the armed forces’ digital warfare capabilities.

The new command will be in charge of defending UK military networks from rising cyber-attacks, and coordinate offensive cyber operations with the previously established National Cyber Force (NCF).

It will be headed up by General Sir James Hockenhull.

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This new Command will look to harness “electromagnetic warfare,” which includes techniques such as degrading command and control, jamming signals to drones or missiles and intercepting an adversary’s communications.

The MoD also unveiled plans to develop a new Digital Targeting Web in which it will invest more than £1bn. This digital capability is designed to connect weapons systems through AI and other technologies, as well as enabling better communication between different parts of the Armed Forces.

It gave the example of a threat being identified by a sensor on a ship or in space before being disabled by an F-35 aircraft, drone or offensive cyber operation.

The move it part of the government’s plans to put cyber operations at the forefront of the UK’s defence strategy, as part of its Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

The SDR recommends that the MoD should deliver the Digital Targeting Web by 2027.

Responding to the Changing Nature of Warfare

Defence Secretary John Healey said that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war demonstrated the need for enhanced digital systems and capabilities alongside and in combination with physical attacks.

This includes the Ukrainian military using digital technology to identify the enemy and quickly launch attacks – an approach that enabled them to stop the encircling Russian advance.

“Ways of warfare are rapidly changing – with the UK facing daily cyber-attacks on this new frontline. The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine leave us under no illusions that future conflicts will be won through forces that are better connected, better equipped and innovating faster than their adversaries,” commented Healey.

He added: “We will give our Armed Forces the ability to act at speeds never seen before – connecting ships, aircraft, tanks and operators so they can share vital information instantly and strike further and faster.”

The announcements come after the MoD revealed it will fast-track the recruitment of specialist cybersecurity roles, who will be deployed in defensive and offensive capacities.

This falls under the Cyber Direct Entry programme which offers an accelerated path into military cyber roles.

This is in response to rising cyber intrusions by hostile states, with the UK experiencing 90,000 such attacks in the past two years.