Guidance
Future Sensing and Situational Awareness Programme
The Future Sensing and Situational Awareness Programme develops novel and disruptive sensor technology and concepts.
Sensor technology and the need for situational awareness are essential to both military capability and to peacetime operations.
Sensors are necessary for intelligence, surveillance, platform survivability, targeting, and advanced weapon operation, across all operating environments. The Future Sensing and Situational Awareness Programme focuses on developing novel and disruptive sensor technology and concepts to enhance UK capability, particularly in challenging environments such as built-up urban areas and contested and congested environments.

Key programme outputs include:
- detection, tracking, recognition and identification of difficult targets
- novel sensor technology, including quantum sensing
- modelling and advice for future sensors
- non-GPS based positioning, navigation and timing
- sensors for unmanned systems
- enhanced situational awareness.
As the Ministry of Defence continues to procure sensors across all domains, the programme also provides suitably qualified and experienced personnel to assess, accept and maximise the performance of these systems.
Key activities
- Electronic surveillance
- Radar research for air and maritime applications
- Imaging systems for air and land applications
- Electronic and electro-optic protection measures
- Fusion of sensors for enhanced situational awareness
- Supporting the University Defence Research Collaboration in Signal Processing
For more information about this programme, please contact us: centralenquiries@dstl.gov.uk