The UK’s 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a clear test: can defence move at the speed of innovation and do so in partnership with industry and private capital?
In a recent conversation, General Sir Richard Barrons, Co-Chair of Universal Defence & Security Solutions (UDSS) and one of the review’s architects, unpacked what this means in practice and why the new National Armaments Directors (NAD) Group is pivotal to delivering it.
Why the NAD Group matters
Barrons argues that creating the NAD Group represents “half the value” of the 2025 SDR. Its mandate stretches across the decisions that actually turn strategy into capability: innovation, acquisition, logistics and infrastructure—from “a submarine to a bullet,” and the support systems that keep them working. By bringing these levers under one accountable mechanism, the armed forces can keep pace with the private-sector innovation cycle rather than lag behind it.
This is more than structural reform; it’s cultural. The NAD Group is designed to lock in a partnership mindset with industry and investors—large and small—so that ideas can move quickly from lab to line, and sustainment is considered alongside procurement from day one.
Deterrence today, winning tomorrow
The context is a world that feels riskier and less predictable than at any point in recent decades. For Barrons, that demands clarity of purpose: deter today, and be ready to win if required tomorrow. Effort on its own is not enough; success is the only acceptable outcome, which is why defence, government, industry and private capital must “pull together” in a genuine partnership.
A 150-year shift in how defence works
SDR 2025 recognises that defence is undergoing its most profound transformation since the late 19th century. Cloud, AI, robotics and modern engineering are changing how militaries sense, decide and act—just as they have transformed the civilian world. Winners will be those who consistently get it right faster, not just once, but as a habit.
AI inside the Review: from 8,000 inputs to insight
That philosophy shaped how the SDR was built. Barrons reveals the team used brand-new AI tools to ingest around 8,000 submissions, surfacing what mattered and filtering noise so the Review could stay focused on outcomes. It was a live demonstration of cloud and AI enabling better decisions at speed.
The “digital targeting web”
At the heart of the Review sit two big technology ideas. First, the digital targeting web: connect any sensor, anywhere to any effector, anywhere, through secure cloud data managed by AI. It’s the architecture that links satellites, ships, aircraft, uncrewed platforms and ground systems into a coherent, responsive network—shortening the time from detection to decision to effect.
Second, those sensors and effectors themselves are changing. Crewed ships, tanks and aircraft will remain, but the vector is clear: many more uncrewed and increasingly autonomous systems. The Review team relied on scientific and engineering assurance to judge what’s possible, how fast it can be done, and where the early wins lie.
From specification-first to operator–engineer collaboration
Delivering at this pace means abandoning the old “write a detailed spec, then wait years for industry to deliver it” model. Instead, Barrons calls for operators and engineers working side-by-side—iterating, testing and fielding improvements continuously. That’s how defence can actually move at the speed of innovation, rather than talk about it.
Ten-year roadmap—ready to accelerate
SDR 2025 sets out a programme over ten years, governed by affordability. But Barrons is explicit: the team must be prepared to go faster as world events demand. Build the organisation now—then be ready to surge beyond the plan when the strategic environment requires it.
What this means for industry
For defence and dual-use companies, the signal is clear:
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Partnership is the default—from early research to through-life support.
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Data, cloud and AI are now core to force design, not add-ons.
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Rapid, iterative delivery will beat specification-heavy programmes.
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Uncrewed and autonomous systems will expand quickly across domains.
UDSS works at this interface between strategy, operations, technology and the industrial base—helping organisations shape propositions, navigate decision pathways and turn ideas into deployable capability.
To discuss how your business can contribute to SDR 2025 outcomes, through innovation, acquisition, logistics or infrastructure, contact the UDSS team via info@universal-defence.com
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