RN seeds plans for Naval Strike Network as digital backbone

The Royal Navy (RN) is moving forward with plans to develop and field a so-called Naval Strike Network (NSN) intended to act as the information backbone for an increasingly distributed and disaggregated future fleet.

Conceived as an overarching information architecture that will enable a mix of crewed and uncrewed assets to work together within a single integrated network, the NSN in large part mirrors the aims of the US Navy's Project Overmatch initiative. Project Overmatch is intended to deliver the USN with an integrated, multi-domain battle network for communications and information sharing across all platforms.

Speaking at the DSEI 2021 conference and exhibition in London on 15 September, Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Nick Hine said the RN was investing money this year to continue to deliver elements of the NSN. “It is a fundamental underpinner,” he told Janes , “of how you drive connectivity into the system that allows you then to exploit all the advantages that are gained by a dispersed, disaggregate [force].

“We are in lock step with the US on Overmatch,” he added. “We are looking at something very similar and we are working with the US on it.”

Vice Adm Hine said that the bearer architecture and communications infrastructure required to deliver the NSN is still to be determined. “I don't know yet [what it will look like], and what's really interesting is that I don't quite know yet what [information] I need to pass down the network.

“So if I was being frank, we should network what's necessary, not what is possible. What is exactly the information I need?”