Call for submissions to shape the next Defence Command Paper
Published 23 March 2023
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The SONAC (Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge) is calling for voluntary submissions to help shape the next Defence Command Paper and the future direction of UK Defence.
The Secretary of State and the Minister for the Armed Forces wish to generate fresh thinking to shape the way that Defence thinks, operates, conducts business, and fights. They are eager to examine Defence ‘root and branch’. All aspects of Defence are there to be challenged constructively: that is, for every problem identified, we seek solutions which are feasible, deliverable, cost-effective, accountable, and in line with the national strategy laid out in the Integrated Review Refresh of 2023.
The existence of SONAC is evidence that the Ministry of Defence seeks new ways of operating and is prepared to generate constructive challenge. Ministers and senior Defence leaders have welcomed this challenge. As we examine the lessons from the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, maximise the effectiveness of a lean budget to defend the nation, and look forward to a potentially higher allocation of GDP in the future, this is an exciting time to generate the very best thinking and maximise our efficiency and strategic impact.
Submissions must be delivered by Friday 14 April 2023, although submissions ahead of time are welcome. All submissions will be collated and used to shape the next Defence Command Paper. No one will be permitted to sanitise or ‘staff’ the work once submitted, as the aim is to speak truth to power. To preserve creative licence, we are content to anonymise authors following submission at request. We will acknowledge receipt, but not discuss the contents of each submission.
Submissions should be:
- concise
- article-length, of up to but not more than 3,000 words (circa 5 pages)
- written in script no smaller than 11 point and be in Arial font
They can be referenced (not included in the word count) but all comments must be evidence-based.
The value of this work is not limited to the Defence Command Paper Refresh. There is considerable value in the thinking that this call for submissions will generate that, in the months and years to come, will still be applicable.
Questions to answer
Please answer one of the following questions:
1. How could UK Defence build on the last Defence Command Paper (2021) and the Integrated Review Refresh (2023) to deliver enhanced strategic value for itself and its Allies?
2. To what extent should we adhere to the same priorities in UK Defence as those of the past, and what must we change?
3. In what ways could Defence increase ‘delivery’ at greater speed and with greater effectiveness?