Defence Procurement Is Changing: From Platforms to Capability Ecosystems
Why buying a fighter, ship or vehicle increasingly means buying software, sensors, communications, maintenance and data infrastructure alongside it. Defence procurement is undergoing a fundamental transformation. For decades, defence acquisition was primarily organized around platforms: fighter aircraft , naval vessels , armoured vehicles , artillery, missiles and radar systems . Today, however, a platform is increasingly only one component of a much larger capability. A modern fighter requires sensors, mission software, secure communications, data links, electronic warfare, weapons integration, training, maintenance, cybersecurity and continuous software upgrades. A modern warship similarly depends on networks, sensors, command-and-control systems, communications, data infrastructure, cyber resilience and sustainment. The result is a move from platform-centric procurement toward capability ecosystems . NATO's current digital strategies explicitly emphasize interoperability , dig...