The Ministry of Defence has outlined how the UK is working to make sure its uncrewed and counter-drone methods are totally interoperable with NATO frameworks, requirements and data-sharing protocols, in accordance with current parliamentary responses.
Responding to written questions from Edward Morello, Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, Defence Minister Al Carns stated that “the Defence Uncrewed Design Authority (DUxDA) has delegated authority to fulfil the UK Head of Delegation position at NATO Joint Functionality Teams for Uncrewed Methods.”
This position, he defined, supplies the UK with affect inside the NATO Standardisation Settlement (STANAG) course of, shaping how future NATO requirements for uncrewed methods are developed and applied.
Carns added that the DUxDA “has additionally mapped out all of the UK and NATO requirements which are relevant to Uncrewed Methods and are creating suggestions that may establish and implement particular requirements utilized to all Uncrewed Methods improvement transferring ahead.”
Alongside the work of the DUxDA, the UK has additionally contributed to the institution of the NATO Joint Functionality Group for Counter-Small Uncrewed Aerial Methods (C-sUAS), a discussion board supposed to harmonise Allied approaches to drone defence. The group is specializing in establishing NATO-wide coaching programmes, guaranteeing frequent tools requirements and making a shared lexicon for interoperability.
Carns confirmed that the UK has taken a number one position in supporting the technical foundations of those initiatives by way of the SAPIENT structure, a modular open commonplace developed by the Ministry of Defence to hyperlink autonomous sensors and effectors.
“To help the combination of apparatus throughout NATO nations, the UK has funded and developed SAPIENT, a standard structure commonplace that allows interoperability between autonomous sensors and effectors,” he acknowledged, noting that it had already been used operationally, together with throughout the NATO Summit in The Hague.