Building the Digital Targeting Web
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-09)

Dstl and partners are enabling the UK's Integrated Fighting Force by developing underlying technology that will connect platforms and systems.

The Strategic Defence Review outlines how armed forces must transform into an Integrated Fighting Force to improve lethality and effectiveness. Data and digital systems are the fundamental underpinnings of all modern military capabilities, making them more capable, resilient, and lethal.

Informed by lessons from Ukraine, the Digital Targeting Web (DTW) will connect ‘sensors’, ‘deciders’, and ‘effectors’. This creates choice and speed in deciding how to degrade or destroy an identified target across domains and in a contested cyber and electromagnetic domain. Informed by artificial intelligence (AI) and supported by a common synthetic environment, the targeting web epitomises how the Integrated Force must fight and adapt.

Sensors

Dstl has created the fundamental algorithms and architecture of a next generation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) enterprise, which creates and allocates ISR asset taskings, as targets or asset availability present themselves. This concept is known as Reactive ISR and has been demonstrated at the NATO Innovation Continuum SHINE exercise (https://www.act.nato.int/article/natos-innovation-continuum-shine/).

Deciders

The Machine Speed Command and Control (C2) project demonstrated AI has transformative potential within Operational-Level C2. A prototype Human Agent Collective addressed the human business of C2 in partnership with numerous innovative AI agents, developed through funding of industry and academia.

Effectors

Dstl is leading the development of a range of novel directed energy, cyber, and electromagnetic weapons systems for forward deployment to protect sensitive sites and assets. Laser directed energy weapons (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-procurement-rules-help-rapid-fitting-of-military-laser-to-royal-navy-ships) are offering the potential to be long term, low cost alternatives to some classes of missile systems.

Dstl: making the DTW a reality

The DTW is a transformational initiative to equip the UK’s armed forces for 21st century warfare.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in conjunction with industry partners has been developing the underlying technology, enabling the seamless integration and connectivity of platforms and systems, across digital, physical and international boundaries.

Dstl research, collaborating with industry, academic and international partners, is prototyping the building blocks needed to make DTW real. We’re leveraging advances in commercial sector capabilities in computing, sensing and networks and integrating with Defence expertise to create machine-speed operational decision making and increased lethality.

Dstl has the critical knowledge of technology and the evolving threat and operational context to develop resilient capabilities for contested environments that are fit for the future.

Our unique defence science and technology capabilities and know-how, combined with our extensive partnerships, closes the gap between the technician and the tactician to ensure UK operational advantage.

Modular architectures

Scalable and modular open systems architecture to support integration within UK and NATO allies will be key to enable the integration, flexibility and agility required by the DTW.

Dstl has developed a number of architectures and standards to support integration:
- Single Information Environment: aims to deliver the right information, at the right time, to the right quality, seamlessly in the users’ hands, whatever the source, as demonstrated during Project Acheron in 2024.
- SAPIENT (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sapient-autonomous-sensor-system): was developed by Dstl and published as a British Standards Institute (BSI) standard in July 2023. SAPIENT enables interoperability of artificial intelligence enabled sensors in networked multi-sensor systems, combined with intelligent fusion and sensor management, and has been widely adopted in the counter uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) area.
- AI Passport: enables ‘plug-and-play’ integration of AI components into military capabilities to enhance agility and operational effectiveness
Military experimentation

Dstl has tested prototypes for elements of the DTW in military exercises.

For example, Project Convergence in 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/aukus-takes-another-step-forward-with-real-time-ai-trials) saw the deployment of a series of AI-enabled uncrewed aerial vehicles that allow a human operator to locate, disable and destroy targets on the ground. The ground-breaking exercise was the first use of autonomy and AI sensing systems in a real-time military environment.

This demonstrated the digital integration of sensors, deciders and effectors, including with our international partners, and testing common architectures for interoperability including the US Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) and the AI Passport.

ASGARD

Working with Army HQ, Dstl helped create the concept, define and develop the user requirements for the ASGARD (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fundamental-lethality-shift-for-british-army-spearheaded-by-novel-targeting-tech-asgard) deep recce-strike complex.

This has been trialled during a NATO exercise in Estonia and will enable, improve, and accelerate rapid targeting and decision-support for Deep Fires operations and enhance the capabilities of dismounted close combat troops during close fight operations.

During ASGARD’s next phase we will be working with military and industry partners to extend the concept as part of the Army’s growing contribution to the DTW.

Find out more about Dstl (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory/about) and how to work with us (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-sell-to-dstl-industry-academia-and-other-research-organisations).