A primer: the R SIGNALS Technology 10 - Insights and impacts

by Brigadier Mike Fayers

This primer outlines ten emerging technologies expected to shape the Royal Signals over the next decade, stressing that future success will hinge on adaptability rather than precise prediction. It highlights a shift toward digitally enabled warfare, driven by cloud computing, zero trust security, advanced connectivity, and the exploitation of data at scale. Together, these developments underpin faster decision-making, improved interoperability with allies, and greater operational resilience in contested and degraded environments.

Crucially, the paper emphasises that the true advantage lies in how these technologies are combined and applied, not in their standalone adoption. Alongside opportunities, it identifies challenges including cyber security in a post-quantum era, the vulnerability of positioning and timing systems, and the increasing importance of energy. Above all, it underscores the central role of people - highlighting the need for new skills, evolving workforce models, and closer integration with industry - to ensure the Corps can integrate and exploit technology faster than its adversaries.

Link to full article.