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http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/NewCounterTerrorismCentreAimsToProvideSolutions.htm
New Counter Terrorism Centre aims to provide solutions
11 Aug 06
Prior to the April 2006 launch of MOD's new Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Centre, MOD's counter terrorism activity was kept so secret that even most MOD staff didn't know it existed or, more importantly, where to go for solutions.
But times are changing and in today's world of communications, partnerships and sharing best practice, the MOD's science and technology response to terrorism is much more front of house. Getting the balance right of 'promoting' its work in the wider community, whilst not revealing details to would-be terrorists, is just one of the many problems that Ken Brigden, the Centre's Director faces.
Ken has worked in Counter Terrorism for the MOD for over 15 years. When the Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Centre opened in April this year some newspapers described him as a real life Q, the gadget-making, white haired and white laboratory jacket-clad scientist from James Bond films.
But Ken is nothing like this. A down-to-earth man, his ability to explain complex issues in comprehensible ways, sets him apart from many in his field.
His actual work is more like that of a programme co-ordinator than a scientist. With a staff of 15 plus, and a pool of part-time specialist advisors, in a high-tech looking modular building in Porton Down, he oversees what he describes as a "think tank or innovation centre, where the best scientists and engineers from MOD, industry and academia are brought together to rapidly solve complex problems."
It's very humbling to realise that those problems, which Ken and his team spend their lives solving, could be saving you and I from terrorist attacks in our everyday lives. as well saving the lives of British soldiers in operations overseas:
"Counter Terrorism is now a major part of almost all operations," says Ken. "The first bit of what might be described as conventional warfare often only lasts weeks, then internal security, countering insurgents and counter terrorism can often last for months or years."
The Centre is set up to serve "customers", a word Ken uses like an experienced businessman, which means that a certain amount of marketing or advertising needs to be done.
The majority of customers know where to find the Centre, such as the Armed Forces looking for counter measures to the latest Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), or the Defence Procurement Agency, sourcing the best armour to counter Rocket Propelled Grenades. But increasingly, the solutions offered by the Centre are of interest to Other Government Departments (OGDs) who need to know it's there.
Ken has to therefore also wear a ‘PR' hat. So the Centre has a website, glossy brochures and marketing material. It seems to be working:
"There are very few Government Departments that have not already been in contact with us. We are available for them to use to support their counter terrorism technology programmes, a true cross-Government resource. It is planned that over the next few years that work for OGDs will become a significant part of the Centre's activity."
The Centre's purpose is to run science and technology programmes that offer innovative solutions to counter terrorism. It is not involved directly in counter terrorism operations but supports them technically.
It works quite simply: when a customer comes to the Centre with a problem, e.g. the latest IEDs are defeating some armour; a team will put together an outline programme in order to find a solution. This team will consist of the staff from the Centre along with its part time advisors, including eminent academics who will scrutinise it in order to make sure it is the very best programme the UK can devise in that particular area.
The programme will then be contracted out by the Centre – the bulk of the work being done by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), industry or universities. One of the Centre's Capability Advisors will then act as the customer for the programme monitoring closely and ensuring it stays focussed.
"We need a very wide skill base and these are some of the MOD's best technologists."
Ken Brigden
Ken is proud of the skill set within his team of Capability Advisors.
"We need a very wide skill base and these are some of the MOD's best technologists. Most are career MOD people who have been working in this area for many years however, some with very specialist experience have been seconded directly in from industry."
But Ken and his team often go further than solving the customer's immediate problem. For example, once a team has identified a solution to a threat, a new programme might start to look at how to disrupt the terrorists' groups or their communications links which might ultimately also stop the attack chain. There is extra money available to the Centre if they see an additional threat defeat or reduction opportunity.
Terrorists are versatile these days, and often, as soon as a counter to a specific threat is found, they'll find a new method to wreak havoc:
"Unless we understand them we can't defeat them," says Ken. Which is why he is particularly interested in Social Network Analysis techniques: "Understanding where the terrorists came from, how are they structured, how do they communicate and where is the threat coming from?"
Science and technology are clearly seen by the military as a vital part of overcoming the terrorism threat. Iraq has seen the biggest deployment of scientific defence staff since WWII.
"It's the same in Afghanistan," Ken points out. "The military staff are asking us for science and technology support as they don't always understand what they are dealing with as new threats emerge rapidly. Science and technology provides an incredibly important edge in counter terrorist activity."
Surprisingly, for a scientist (well actually, an engineer), Ken is not interested in definitions of terrorism:
"It's difficult to define terrorism. If people have military training or are using military weapons are they terrorists? People talk about improvised weapons in Iraq, but if they are used in large numbers and manufactured on a large scale how improvised are they?
"It's not worth defining. We all know it when we see it. It's like modern art. As soon as you define it someone will push the boundaries. It serves no purpose to define it."
With the boundaries always changing one wonders whether Ken sees an end to his work? He pauses before answering solemnly:
"I think the world has changed. And changed significantly. And terrorism is not just a threat to the UK but has become one of the major global threats, along with climate change, and neither is going to go away quickly."
New Counter Terrorism Centre aims to provide solutions
11 Aug 06
Prior to the April 2006 launch of MOD's new Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Centre, MOD's counter terrorism activity was kept so secret that even most MOD staff didn't know it existed or, more importantly, where to go for solutions.
But times are changing and in today's world of communications, partnerships and sharing best practice, the MOD's science and technology response to terrorism is much more front of house. Getting the balance right of 'promoting' its work in the wider community, whilst not revealing details to would-be terrorists, is just one of the many problems that Ken Brigden, the Centre's Director faces.
Ken has worked in Counter Terrorism for the MOD for over 15 years. When the Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Centre opened in April this year some newspapers described him as a real life Q, the gadget-making, white haired and white laboratory jacket-clad scientist from James Bond films.
But Ken is nothing like this. A down-to-earth man, his ability to explain complex issues in comprehensible ways, sets him apart from many in his field.
His actual work is more like that of a programme co-ordinator than a scientist. With a staff of 15 plus, and a pool of part-time specialist advisors, in a high-tech looking modular building in Porton Down, he oversees what he describes as a "think tank or innovation centre, where the best scientists and engineers from MOD, industry and academia are brought together to rapidly solve complex problems."
It's very humbling to realise that those problems, which Ken and his team spend their lives solving, could be saving you and I from terrorist attacks in our everyday lives. as well saving the lives of British soldiers in operations overseas:
"Counter Terrorism is now a major part of almost all operations," says Ken. "The first bit of what might be described as conventional warfare often only lasts weeks, then internal security, countering insurgents and counter terrorism can often last for months or years."
The Centre is set up to serve "customers", a word Ken uses like an experienced businessman, which means that a certain amount of marketing or advertising needs to be done.
The majority of customers know where to find the Centre, such as the Armed Forces looking for counter measures to the latest Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), or the Defence Procurement Agency, sourcing the best armour to counter Rocket Propelled Grenades. But increasingly, the solutions offered by the Centre are of interest to Other Government Departments (OGDs) who need to know it's there.
Ken has to therefore also wear a ‘PR' hat. So the Centre has a website, glossy brochures and marketing material. It seems to be working:
"There are very few Government Departments that have not already been in contact with us. We are available for them to use to support their counter terrorism technology programmes, a true cross-Government resource. It is planned that over the next few years that work for OGDs will become a significant part of the Centre's activity."
The Centre's purpose is to run science and technology programmes that offer innovative solutions to counter terrorism. It is not involved directly in counter terrorism operations but supports them technically.
It works quite simply: when a customer comes to the Centre with a problem, e.g. the latest IEDs are defeating some armour; a team will put together an outline programme in order to find a solution. This team will consist of the staff from the Centre along with its part time advisors, including eminent academics who will scrutinise it in order to make sure it is the very best programme the UK can devise in that particular area.
The programme will then be contracted out by the Centre – the bulk of the work being done by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), industry or universities. One of the Centre's Capability Advisors will then act as the customer for the programme monitoring closely and ensuring it stays focussed.
"We need a very wide skill base and these are some of the MOD's best technologists."
Ken Brigden
Ken is proud of the skill set within his team of Capability Advisors.
"We need a very wide skill base and these are some of the MOD's best technologists. Most are career MOD people who have been working in this area for many years however, some with very specialist experience have been seconded directly in from industry."
But Ken and his team often go further than solving the customer's immediate problem. For example, once a team has identified a solution to a threat, a new programme might start to look at how to disrupt the terrorists' groups or their communications links which might ultimately also stop the attack chain. There is extra money available to the Centre if they see an additional threat defeat or reduction opportunity.
Terrorists are versatile these days, and often, as soon as a counter to a specific threat is found, they'll find a new method to wreak havoc:
"Unless we understand them we can't defeat them," says Ken. Which is why he is particularly interested in Social Network Analysis techniques: "Understanding where the terrorists came from, how are they structured, how do they communicate and where is the threat coming from?"
Science and technology are clearly seen by the military as a vital part of overcoming the terrorism threat. Iraq has seen the biggest deployment of scientific defence staff since WWII.
"It's the same in Afghanistan," Ken points out. "The military staff are asking us for science and technology support as they don't always understand what they are dealing with as new threats emerge rapidly. Science and technology provides an incredibly important edge in counter terrorist activity."
Surprisingly, for a scientist (well actually, an engineer), Ken is not interested in definitions of terrorism:
"It's difficult to define terrorism. If people have military training or are using military weapons are they terrorists? People talk about improvised weapons in Iraq, but if they are used in large numbers and manufactured on a large scale how improvised are they?
"It's not worth defining. We all know it when we see it. It's like modern art. As soon as you define it someone will push the boundaries. It serves no purpose to define it."
With the boundaries always changing one wonders whether Ken sees an end to his work? He pauses before answering solemnly:
"I think the world has changed. And changed significantly. And terrorism is not just a threat to the UK but has become one of the major global threats, along with climate change, and neither is going to go away quickly."
