BAE Systems and Microsoft have signed a strategic agreement aimed at supporting faster and easier development, deployment and management of digital defense capabilities. The collaboration brings together BAE Systems’ expertise in building complex digital systems for militaries and governments with Microsoft’s approach to developing applications using its Azure Cloud platform.
In addition to aiding collaboration on large multinational defense projects, cloud technology can also be used to more easily combine and analyze different data sources amid military operations.
Air, land and sea force devices face constant and ever-improving threats. Therefore, their digital systems need to be regularly updated to recognize and counter them. As part of this collaboration, BAE Systems and Microsoft used the Azure Cloud approach to accelerate the design, development and testing of a system for deploying new software on an unmanned aerial vehicle during flight. This cloud approach may in the future accelerate the deployment of software on operational military platforms. Modern fighters, for example, can require up to 24 million lines of code to operate efficiently, so using the cloud to deploy updates could make the process faster and help maintain a competitive advantage over adversaries.
“The data available to the defense sector and the military is usually highly complex and comes from hundreds of thousands of sources, whether it’s satellite and radar feeds, information collected by ships at sea, or even social media. Our innovative contract with Microsoft will give us easier access to tools that help us understand this information for our customers – enabling the military to stay ahead of rapidly evolving threats while maintaining the highest levels of security,” said Julian Cracknell, BAE Systems’ chief technology and information officer.
The two companies also explored the ability to reduce the time it takes for an innovative idea to go into production. Digital design and manufacturing have been at the core of BAE Systems for decades, but due to the growth in data volumes and complexity, the use of cloud technology can help perform data analysis and simulations. The Azure Cloud also provides digital engineering capabilities that can help get the most out of data by digitally connecting the design, manufacturing and operation of products throughout their lifespan.
The agreement is underpinned by a commitment from both companies to develop technology using open architecture digital tools, allowing customers to work more easily with other companies. This can help BAE Systems to collaborate with small companies and partners without compromising security by only allowing access to very specific work areas. Using this approach makes it easier for smaller companies to meet rigorous defense security standards.
“This strategic agreement will enable defense organizations to use data more effectively. This will help them promote stability and security for residents, nations and multinational alliances. Working together, delivering agile, secure and reliable software, BAE Systems and Microsoft are already delivering tangible results to our customers. These results mean they can modernize environments, protect information domains and optimize operations,” said Clare Barclay, CEO, Microsoft UK.
Since the partnership began, BAE Systems and Microsoft have worked on three successful initiatives highlighting the benefits of modern cloud software in the defense sector. These projects have included enhancing real-time tactical naval intelligence through access to more dynamic data sources; developing secure software to provide real-time updates for airborne platforms; and creating a ‘digital thread’ to support the maintenance of maritime platforms from conception to deployment.