Jeroen van der Vlugt, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Ministry of Defence, discusses the digital transformation of conflict and the challenges faced by the Defence sector. “Our equipment has essentially become a mobile, seafaring, or airborne computer.”
Adds van der Vlugt, “In traditional conflicts fought on land, sea, and air, the cyber domain is now increasingly prominent. Digitalisation offers us more capabilities. For instance, we can gather information using equipment fitted with numerous sensors, such as smart cameras, radars, and microphones. The digitalisation of weapon systems allows for more precise targeting of missiles or grenades. We dream of a military ‘Internet of Things’ where weapon systems and data streams are interconnected and integrated into one large system. However, this is highly complex and still a work in progress.”
Getting the basics right
Defence closely follows developments in data and artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring ethical, legal, and socially responsible adoption. Another key focus is creating a solid foundation. Van der Vlugt explains, “How do we ensure our IT and weapon platforms remain secure and operational at all times? Nowadays, our equipment is essentially a sophisticated computer, and adversaries will try to sabotage these systems. It’s fine to have grand future visions for IT, but without a solid foundation, they’re not attainable. For instance, we use SAP as a core system for equipment, logistics, and finance, gradually elevating it to a higher level. This is a long-term effort. Once completed, we start improving again.”
Disinformation
Defence has long dealt with the deliberate spread of misleading information. However, Van der Vlugt notes that the problem is more significant at present: “Disinformation campaigns are as old as time, but new technologies have made spreading fake news much easier. Deepfakes, almost indistinguishable from reality, are used strategically. Moreover, cyber technology aims to influence mindsets rather than act as a weapon. For example, consider the Trump-Clinton election campaign. Disinformation can target civilians, but also military organisations. A recent fake photo of smoke over the Pentagon, which was quickly debunked, wiped out 500 billion dollars in stock market value. These are alarming developments.”
Recruitment campaign
As conflicts shift from the physical to the cyber domain, Defence requires different qualities from its employees. Van der Vlugt says, “Everyone at Defence must meet the same qualification levels, regardless of their eventual role. A special forces operator needs different physical skills than an IT professional in an office, which leads to the question if we should rethink adjusting these qualification requirements. Our recruitment campaigns are evolving. For instance, we’ve run campaigns at train stations to attract IT specialists to join Defence. We’re always looking for people to carry out increasing digitalisation efforts.”
