Architecting the future battlespace: secure hybrid cloud integration for defence

Guest blog by Martin Flather, Business Development Director, Defence and National Security at Prolinx Ltd #DefTechWeek2025

Martin Flather

Business Development Director, Defence and National Security , Prolinx Ltd

As the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) pursues digital transformation at pace, the challenge is no longer whether to move towards cloud-based services but how to do so securely, efficiently, and in a way that enables integration and resilience across a complex estate of legacy, current, and future systems.

To deliver operational advantage in a digitally contested world, MOD must consolidate and integrate secure data services into a hybrid, secure, sovereign cloud eco-system that enables secure interoperability across defence users, delivery partners, and allied organisations.

This vision will only be successful if MOD adopts:

Data centricity as a strategic prerequisite across all programmes.
Open, interoperable standards to enable a scalable and federated defence data fabric.
A system of systems integrated architecture from the outset, and;
Applies a balanced approach to cloud-native and physical infrastructure deployments.

The integration challenge: systems must be integrated by design

Defence operations increasingly rely on timely, accurate, and fused data from multiple sources across domains, environments, and suppliers. Yet, many of MOD’s current systems remain siloed, bespoke, or built for specific platforms without consideration for cross-domain interoperability.

To successfully deliver multi-domain integration, MOD must move from a project-by-project service delivery model to an enterprise-wide systems of systems integration architecture where legacy workloads are provisioned within a secure hybrid cloud enterprise and new systems connect securely to shared data services and cloud environments.

This means:

Defining enterprise integration standards across domains and delivery partners.
Implementing shared data access layers that enable plug-and-play integration.
Using middleware, APIs and agentic AI that abstract legacy constraints and enable secure cloud interaction.

Data as a precondition, not a retrospective concern

MOD programmes have historically focused on platforms first and data second. The need for this to be reversed is wholly recognised by the operational commands and the office of the Chief Data Officer but not at system level, platform development/delivery. Data must be treated as a critical asset and designed into programmes from day one.

By making data requirements a hard prerequisite for all capability programmes and digital services, MOD can ensure that:

Systems generate, store, and share data in standardised formats.
Data is tagged, secured, and enriched at source.
Information can be discovered, accessed, and fused, at pace, across networks and domains.

This unlocks opportunities for AI/ML enabled decision support, live threat analysis, predictive maintenance, and improved operational outcomes across the battlespace.

A secure hybrid cloud should be built around shared data taxonomies, aligned to approved standards and architecture, and made accessible to authorised users across MOD, industry, and coalition partners, under strict identity and access controls.

‘Secure hybrid cloud’ is the right model

Cloud-native architectures offer undeniable benefits: agility, scalability, rapid deployment etc. but defence requirements add layers of complexity. Sensitive and multi-classification data, air-gapped operations, and contested communications environments demand a hybrid approach.

A secure hybrid cloud model, designed specifically for defence, would combine the flexibility of public/private cloud infrastructure with the control and sovereignty required for operations.

Key characteristics include:

Multiple security tiers, spanning OFFICIAL to SECRET and beyond.
Shared services and platforms, allowing reuse across programmes.
Sovereign data hosting, ensuring UK ownership and control.
Distributed edge services supporting forward deployed and disconnected operations.

This model also facilitates integration across government departments, NATO allies, and trusted industry partners while preserving data sovereignty and compliance with JSP 453 and other defence security policies.

Balancing cloud-native ambitions with reality

While MOD should continue to embrace cloud-native services, especially for unclassified and analytics workloads, it must recognise a need for secure data sovereignty provisioned on private cloud platforms, and also remain grounded in the realities of physical infrastructure:

Deployed environments require edge compute and on-platform data storage to operate in denied or degraded communications conditions.
High-assurance systems (e.g. targeting, C2, ISR) demand air-gapped infrastructure and verifiable security controls.
Mission survivability depends on hybrid architectures that degrade gracefully, not services dependent on a single cloud uplink.

Thus, MOD must plan for interoperable hybrid infrastructure where applications, data, and services can move seamlessly between public/private cloud, on-premises, and edge environments based on mission needs.

To do this, MOD should:

Define clear cloud operating models for each security domain.
Invest in containerised applications and platform-agnostic orchestration.
Require portability and modularity in all new digital services and systems.

Recommendations for MOD

To realise the vision of an integrated, data-first, hybrid cloud enabled future, we recommend MOD adopt the following strategic actions:

Mandate data interoperability standards across all programmes.
Consolidate secure data services into a defence specific secure hybrid cloud with tiered access, shared services, and sovereign controls.
Modernise legacy systems through API enablement and containerisation, connecting them to the secure hybrid cloud for data integration.
Create joint governance frameworks with key industry partners to maintain coherence, security, and innovation across the cloud ecosystem.

Conclusion

The future of an integrated, data-driven Defence ecosystem lies in data driven decision making, enabled by secure, scalable infrastructure that spans domains and environments. A secure hybrid cloud, built with integration and data as core principles, offers MOD a path forward that delivers operational agility, digital resilience, and strategic advantage.

As a trusted technical services provider to UK defence, Prolinx is committed to working collaboratively with MOD and its partners to design, deliver, and support the infrastructure and services required to make this future a reality; securely, sustainably, and at scale.

Operationalising DefTech campaign week 2025 #DefTechWeek2025

techUK has launched its Operationalising DefTech 2025 campaign week, highlighting how emerging technologies can strengthen defence capability and accelerate innovation across the sector. The campaign showcases member insights, practical use cases, and opportunities to collaborate on the future of defence technology.

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Operationalising DefTech: Defence campaign week launch

Launching techUK’s Defence Campaign Week, Operationalising DefTech, techUK is pleased to welcome John Cunningham, the Director of UK Defence Innovation within the Ministry of Defence to brief members on MOD’s evolving approach to new technologies, alongside the co-founder of Anduril Industries Christian Brose, and Sara Sharkey from Prolinx.

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