UK Digital Targeting Web Minimum Viable Product Due in 2026
The UK Ministry of Defence aims to field the first Digital Targeting Web minimum viable product in 2026, with broader evolutionary development continuing thereafter, officials told Parliament. The Digital Targeting Web is part of London’s Strategic Defence Review effort to knit sensors, decision-makers and weapon effectors into a single, digital battle system.
MoD Confirms 2026 Deliverable
In a written parliamentary answer published February 5, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the Department plans to deliver “the first elements of the Digital Targeting Web, or a minimum viable product, in 2026.” He clarified that this initial delivery will be defined as work on digitising selected targeting processes to improve scale, speed and precision across multiple defence systems. Full implementation has no fixed date and will evolve to meet emerging threat requirements.
The MoD emphasised that the Digital Targeting Web should not be seen as a single discrete platform. Instead it is an interconnected ecosystem of systems, processes and capabilities intended to enhance targeting effectiveness across the British armed forces.
What the Digital Targeting Web Is
First outlined in the UK Strategic Defence Review, the Digital Targeting Web seeks to tie together disparate targeting, command and intelligence functions. It connects frontline sensors, data processing nodes and firing systems (effectors) across land, sea, air and other domains. The goal is to shorten the decision cycle from threat detection to effect, applying advanced data connectivity and automation in the battlespace.
A 2025 Royal United Services Institute commentary notes the government has committed to a minimum viable product for 2026 and full operational capability by 2027, though milestones could adjust with evolving needs.
Integration With Existing Programmes
The programme is broader than one project. It includes existing and planned capabilities such as:
- Army initiatives like the ASGARD targeting and decision-support system
- RAF’s Nexus network elements
- Royal Navy’s Strike Net data links
These feed into the overall web concept, with underpinning work on data standards and secure networks to allow information to flow quickly and securely at machine speed.
Strategic Context
The Strategic Defence Review frames the Digital Targeting Web as part of the Integrated Force concept, designed to help British and allied forces respond faster with better coordinated sensor-to-shooter chains. It follows lessons learned from recent conflicts where rapid integration of data and strike capabilities proved decisive.
Efforts align with broader UK defence digital strategy updates, aiming to protect critical military data and networks from growing cyber and electronic warfare threats. Senior MoD leaders have acknowledged vulnerabilities in current systems and are updating digital strategies to support future integration work.
Delivery and Next Steps
Details of what specific components will form the 2026 minimum viable product remain under definition, according to MoD responses. The emphasis is on iterative development, scaling capability over time rather than meeting a single fixed milestone. The objective is to ensure adaptability as defence requirements evolve.
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