Secretary of State for Defence visits Strategic Command
Defence Secretary meets with teams to discuss current operations, support to Ukraine, digital innovation, and future challenges.
Defence Secretary with Strategic Command personnel, including Commander Strategic Command, Gen Jim Hockenhull. Crown copyright.
The Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt Hon John Healey MP, visited Strategic Command at our innovation hub in White City, where he met with various teams from across the organisation. This included soldiers, sailors, aviators, civil servants, industry partners, and international allies, all collaborating as part of One Defence.
During his visit, the Defence Secretary was briefed on Strategic Command’s work on current operations, including the UK’s support to Ukraine. Our medics showcased their efforts in rehabilitating injured Ukrainian personnel by sharing expertise, equipment, and providing support through telemedicine.
The Defence Secretary also learned about the work of the Permanent Joint Headquarters who, alongside Defence Support, have coordinated the movement of tens of thousands of tonnes of equipment to Ukraine by air, land, and sea. Digital connectivity underpins everything we do, and the Defence Secretary heard from the team who are enhancing the speed of decision-making by fusing data from many sources to provide a real-time, comprehensive view of operational activity.
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A highlight of the visit was the Defence Secretary’s meeting with the cyber warriors who protect our digital network, which connects over 230,000 users across 1,300 sites worldwide. These dedicated individuals monitor, identify, and counter threats to the network – 24/7 – to ensure the security of Defence and the nation.
The visit also emphasised the importance of learning from current operations to improve and prepare for future challenges. The Defence Secretary met with those responsible for training and education, including representatives from the Defence Cyber Academy, which offers a wide array of courses and uses impressive digital learning tools to develop Defence’s cyber workforce.
Looking further ahead, Strategic Command is home to Defence Futures, a team that brings together expertise from Defence, government, industry, academia, and international partners to anticipate future trends and provide evidence-based insights for long-term strategic decisions. Their latest publication, ‘Global Strategic Trends: Out to 2055’, is a valuable resource used by governments worldwide.
Throughout the day, digital and technological innovation was a recurring theme. The JHub innovation team demonstrated how augmented reality technology can enhance mission preparation and provide decision-makers with a better understanding of situations, no matter where they are in the world. Meanwhile, Strategic Command’s Digital Foundry demonstrated how they can develop digital tools and make the most of our data for users across Defence.
The visit highlighted the remarkable talents within Strategic Command. From coders and analysts, to medics, operators, scientists, educators, strategists and more, everyone in Strategic Command plays a crucial role as part of One Defence. The Defence Secretary expressed his gratitude for the dedication and hard work of everyone in Strategic Command, reinforcing the importance of their contribution to our national security.
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