Who owns the Centre?
The Centre is a MOD driven initiative. Although the Centre is owned by MOD, the Centre operates at arm’s length to optimise and enhance the UK’s technical capability to support CT S&T, engaging all areas of Government. The Centre will report to the MOD Chief Scientific Adviser through an independent Board.
The Centre is based at Porton Down to take advantage of the existing
infrastructure and expertise at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
(Dstl). Dstl is also responsible for the Centre’s financial probity
and viability.
Why does the Centre exist?
With terrorist threats against the military and security forces becoming
increasingly sophisticated and diverse, S&T advice is playing an
ever more important role in the planning, preparation and prosecution
of military and security operations. For instance, Operation Telic (the
deployment of coalition personnel to Iraq in 2003) saw the largest deployment
of scientists to theatre since World War II.
So diverse and sophisticated are the threats being faced that efficient
and collaborative S&T research programmes are being called for.
The Centre serves as the unifying hub to optimise CT support resources.
It brings coherence to existing programmes and widens the technical
base from which it draws its expertise. As such, the Centre not only
represents MOD’s S&T laboratories, but works closely with
academia and industry on counter-terrorism and national security projects.
Integrated Government response to terrorism
Whilst the primary objective of the Centre is to focus on MOD requirements,
it is also available to assist other government departments engaged
in domestic counter-terrorism. Given the complexity of such threats,
it is vital for all areas of government to collaborate.
The Centre acts as a portal for government departments into MOD CT
technologies and although owned by the MOD, many of its initiatives
are of interest to all those involved in CT. The Centre provides support
to customers in security, intelligence, technology acquisition and operations
at home and abroad.
Wherever our customer sits in Government, they will all have access
to the same experts and their in-depth knowledge. This means that any
research conducted can now, where appropriate and agreed by all parties,
be shared between departments for the benefit of all CT projects.
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