The Defence Academy Research Symposium 2026

• Air Chief Marshal The Lord Peach KG GBE KCB DL
• Major General Peter Rowell MBE

Themes:

Warfighting

• What is the Warfighting Role of the Defence Academy?
• Utilising contemporary lessons from Ukraine and wider conflicts, through innovation/cutting edge technology, how can the UK utilise deception to optimise dispersed operations in the high North.
• What are the implications to UK Force Development as a result of the SDR focus on 'NATO first, but not NATO only?
• To what extent should the UK continue to try to deliver a balanced, full spectrum force?
• What skills will be required to meet the decision making and leadership challenges of the increasingly complex multi-domain operating environment in 2035?
• What might a series of Article 3 and 4 response options look like for 'grey zone' disruption to the adversary within a high north context?
• How are state and non-state actors using lawfare in current armed conflicts and what lessons can be drawn for maintaining operational effectiveness while complying with international law?
• Which non-military measures can achieve effective deterrence?
• How should the UK’s Future Integrated Force configure itself for maximum strategic advantage?
• What implicit assumptions are made about the capability of the Defence Civil Service during conflict and crisis, and how do these assumptions influence organisational readiness?
• What lessons can be learned from other nations to allow Defence to assure its energy supply as part of homeland resilience?
• What are the key metrics in determining a Nation's state of readiness/preparedness for conflict or war - and how can this be applied to the UK?
• Where should the UK accept risk in Strategic Base Outload to maximise operational effect in a contested warfighting environment?
• How can healthcare operating models be adapted to deliver capability at pace for warfighting readiness? What are the strengths and weaknesses of current medical design, what are the challenges and options?
• In support of NATO ARTICLE 5 how could we enhance our Warfighting Readiness through Strategic Lift and Commercial Partnerships

Nuclear IQ

• How can integrated deterrence be applied by a medium power state (in an Alliance or unilaterally) to prevent military coercion by a more capable adversary?
• How could Deep Precision Strike shape the future of European deterrence?

Technology Transformation and Autonomy

• To what extent does the SDR’s recommendation that the UK should pursue a “high-low” mix of crewed and autonomous platforms represent an opportunity to reduce cost pressures in the Defence budget?
• “Intelligence grading refers to the process used to provide a commonly understood way of describing initial evaluations of the reliability of a source and the credibility of the information.” (JDP2-00) How can these be automated using artificial intelligence? To what extent should we do this? What are the benefits and pitfalls
• What are the main gaps between the Strategic Defence Review 2025’s vision of the UK as a ‘leading tech-enabled defence power’ in space and the practical constraints of the UK defence industrial base, and how might policy and acquisition reform address them?

Note: there is not time for all presentations to be delivered on the day but all themes will be covered by poster briefs.

Hacking for MOD (H4MOD)  is an innovative programme, originating at Stanford University in 2016. It gives students the opportunity to apply hands-on entrepreneurial and innovative methods to work on real-world government defence problems.

During the module students work in small teams to learn and apply lean start-up principles to a real-world UK defence problem. This learn-by-doing approach is critical to success in H4MOD and is the primary way students gain practice with the skills and concepts that H4MOD seeks to teach them, while offering significant value back to UK defence.
The Advanced Command and Staff 29 H4MOD cohort will present on problems listed below. The teams will be available during the Defence Academy Research Symposium if you are interested in learning more about their findings or experience.

• Maritime Menace: Countering the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Threat
• Beyond Tradition: Safeguarding the Future of the Mounted Ceremonial Herd
• Assured Communications and PNT for the Hybrid Fleet in DDIL Environments

Dress: Daytime - Standard Working Dress (Military: RN Rig - 22; RM CU20; Army MTP; RAF No2s) or Standard Working Dress (Civilian).

Evening - Standard Working Dress (Civilian) in accordance with JSCSC and Officers’ Mess Dress Code.

Seating in the Cormorant Hall Lecture Theatre: seating arrangements are intentionally informal to allow our senior sponsors to interact with their allocated syndicate more closely, and to facilitate networking throughout the event.

Food: refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Accommodation: accommodation at the Defence Academy is limited, any request for accommodation should be made to DEFAC-ResearchSymposium@da.mod.uk and will be addressed on a best effort basis.

Travel and subsistence costs: the Defence Academy is unable to cover individual travel and subsistence costs, as such, these need to be covered by your own organisation.

Need to attend a meeting during the symposium meeting? Let us know via DEFAC-ResearchSymposium@da.mod.uk and we can arrange a meeting room for you.

Media/photography: throughout the symposium there will be photographers and videographers present. Images and footage captured may be used in internal and external promotion of the Defence Academy, and its courses. If you do not consent to being included in these outputs, please inform our photographers on the day.