Future Threat Understanding and Disruption Programme
The Future Threat Understanding and Disruption Programme ensures the UK understands the potential defence and security impact of emerging science and technology.
Emerging technologies can offer great benefit to defence and security but equally many challenges are faced from a world of rapid and fundamental change.
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The Future Threat Understanding and Disruption Programme works to ensure that the UK understands the potential defence and security impact of emerging science and technology in order to reduce the chance of future ‘shocks’, and that the UK is prepared to respond to and counter future threats.
Assessing the defence and security implications posed by novel and emergent technologies, such as the hostile use of advances in autonomy, can better prepare the UK defence and security communities to respond to and counter these threats.
The programme conducts assessments of emerging challenges raised by:
- developments across the full spectrum of science and technology
- policy
- changing and emergent environments
- relevant social, legal and ethical opinion that could have a significant impact on UK defence and security.
This will reduce the likelihood of future technological ‘shocks’ and support the UK in maintaining freedom of action in the face of emerging threats to its capability. The programme works across UK Government, with key international allies and with partners from industry and academia.
Key activities
- Establish the capability to identify and assess future, novel and emerging threats
- Analyse and assess the potential impact of emerging technologies on UK capabilities.
- Develop novel disruption concepts and techniques.
For more information about this programme, please contact us: centralenquiries@dstl.gov.uk