At its core, multi-domain operations (or MDO) represents the strategic effort by defence agencies to coordinate military activities across all operating domains and environments. These actions are synchronised with non-military activities and enable allies to create desired outcomes at the optimal time and place. The expansion of defence modernisation to includes five domains (land, air, sea, space, cyber). Now there are more needs and opportunities for multi-domain operations.
MDO stakeholders
Stakeholders in multi-domain operations within defence agencies and non-military organisations participate from various roles:
- Commanders receive intelligence from diverse sources to achieve a more comprehensive view and more informed decision-making, but there could be timing, assurance and trust concerns
- Deployed troops and response personnel collect data to be shared beyond their usual networks, but this should not require extra effort; they also receive information or commands from multiple sources
- Defence system architects are tasked with dismantling compartmentalised information and data silos and facilitating data sharing with trusted parties
- Solution providers focus on designing solutions around standards, embedding interoperability and integration into their solutions, helping to connect with existing C4ISR implementations
MDO success
The aim of multi-domain operations, or any military operation doctrine, is to be quicker in your Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop than your adversaries. Accordingly, multi-domain operations offers numerous benefits. These include enhanced interoperability between agencies, quicker processing of data and information and easier sharing amongst allies. This broader collaboration, coupled with the need to share information and relevant security measures, helps build trust and resilience.
Various technological elements underpin multi-domain operations, enabling interaction through open standards, simplifying information sharing and automating data analysis from numerous sensors. This leads to presentation of data to many customers in a consumable form tailored to their specific needs. There is a growing trend in defence to utilise off-the-shelf software that can be configured by end user organisations.
To be successful in multi-domain operations, defence organisations need to embrace defence digitisation and digital transformation. But they need to have the right technology in place.
This white paper outlines the benefits of that technology, which include:
- Secure interaction and collaboration
- Visible, accessible, trustworthy and interoperable data
- Automated data workflows
- Sustainable technical edge
Read more about MDO and its benefits in our free white paper.
Richard Goodman is the EMEA defence lead for Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division. He has been with Hexagon for more than 20 years and in the geospatial industry for almost 30. He has wide-ranging experience supporting different government and defence user groups and organisations and helps customers evolve their use of digital geospatial data through management, delivery and workflows.
