Why Coherent Air Defence Command and Control has Become a Strategic Imperative
Modern conflict is evolving at pace. Air threats are becoming faster, increasing in number and increasingly difficult to predict. At the same time, the volume of data available to operators is growing exponentially. Operators are having to make decisions in seconds rather than minutes - often within highly contested operating environments. In that context, the ability to create a single, accurate and shareable air picture is no longer simply a technical challenge; it has become an urgent operational necessity - the need for a single source of truth is more critical than ever before – it’s a strategic imperative to winning the battle.
Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill, for the past two decades, has been growing and advancing its SkyKeeper capability, developing it from the early British Army Automated Sense and Warn requirement into Land Environment Air Picture Provision, and more recently SkyKeeper – the Command and Control (C2) system developed for Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) and future Integrated Air and Missile Defence.
Our deep-rooted expertise, combined with our highly skilled team, has been central to the development of this capability. Working closely with our British Army customer, we have focused on understanding requirements from the user level upwards, ensuring that operational needs are reflected in system design.
This collaborative approach has given us clear insight into how the demands placed on air defence C2 have shifted - from platform-centric solutions towards increasingly networked, integrated and data-driven systems.
That journey has resulted in the development of a cutting-edge open architecture, modular, tactical C2 capability designed specifically to operate in complex, fast-moving environments. Rather than being built around a single system construct, it has been shaped around adaptability and interoperability - enabling integration across sensors, effectors and allied systems in a way that reflects how modern operations are actually conducted.
In parallel, this sustained operational focus has built a significant subject matter expertise baseline within the team. That expertise is now being drawn upon more widely, including the work we are undertaking on behalf of NSPA, with our partners Indra, Leonardo, and MBDA, to define in detail, our concept for NATO’s future modular GBAD system.
The lessons from Ukraine
One of the clearest lessons emerging from the conflict in Ukraine is the critical importance of a coherent C2 system that can rapidly generate and disseminate an accurate air picture to those who need it.
In modern operations, speed of decision-making can determine operational success or failure. Yet without a unified C2 framework, even the most capable sensors and effectors risk operating in isolation - limiting effectiveness at the exact moment integration matters most.
The challenge is no longer simply detecting threats. The challenge is ensuring the right information reaches the right operator, at the right time – enabling faster decision making and action.
Beyond interoperability
As nations modernise their air defence capabilities, we need to look beyond interoperability alone - command and control systems must be able to integrate across platforms, domains, networks, and allied partners without creating additional complexity for the operator or becoming unaffordable. Open architecture and modularity are therefore central to future integrated capability design - enabling forces to evolve faster than the threats they face.
Looking ahead
Our approach towards NATO Modular GBAD reflects that shift - and the importance of ensuring command and control remains at the centre of capability development, rather than an afterthought.
The future of air defence will not be defined by individual platforms or solutions alone, but by how effectively they work together. Success will depend on the integration of platforms, systems, and emerging technologies, and on the dynamic relationship between technician and tactician.
By bringing together allied nations’ capabilities through a networked approach, we can achieve the seamless operational synergy required to win. And this starts with getting command and control right.