Deploying technology in military conflicts in an agile and secure manner has become a strategic factor in ensuring operational effectiveness.
Recent conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine, have highlighted an undeniable reality: the speed of technological adoption has become a critical factor for operational effectiveness and superiority on the battlefield. Technologies such as unmanned systems, electronic warfare and, more recently, artificial intelligence applied to decision support and autonomous systems are transforming the way armed forces operate. However, this transformation is only viable if these capabilities can be validated and deployed quickly, but also safely and in a controlled manner.
Traditionally, defence systems have been subject to long development and validation cycles, designed to minimise risks and ensure the highest levels of safety and reliability. This approach has historically been characteristic of countries with established defence ecosystems, in contexts where there was no extreme operational pressure or immediate conflict situation, allowing reliability, certification and personnel protection to be prioritised over speed of deployment. However, the current operational context demands a different balance: maintaining the security and robustness characteristic of the defence sector, while drastically reducing validation times to prevent capabilities from becoming obsolete in the real operating environment. Experience from recent conflicts has shown that rapid iteration, the use of operational demonstrators, incremental validation and experimentation in representative environments allow for continuous improvements to be introduced without compromising system safety. This approach requires new methodologies and greater integration between industry, the armed forces and certification bodies, as well as the intensive use of ground testing, advanced simulation and digital twins.
But of course, shortening validation times does not mean lowering safety standards, but rather adapting processes to respond to changing scenarios and emerging threats. In this new paradigm, the defence industry is called upon to play a key role, providing mature, modular and scalable technological solutions that can evolve at the pace demanded by real-world operations. However, it is essential to remember that ‘not everything goes’: the protection of the members of the armed forces who operate these systems must remain an absolute priority. This premise, deeply rooted in the doctrines and regulatory frameworks of countries with a mature industrial base and defence technology, is not always present in other contexts where operational, industrial or strategic needs may impose very different criteria. The introduction of new technologies, especially those with a certain degree of autonomy, requires clear frameworks for accountability, human oversight and exhaustive testing before they are used in real operations.
Ultimately, in environments where urgency does not eliminate responsibility, the ability to validate and deploy technology quickly and securely has become a strategic factor in ensuring operational effectiveness and protecting systems and personnel deployed on real missions for the future of military operations.
