Defence Secretary announces new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command is to be established to put the UK at the forefront of cyber operations.
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Press Release, Whitehall, 29 May 2025: UK to deliver pioneering battlefield system and bolster cyber warfare capabilities under Strategic Defence Review.
Pinpointing and eliminating enemy targets will take place faster than ever before, as the Government invests more than £1 billion to equip the UK Armed Forces with a pioneering battlefield system. A new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command will also be established to put the UK at the forefront of cyber operations as part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The announcements were made by Defence Secretary, John Healey MP on a visit to MoD Corsham, the UK military’s cyber HQ.
The Ministry of Defence will develop a new Digital Targeting Web to better connect Armed Forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster. This pioneering digital capability will give the UK a decisive advantage through greater integration across domains, new AI and software, and better communication between our Armed Forces. As an example, a threat could be identified by a sensor on a ship or in space before being disabled by an F-35 aircraft, drone, or offensive cyber operation.
Delivering this new Digital Targeting Web is central to UK efforts to learn lessons directly from the front line in Ukraine. When the Ukrainians achieved a step-change in lethality early in the war – by being able to find the enemy, target them and attack quickly and at scale – it allowed them to stop the encircling Russian advance.
The Ministry of Defence will establish a Cyber and Electromagnetic Command. It will sit under General Sir James Hockenhull’s Command and follows the MoD having to protect UK military networks against more than 90,000 ‘sub-threshold’ attacks in the last two years. The Command will lead defensive cyber operations and coordinate offensive cyber capabilities with the National Cyber Force. The new Command will also harness all the Armed Forces’ expertise in electromagnetic warfare, helping them to seize and hold the initiative in a high-tempo race for military advantage – for example, through degrading command and control, jamming signals to drones or missiles and intercepting an adversary’s communications.
The announcements come as part of the publication of the SDR, expected imminently, which highlights how daily cyber-attacks are threatening the foundations of the economy and daily life. The SDR recommends that the MOD should deliver the Digital Targeting Web by 2027.
In February, the MOD also announced that Armed Forces recruits will be fast-tracked into specialist roles to tackle the growing cyber threat to the UK via a recruitment scheme. The Cyber Direct Entry programme offers an accelerated path into military cyber roles with:
- Tailored training focused on essential cyberspace operational skills.
- Placement in operational cyber roles by the end of 2025.
- Starting salaries over £40,000, with potential for up to £25,000 in additional skills pay.
- No requirement to serve in dangerous environments or handle weapons.
- Full military benefits including medical care, sports facilities, adventure training, and professional development.
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