Industry as the Sixth Domain: Sustaining UK Warfighting Readiness

Overview

Modern UK defence defines warfighting across five domains: sea, land, air, cyber and space. Yet no capability, sovereign or otherwise, in any domain, can generate or sustain effect without industrial support. From maritime platforms to software-driven and space-enabled systems, operational outcomes depend on platform availability, maintenance, upgrades and the skilled lifetime engineering that enables this.

Recent operational experience has shown that the ability to sustain and regenerate capability is decisive. Through-life support and sustainment of defence assets sit at the heart of warfare readiness and resilience. The design and build of a platform or defence asset is only the starting point; enduring readiness determines deterrence, responsiveness, and the ability to fight at scale.

Harry Holt will argue that industry constitutes a critical ‘sixth domain, underpinning defence readiness and resilience. He will examine the implications for public–private partnerships, force design, and defence reform, and how the UK better recognises, structures and incentivises industrial capability as an integral part of a capable, resilient and lethal fighting force.

The briefing will be hosted by Matthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences, RUSI.

Speaker’s Biography

Harry Holt DSO OBE is Babcock’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and will assume the role of Group Chief Executive later this year. He was previously Chief Executive of Babcock’s Nuclear Sector, accountable for activity across both the defence - including Babcock’s submarine operations -and civil markets. Prior to joining Babcock in September 2023, he spent over 10 years with Rolls-Royce, including seven years on their executive team in several senior roles. Before Rolls-Royce, Mr Holt had a distinguished career as an officer in the British Army.