Digital Strategy and Roadmap to deliver Defence ICT capabilities

The Albanese Government has released the 2024 Defence Digital Strategy and Roadmap, which sets out Defence’s approach to delivering information and communications technologies (ICT) in support of Australia’s national interest. 

As the Defence Strategic Review observed, ICT is critical to Defence and modern warfighting capability, and underpins Australia’s preparedness to meet our strategic circumstances. 

The Strategy and Roadmap outlines Defence’s strategic direction and priorities to elevate our digital landscape, and reinforces the critical role our digital backbone plays in achieving an integrated force able fit for the digital age. The Strategy focuses Defence’s digital agenda through three core priorities:

1. Expanding and uplifting the Australian Defence Force and Australian Public Service to become a best-in-class workforce and reduce reliance on contractors.
2. Leveraging the power of leading global platforms.
3. Ensuring supply chain resilience, through a focus on strong partnerships to deliver sovereign technologies and capabilities. 

Defence will work with industry and academia to implement this agenda.

The Roadmap identifies ICT capabilities Defence will prioritise and address with urgency, including AI, hyperscalers and productivity platforms. The Government’s investments in enterprise data, digital platforms and networks will strengthen security, resilience and interoperability, and improve the ability to share data efficiently and at scale.

These priority ICT capabilities will be delivered as part of the $8.5‑$11 billion the Government will invest in enterprise data and ICT over the next 10 years through the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.

The Defence Digital Strategy and Roadmap can be found at https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/defence-digital-strategy-roadmap-2024