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Draft:Digital Targeting Web

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The Digital Targeting Web (DTW) is a United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) initiative intended to link sensors, deciders, and effectors and increase the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to speed up targeting decisions.[1][2] It was announced in May 2025 alongside a £1 billion investment and a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command.[3][4] The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) described the Cyber and Electromagnetic domain as the foundation of the DTW.[5][6] The MoD said the initiative drew on lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present), where rapid targeting at scale helped halt a Russian advance.[3][4] The DTW is not a single system or platform but an interconnected ecosystem of systems, processes, and capabilities.[1][2][7] It is described as having iterative development.[1] The Cyber & Specialist Operations Command leads implementation, while the National Armaments Director Group is responsible for technical delivery.[2][7] The SDR committed to delivering the DTW in 2027, with a minimum viable product in 2026.[2][4][7] It also said the DTW would connect systems across domains and improve the British Armed Forces' precision and lethality.[8] Early priorities include OpNET, the Royal Air Force's Nexus, and the Royal Navy's Strike Net.[1] Related projects include the British Army's Project Asgard and the Royal Navy's Maritime Fighting Web.[2] AI is intended to support human operators. The UK states it applies a policy of meaningful human control.[2] Experts have raised ethical concerns about AI in battlefield decisions.[2] The Royal United Services Institute noted that organisational complexity, funding delays, and a lack of outcome metrics could hinder delivery.[7] Delays to the Digital Backbone and the Defence Investment Plan may also affect it.[2][7]

References

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Works cited

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  1. Allison, George (6 February 2026). "UK Digital Targeting Web 'minimum product' due this year". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  2. Allison, George (29 May 2025). "UK unveils £1bn Digital Targeting Web and new cyber command". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  3. Godwin, Ashlee; Murphy, Joe (20 May 2026). "Digital targeting web: enhancing armed forces' precision and lethality". Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  4. Jones, Connor (4 Jun 2025). "UK CyberEM Command to spearhead new era of armed conflict". The Register. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  5. Moynihan, Jonathan (29 May 2025). "Locate and destroy: More than £1bn to be spent on battlefield targeting system". Forces News. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  6. Robertson, George; Barrons, Richard; Hill, Fiona (2 June 2025). "Strategic Defence Review" (PDF). gov.uk. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  7. Sylvia, Noah; Thomson, Laurence (13 October 2025). "Making Sense of Britain's Digital Targeting Web". Royal United Services Institute. Retrieved 2 October 2026.