Defence resilience is no longer a narrow supply chain issue. It is a strategic priority. Universal Defence and Security Solutions is pleased to partner with Moody’s for the Defence Supply Chain Risk & Resilience Forum 2026, an invitation-only forum hosted at the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall, London.
The forum will bring together senior leaders from government, defence and industry to examine how defence organisations can better understand, anticipate and manage risk across increasingly complex supply chains, industrial networks and enterprise systems.
At a time of heightened geopolitical instability, persistent cyber threats, financial uncertainty and pressure on defence industrial capacity, the resilience of defence supply chains is now central to national security, operational readiness and strategic deterrence.
Why defence supply chain resilience matters
Recent years have exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains to war, sanctions, cyber activity, energy disruption, industrial bottlenecks and fragile supplier ecosystems. For defence, these risks carry consequences far beyond procurement delay or commercial inconvenience.
A weakness in the defence supply chain can affect readiness, capability delivery, operational tempo, force protection and national resilience. It can also create strategic dependencies that adversaries may seek to exploit.
Defence organisations must therefore move beyond narrow supplier management and develop a more integrated understanding of risk. This includes visibility across critical dependencies, financial exposure, cyber vulnerability, industrial capacity, logistics, data, technology, infrastructure and the wider geopolitical environment.
A timely forum for senior leaders
The Defence Supply Chain Risk & Resilience Forum 2026 will provide a timely opportunity for senior stakeholders to share insight and consider practical responses to these challenges.
Discussions will focus on how defence, government and industry can strengthen resilience across complex enterprise networks, improve visibility of risk, and develop more robust approaches to preparedness, assurance and continuity.
Key themes are expected to include:
- The impact of geopolitical and hybrid threats on defence systems and supply chains
- Greater visibility across dependencies, vulnerabilities and supplier networks
- The role of intelligence, data and risk frameworks in supporting better decision-making
- Cyber risk and the protection of critical digital and operational systems
- Financial risk, industrial fragility and the importance of sustainable supplier ecosystems
- The practical steps needed to strengthen readiness and resilience across the defence enterprise
UDSS and Moody’s: supporting a strategic conversation
UDSS works with defence, government and industry partners to help organisations understand risk, strengthen resilience and respond to complex security challenges. Our experience spans defence transformation, national security, operational planning, critical infrastructure resilience, cyber security, command and control, and strategic advisory support.
Partnering with Moody’s on this forum reflects a shared recognition that defence resilience requires a more connected view of risk. Financial, industrial, geopolitical, cyber and operational factors can no longer be assessed in isolation. They must be understood as part of a wider defence ecosystem.
By convening senior leaders at RUSI, the forum will support a focused and practical discussion on how the UK and its partners can build the resilience required for an increasingly contested security environment.
Register your interest
Places for the Defence Supply Chain Risk & Resilience Forum 2026 are limited. Attendance is by invitation only and places will be confirmed separately.
Register your interest to attend: https://mdy.link/4xk9GcA