We take the study of our science – training and simulation – seriously and are routinely relied on to lead and support major research programmes which inform, influence and impact upon concept and capability development.
Our knowledge and understanding of Human Sciences and agility in leveraging innovative technologies to support experimentation make us an ideal partner for studies examining the effectiveness and potential of training and simulation systems.
We have a close and long-established working relationship with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and – as the prime contractor for SERAPIS Simulation and Synthetic Environments (SSE) – are leading research as it transforms military training and education and directs future programmes.
Our role as SERAPIS SSE lot lead puts us at the forefront of the UK’s research of next-generation Simulation and Synthetic Environments and their associated tools and systems.
The programme is focused on identifying and exploiting over-the-horizon technologies in support of the Ministry of Defence, Front Line Commands and cross-governmental departments. It seeks to evolve innovative solutions – including virtual, augmented and mixed reality, and artificial intelligence – to optimise future force preparation and readiness and enable the evaluation and assessment of capabilities across the C4ISR [Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] and space domains.
SERAPIS SSE provides partners across Government with easy access to the collective talents of industry, academia and non-traditional defence suppliers. This community of practice harnesses a wide breadth of specialist expertise and, through the use of bespoke commercial and administrative processes, affords customers with an agile, open framework for sourcing ground-breaking research, experimentation, studies, technical advice and prototype solutions.
Taskings already completed or underway include MIITTE [Maximising the Impact of Immersive Technology for Training and Education], which – amongst other topics – is investigating the potential utility and benefits of virtual and augmented reality to future defence training; MAAITEE [Mastering Architectures and Artificial Intelligence for Training and Education Efficiency] and the Effective Representation of Defence Operating Environments in Simulation (ERDES) project, which encompasses an evaluation of the best methods and technologies for representing collective behaviour – be it of crowds, populations or cityscapes – in a consistent manner across federated simulation systems.
We also help others to facilitate their studies and are proud to be the British Army’s industry partner for the Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) – a high-profile ‘think-tank’ tasked with ensuring the British Army is neither out-fought or out-thought on the battlefield.
Our support to CHACR, which was set up to appraise and challenge convention and inform strategic decision-making, is helping to sustain the conceptual component of the Army’s fighting power.
We also lead on a further two SERAPIS lots; covering the development, testing and evaluation of novel Command and Control (C2) concepts and systems to improve sense-making, battlespace management, resilience and decision making, and the advancements of C4ISR communications and networks with the aim of driving concepts in military and civilian infrastructure.