The Ministry of Defence has launched a £900 million procurement framework to accelerate the development of advanced digital decision-making tools for the British Army. The Digital Decision Accelerators for Defence (DDAD) Open Framework is designed to foster innovation across the supply chain, inviting contributions from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as established defence contractors.
DDAD underpins ASGARD, the Army’s flagship Transformative Capability Initiative aligned with the Chief of the General Staff’s Growth Through Transformation strategy. ASGARD has already shown results in NATO operational trials, enabling AI-enhanced targeting and decision-support that sharpen the precision and speed of engagement on the battlefield. The Army aims to deliver a tenfold increase in lethality over the next decade by combining digital decision-making with enhanced firepower, autonomy, surveillance and data integration.
The new framework focuses on the Decide phase of the military’s “Sense-Decide-Effect” cycle, highlighting the importance of rapid, reliable intelligence in modern warfare. It is divided into five lots, each worth £180 million: – Data Integration – streamlining access and fusion of information – Accelerators – AI/ML models to cut time-to-insight – Applications – secure, scalable software development – Edge Storage and Compute – real-time distributed processing – Services – training, consultancy and proof-of-concept support
The framework will run from November 2025 to November 2029, with potential extensions. Award criteria will assess suppliers’ technical maturity, scalability, collaboration and alignment with the Land Industrial Strategy. By prioritising accessibility for SMEs, the MOD hopes to broaden innovation while sustaining sovereign digital capabilities.
DDAD sits within a wider digital transformation effort. The Defence Digital Foundry delivers agile software solutions across the armed forces, while the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) coordinates AI innovation across government, academia and industry. Together with the MOD’s Data Strategy for Defence and its push for a secure Digital Backbone, these initiatives are reshaping how the military harnesses data.
The approach signals a shift away from closed, static procurement models toward open, adaptive frameworks that encourage continuous engagement. By embedding AI into decision-making while ensuring robust governance, the MOD aims to maintain the UK’s technological edge and strengthen its industrial base. With ASGARD and DDAD at the forefront, the British Army is advancing battlefield capability while reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a leader in responsible military AI.
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