All articles by Julian Turner
Julian Turner
The cyber Cold War: Russian and US security systems draw new lines on the map
Building robust cybersecurity systems from scratch is expensive and laborious while off-the-shelf solutions tend to be Russian or American. If a country doesn’t have the means to develop its own protocols and has to pick a side for its systems provider, could a new cyber Cold War emerge? Julian Turner reports.
Intelligent design: inside France’s €1.5bn AI strategy
France has launched the Man-Machine Teaming study into applying artificial intelligence to combat aircraft, part of a €1.5bn investment strategy aimed at closing the technology gap with the US and China. Julian Turner reports on the global race for supremacy in the sphere of military AI.
Smart bases: arming the UK military with seamless Wi-Fi
British Telecom (BT) is working with the UK military to ‘help staff connect quickly, understand clearly and act decisively’ through access to real-time information on military bases. Julian Turner talks to Glen Ashby, sales director at BT Defence, about providing superior connectivity to the armed forces.
Exercise Toxic Dagger: training the UK military to mitigate CBRN threats
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has been working with the Commando Royal Marines on the UK’s biggest annual chemical warfare exercise, Toxic Dagger. Julian Turner finds out how UK military personnel train for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.
The dual-use dilemma: examining Britain’s biological weapons policy
The UK Government’s newly released Biological Non-Proliferation Programme supports research into ‘dual-use’ pathogens, biological agents that could potentially be used as weapons of mass destruction, as well as collaboration with former weapons scientists. Julian Turner looks at the potential implications.
Hidden agenda: IED detection using ultra-wideband radar
More commonly used to detect early-stage breast cancer, ultra-wideband microwave radar has emerged as the technology of choice in the battle to detect IEDs. Julian Turner finds out how this technique, already capable of differentiating between malignant and benign tumours in human tissue, could one day pinpoint roadside bombs.
Seismic threat: cybersecurity countermeasures
Cybersecurity has long been a hot topic across the defence sector, but as cybercriminals worldwide step up their efforts, traditional countermeasures are no longer sufficient. Michael de Crespigny, CEO of the Information Security Forum (ISF), explains to DSSI what defence contractors can do to identify and mitigate the danger.
Travelling light: reducing the burden on the close-combat soldier
A recent restructure of the Defence Equipment and Support procurement agency’s Individual Capability Group has intensified the focus on the ‘soldier as a system’ concept. Laura Walkinshaw talks to Brigadier Mark Gaunt about reducing the burden of equipment on the dismounted close-combat soldier.
Connectivity is king: network-enabled tactical formations
In today’s combat situations, staying connected is crucial. Colonel (retired) Buddy Carman, recently TRADOC capability manager at Brigade Combat Team Mission Command, explains how the power of information through network-enabled tactical formations should be used to improve survivability and battle-effectiveness.
Body of evidence: body armour and personal protection
The global body armour and personal protection market is forecast to show positive growth over the period 2012–22, according to the latest research by Strategic Defence Intelligence.