NSC, a member of the QinetiQ Group of Companies, is to support the UK Government’s research of next-generation Simulation and Synthetic Environments (SSE) that will be used to ready Britain’s military for the complexities of future operations.

Under the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) six-year Serapis framework agreement, the simulation specialist will create and lead a community of innovative suppliers in a series of tasks to identify and exploit emerging and over-the-horizon technologies in support of the Ministry of Defence and cross-governmental departments.

The research, which will harness the expertise and talent of industry partners, academia and non-traditional defence suppliers, is to include investigating the simulation infrastructure, models and systems required to train personnel at strategic, operational and tactical levels.

The framework will also seek 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.

One of six lots within a wider programme set to deliver up to £300 million of research, Serapis SSE will provide partners across Government and Front Line Commands with a greater degree of commercial agility and easy access to external expertise to meet a range of requirements, including experimentation.

NSC’s appointment as Serapis SSE lead extends the firm’s long service to UK Defence.

A proficiency in the design and development of analysis tools, techniques and technologies coupled with decades of working in and around the UK military have been key to the company establishing an enduring relationship with Dstl.

An industry partner for more than two decades, NSC leads the modelling and simulation element of Dstl’s Analysis Support Construct and was a major contributor to the laboratory’s Commercial-off-the-shelf and Emerging Technologies Evaluation and Exploitation research.

NSC Chief Executive Jeremy Spurr said: “Our long association with the Defence community and close ties with industry partners and the best minds in academia mean we start the SERAPIS SSE framework from a position of strength.

“NSC’s experience of close collaboration with the Armed Forces through the delivery of training has given us a comprehensive understanding of defence issues and training lifecycle methodologies.

“We are excited at the prospect of combining this pedigree with that of the SERAPIS members – drawing on the very best of industry talent from small to medium enterprises, non-traditional suppliers and academics to support Dstl in delivering world-class science and technology for the defence and security of the UK.”

NSC’s Serapis SSE Programme Director Steve Yates, who has been part of the Dstl simulation research community for 15 years, added: “We are seeking to build a network with innovation and collaboration at its core and flexing this joint knowledge to exploit simulation technologies that will impact future programmes and operational effectiveness.”

Jon Lloyd, Serapis SSE Dstl Technical Advisor, said: “SERAPIS SSE will be a key enabler for the MOD in researching the next generation of Simulation and Synthetic Environments that will support the development of UK force elements to a high level of readiness in a fast changing and challenging Future Operating Environment.

“We hope to use Serapis SSE as the route to a rich supplier-base across industry and academia and to access the essential technological expertise required to meet these objectives.

“The MOD wants to enhance and sustain the Dstl and supplier-base technical capability to ensure exploitation into defence and security capability. Serapis SSE will be a key enabler in supporting the relationship between MOD, Dstl and the supplier-base to sustain and position it to meet the future need. Serapis SSE will also be a key enabler for a Community of Practice to share knowledge and strengthen the underpinning capability across the supplier network, which will build upon the Synthetic Environment Tower of Excellence.”