Defence

Information Warrior 2018 advances Royal Navy bid for information supremacy

Posted 11 May 2018

The Royal Navy's recent three-week exercise exploring the adoption of emerging technologies to secure the information advantage at sea, Information Warrior 2018, saw QinetiQ, working at Portsdown Technology Park, create an advanced digital environment in which to test communications, understand future challenges and identify opportunities to solve problems through innovative use of modern technology.

The exercise sought ways to overcome limitations imposed on communication by the nature of the maritime environment, such as bandwidth and legacy systems. It examined the feasibility of utilising the capacity of existing information services to deliver increased capability for Royal Navy platforms, together with open-architecture to improve the pace and flexibility of system development.

Royal Navy Information Warrior 2018 lead Cdr Whitehall said: “In the words of the First Sea Lord, ‘2018 will be a year of expanding maritime horizons for the Royal Navy’. Information Warrior sets out the vision for a modern approach to delivering information warfare and accelerates progress in addressing some of the shortfalls facing today’s frontline units. Through the innovative use of current capability and exploring the utility of emerging technology, Information Warrior challenges the defence procurement cycle to adopt a more agile approach. Success depends upon embracing different thinking, challenging assumptions and collaborating closely and openly across government, industry and academia.”

Ray Briggs, Principal Engineer, QinetiQ, said: “Information Warrior has shown that if you bring like-minded people together in the correct setting with the passion to solve problems, great things can be achieved. Our experienced engineers and unique facilities at Portsdown Technology Park help the Royal Navy by proving what is technically possible and answering the big questions in the complex information environment.”

As part of Information Warrior, and in support of the Year of Engineering, QinetiQ has devised a multi-layered cyber puzzle, aimed at the 16 to 24-year-olds. The puzzle is based around a fictitious maritime humanitarian and disaster relief scenario and encourages individuals to use the information gathered to solve challenges and progress through the game. It is specifically designed to be playable on mobile devices and desktops to encourage participation. The competition is based on the time taken to solve the puzzle and the winner will be offered a maritime-related prize, such as a family ticket to the Historic Dockyard.