This article was written by Alastair Haigh, HPE OEM’s Technology Sales Specialist in the UK&I, after his recent visit to the DSEI event in London.
The requirements of the defence industry have become very complex in an extremely short period of time. For millennia, land and sea were the only conflict arenas. WWI introduced the possibility of air attacks. And now, not only do nations have to defend themselves from land, sea, and air, but also in the realms of biowarfare and cyber and electromagnetic activities.
Defence is an area where one cannot afford to lag behind the latest technology advances. To effectively protect people, defence original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to produce solutions that draw on the latest innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics.
But here again, things are not as straightforward as they often seem. Having and implementing the latest technologies to ensure maximum security is not necessarily enough—we also need our defence systems to be ethical and sustainable.
And now comes the sticking point: Technical hiring has simply not be able to keep pace with the rapidly evolving needs of defence. The skilled labour shortage started post-pandemic and continues to plague countries around the world. For example, a US-based study revealed that overall yearly turnover in defence companies has risen to 7.1 percent, which marks a more than 2 percent increase since 2020.
However, all is not lost. This article aims to show you how it is possible to achieve the fine balance between having enough skilled staff, accessing the latest technologies, and running a secure, ethical, and sustainable defence system.
Getting and choosing the right OEM technology partner
Why make just a few hires when you can have an entire team at your service? Especially when that team boasts highly-trained professionals with decades of experience in cutting-edge technologies, original manufacturer equipment (OEM) solutions, and global logistics. Here is how an OEM technology partner can help resolve the key issues raised so far.
Issue #1: The AI and new technologies gap
Among all the new technologies currently out there, AI is definitely the one that is most often talked about. And for good reason—its potential is unimaginably vast. It can streamline military operations, enhance decision-making processes, and boost the accuracy and efficiency of military missions. AI-powered analytics can not only identify threats, but also predict them. And drones and other autonomous vehicles are able to perform tasks that might be too risky or even impossible for humans to undertake.
The right OEM technology partner will be able to give you access to the latest and greatest in AI technology. At HPE OEM Solutions, for instance, we offer our partners enterprise-grade AI, ML, and analytics through HPE GreenLake.
And, as all HPE GreenLake services are based on a consumption-driven, pay-as-you-go approach, it will be more cost-effective and accessible than investing in an on-premise supercomputer.
Issue #2: The talent shortage problem
When you work with HPE OEM Solutions, our full suite of services and solutions are at your disposal. Whether you need a custom product, product roadmapping, futureproofing advice, a dedicated team of OEM and other specialists, or end-to-end logistics management, we can provide it.
In particular, the outsized importance of cybersecurity cannot be overlooked. With cybersecurity professionals suffering from record levels of stress and burnout, we decided to take a load off their back by building security into our products and services. Take our HPE Trusted Supply Chain for example, which secures supply chain operations through their design, manufacturing and delivery stages. This protects applications and data from cyber-attackers before HPE hardware is even deployed.
Of particular interest to defence deployments is the HPE Edgeline EL8000 Converged Edge System. Not only is it compact enough to fit into deep edge environments, but it is also highly ruggedised to collect data reliably, no matter if it is placed on an airplane, helicopter or boat. Moreover, there is a storage bay option that allows up to eight high-capacity drives to store data for intensive workloads such as autonomous vehicle data logging and information security. The resulting data can then be used to help defence OEMs and their important end customers stay ahead of emerging threats.
Issue #3: The question on ensuring ethics and sustainability
AI has been highly praised and at the same time, widely criticised for being:
- Power hungry: Growing amounts of energy are being needed to run AI applications, which is an environmental concern.
- A black box: Bias in AI processes might be difficult to identify and eliminate.
At HPE OEM Solutions, we recognise the potential pitfalls in AI implementation. We believe that AI must be privacy-enabled and secure, designed with safeguards to prevent misuse, inclusive in its outcomes, and above all, used in a responsible and explainable manner.
To ensure ethical use of AI, HPE introduced internal AI Ethical Principles training in 2022. This was further developed in 2023 with the launch of three sub-committees that are helping operationalise these ethics for the AI we are developing, AI we are sourcing to use, and AI we are incorporating into our solutions.
On the sustainability front, the HPE Cray supercomputers represent six of the top 10 supercomputers on the GREEN500 list, which ranks the 500 most energy efficient supercomputers worldwide. The HPE ProLiant ML350 Gen11 server, which is powering numerous AI-based solutions, has been identified as the world’s most energy-efficient server with six world records across Linux and Windows.
Finally, we are committed to becoming a net-zero enterprise by 2040, which means we’ll be a green link in your defence supply chain. Although that is still some time away, our intermediary target for 2030 is to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70%, and Scope 3 emissions by 42% from 2020 levels.
Case study: Systel
Systel is an OEM that specialises in building ruggedised computers that can operate in the harshest of conditions—think unpredictable conditions such as temperature extremes, shock and vibration, electromagnetic interference, and dust and water, to name a few. As a result, its customers come from industries that operate in unforgiving environments, including the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD).
Systel initially joined the HPE OEM Solutions program after a U.S. military organisation it was working with specified that they wanted to use HPE servers as a core technology. As the partnership progressed, it was clear that there are other important benefits.
Streamlines acquisition and technical support processes
Not only can Systel’s end customers arrange for purchased equipment to be shipped directly to Systel for ruggedisation (instead of having to redirect this), but their customised solution is also covered by HPE’s warranty and global technical support in case any issues arise.
Future-proofs technology and technical direction
Systel’s customers look to the company to shape their technology, which requires anticipating problems that might occur or need solving in two to three years’ time. As an OEM partner, Systel arranges joint meetings between its customers and HPE so that we can weigh in with our deep technical expertise and advice for the best outcomes.
HPE has a history of military collaboration
HPE has been supporting the global defence space and various defence applications, both directly and indirectly, for a while now. As seen with Systel, we are a primary supplier to military partners. We were also chosen by the U.S. DoD in 2018 to provide them with supercomputers. These were then used to accelerate the development and acquisition of advanced national security capabilities.
More recently, HPE has been, and continues to, deliver defence and military solutions to NATO. Our solutions are supporting the Alliance’s Deployable Communications and Information System (DCIS) Cube project, Firefly project, and general data and infrastructure needs. Notably, our supercomputing expertise has been called on in a range of military applications, such as massive surveillance analytics, nuclear weapons simulations, and cyber warfare and advanced materials modelling.
There is strength in numbers—especially in defence
The defence industry is characterised by an escalating technology race. Gaining the upper hand comes down to the ability to rapidly and cost-effectively advance and deploy new technologies. And this can be achieved most easily by partnering with an OEM technology partner.
Get in touch if you want to ensure the readiness, ethics and sustainability of your defence solutions at hpe.com/solutions/oem.
Nabanita Maji
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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