A new £50 million UK centre will support the training of
world-class cyber experts, both domestically and internationally,
Defence Secretary has announced.
The announcement comes as UK and US defence chiefs attend the
Atlantic Future Forum 2022 in New York City this week.
The two-day forum seeks to advance vital defence, security,
trading and economic partnerships between the UK and US, and
explore how to boost innovation, economic growth and resilience.
Building on the success of the UK’s Defence Cyber School, the new
Defence Cyber Academy will develop sovereign and international
courses and support wider UK endeavours in developing the
national cyber profession – launching in 2022.
It will bolster the ranks of the UK and international allies,
including the United States, training high-quality defence
personnel to be at the forefront of cyber technology, strategy
and operational preparedness. Closer alliances between our
nations, delivered through shared experiences and training, will
allow our personnel to better prepare for NATO, joint and
multi-domain operations of the future.
Backed by £50 million, the academy will support the wider
development of the national cyber profession, as part of the
National Cyber Strategy. It will:
- Increase the volume and scope of training and education,
supporting the growth of Defence’s cyber workforce
- Collaborate with global allies, to identify and adopt
best-practice, and provide international products and services
- Engage with industry and academia to
enhance its Higher Education and research programme
Defence Secretary said:
Defence co-operation between the United Kingdom and the United
States is the broadest and deepest of any two countries in the
world, and will continue to expand in the coming decades.
The Defence Cyber Academy builds on that collaboration, defining
closer integration and shared capability, helping us and our
allies counter global cyber security threats, staying one step
ahead and at the forefront of this cutting-edge military domain.
Based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, the launch of the academy comes
after the DCMS revealed cyber-attacks, including espionage
activity and ransomware infiltration, across Government has cost
an estimated £100 million in the last year.
Commander of Strategic Command, General Sir Jim
Hockenhull said:
As Defence’s leader for the cyber domain, Strategic Command is
committed to ensuring our personnel have the cyber skills needed
to maintain a competitive edge against our adversaries. The
Defence Cyber Academy will allow us to expand the training
opportunities we offer, and share these with our international
allies. This new development will help us share our expertise and
better conduct the integrated operations needed in a modern
battlespace.
The Atlantic Future Forum is taking place on board HMS Queen
Elizabeth, anchored in the Hudson River just off New York City’s
financial district. In the coming months, the aircraft carrier
will be at the heart of a powerful task group made up of
thousands of sailors, up to ten ships, F-35B Lightning jets,
helicopter squadrons and Royal Marines Commandos which will
operate across Europe this autumn.
The conference is an opportunity to discuss the success of the UK
and US working collaboratively at unprecedented speed to
support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with crucial military
capabilities since Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.
The continued and very close relationships between US and UK
suppliers and governments has seen typical procurement timelines
shortened from months to days, allowing the supply of military
aid in record speed.
As well as the large capabilities, such as multi-launch rocket
systems, ground-to-air missiles and anti-tank weapons, non-lethal
military aid has been procured at pace. For example, around
200 armoured vehicles have been fitted with sophisticated
military communications capabilities and delivered to Ukraine,
involving the designing of dozens of components from scratch.
