The UK's Armed Forces will be strengthened by a new cutting-edge
platform that will revolutionise how the military manages and
maintains its equipment, driving efficiency and creating more
than 100 highly-skilled jobs.
The new platform will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help
ensure Armed Forces have the right equipment in the right place
at the right time, delivering on the ambitions of the Strategic
Defence Review.
The £320 million contract with IBM UK for the Defence Equipment
Engineering Asset Management Systems (DEEAMS) will create 100 new
highly-skilled jobs in the UK, making defence an engine for
growth and delivering on the Government's Plan for Change.
The new system will replace 17 fragmented, siloed and outdated
applications with one enabled modern streamlined platform, using
AI to bring over £1 billion in benefits such as savings on
support and IT costs. It will provide personnel with real-time
information to predict maintenance and repairs, stock
availability, and engineering planning across major equipment and
platforms.
It will also enable the adoption of future productivity-enhancing
technologies, making sure the UK's Armed Forces stay at forefront
of defence innovation and capability.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, MP, said:
This is a major step forward in our commitment to ensuring our
military has the very best equipment support available.
We are revolutionising how we provide our front-line personnel
with the kit they need, when they need it, whether they're
operating at home or deployed overseas.
We are delivering on the Government's Plan for Change with this
£320 million investment, creating 100 new skilled jobs here in
the UK and driving defence as an engine for growth.
This government is delivering the biggest transformation of UK
defence in a generation to reshape how the military protects
Britain against unprecedented global threats. This is backed with
the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the Cold
War, rising to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, with an ambition for hitting
3% in the next Parliament.
Serving over 65,000 users across more than 130 major military
platforms and assets, the system will improve the quality and
speed of military decision making, boost operational
effectiveness, and support the resilience of digital networks.
Rahul Kalia, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting UKI,
said:
IBM is proud to support the Ministry of Defence to deliver the
transformational DEEAMS programme to enable a next generation,
full-lifecycle asset management solution for the UK Armed Forces.
Working with our ecosystem partners, we will deliver this
mission-critical platform with predictive intelligence and
real-time data driven insights to improve planning and support
strategic decision making.
This investment follows the launch of the Defence Industrial
Strategy and demonstrates defence's commitment to supporting UK
economic growth and maintaining Britain's position at the
forefront of technology innovation.
The project builds on the Strategic Defence Review's
recommendations for the UK Armed Forces to rapidly modernise and
embrace the latest technology. Digital integration, data and
digital systems are fundamental underpinnings of all modern
military capabilities, making them more capable, resilient, and
effective.
This contract represents defence's ongoing commitment to digital
transformation, ensuring our Armed Forces have warfighting
capabilities with cutting-edge systems and innovative
technologies that provide modern information systems and
processes, streamlining support and enhancing operational
effectiveness home and overseas.
