How DTC is defining the future of battlefield communications
Soldier Modernisation speaks with Andrew Dobson, DTC's military product lead
Conflict dynamics are more unpredictable than ever, and reliable, adaptive communication is critical for success. Radio frequency specialists, DTC, a Codan company, has a strategic vision to shape the future of battlefield communications. We spoke with Andrew Dobson, DTC's military product lead, to find out more.
Q: How is today's battlefield changing?
A: It's perhaps a bit cliched to say that the character of conflict has changed considerably over the years, but it helps to paint a picture of where we are today. Conflict once was large-scale, slow, and maneuverist operations, and around the time of the Cold War, counterinsurgency operations prevailed.
Today, things are much more maneuverist again, but they're extremely dynamic. Defence teams must be agile and adaptable, and speed of decision-making is key to success. At the same time, manpower is a critical and limited resource, so there's a strong drive to increase lethality while reducing the use of human resources.
That has led to a reliance on uncrewed systems, drones, and AI-enabled platforms. These types of technology demand secure, integrated, and flexible radio and spectrum management solutions, and mean that spectrum dominance is critical in the battlespace.
There's more pressure to get communications right. They must be more integrated, more resilient, and able to function in contested, congested, and cyber-challenged environments. Each adversary is using different techniques to outperform the other. And that change is driving a different kind of military operation.
Q: What's your vision for battlefield communications in the future?
A: AI and agentic operation will be central to the battlefield of the future, once we've balanced cost and performance. AI is already speeding up the decision cycle in planning and orchestration, but the real change will come when it moves to the frontline. We're moving toward fully integrated, AI-enabled networks that self-manage and adapt on the fly, removing humans from decision loops. Within three to five years, we'll see much more intelligence at the edge and built directly into the kinetic platforms and devices themselves.
Drones, sensors, and radios will be able to detect interference or threats, decide how to react, and change frequency or payload on their own. As processing power gets smaller, faster, and more efficient, that becomes much more viable.
These systems will just work. Soldiers shouldn't need to worry about channels or frequencies. They can focus on their mission, confident that their equipment is handling all the heavy lifting in the background. That's how I see it: less effort, less distraction, and more focus on outcomes. Of course, one of the biggest challenges will be human trust in automation, ensuring soldiers are confident that systems will make the right decisions autonomously.
Q: How is DTC developing for an AI-enabled, self-adaptive future?
A: The technologies already exist in part. DTC's radios can spectrum scan, detect interference, and reconfigure themselves. The next step is to make those features work together so that they operate as one cognitive, continuous, self-managing loop.
The goal is to shift from C2 to elevated Command and automated Control, reducing that control burden. Humans will still make the key calls, but the systems will handle more of the routine decisions autonomously.
Q: While the future takes shape, how is DTC helping militaries that still rely on legacy technology to bridge that gap?
A: That's a really important part of what we do. Not every nation can replace its infrastructure overnight, so we focus on enabling transition rather than replacement, which manages obsolescence and future-proofs.
Our product portfolio is designed for flexibility, localisation, and interoperability. For example, our multi-waveform software-defined radios (SDRs) provide users the freedom to deploy across soldier, UxV, and mounted systems with the waveform of their choice. That means they can modernise at their own pace, protecting existing investments while moving toward more advanced, adaptive systems. And because we can upgrade through firmware or modular add-ons, even legacy equipment can stay relevant as threats evolve.
Sovereignty is central to DTC's offering. All systems are waveform-agnostic, designed to operate across multiple platforms with user-defined crypto and frequency control. Nations can build and maintain their own waveforms, manage spectrum allocation, and avoid vendor lock-in.
Q: Why is DTC best placed to shape this future?
A: We aim to be the most relevant defence company globally. Maybe not the largest, but certainly the most agile and attuned to the current threat landscape. Our heritage in radio frequency and spectrum management provides a solid foundation, serving everyone from special forces to standard military units, with systems that can be deployed globally and adapted regionally.
As we've seen, the spectrum has become a much more prominent part of the battlefield than we ever thought it would. This shift has seen us grow from a £30 million to a £120 million company in the last 24 months. We're manufacturing 3,000 radios each month locally in Wiltshire, UK, and 95% of our revenue comes from exports, so we're a truly global business.
Personally, I've experienced defence from both sides. My career began as a radio technician in the Army, and after a couple of tours in Afghanistan, I became a commissioned officer and later CTO for UK Special Forces. I moved into industry with Cisco and Viasat, helping to build innovation strategies and defence technologies at scale. I've been with DTC for a year now, and our culture is built on innovation, trust, agility, and partnership.
We also understand that no single company can do everything alone. Collaboration is key to building an ecosystem where different technologies can work seamlessly together. We see ourselves as a key cog in a much bigger machine. Our OEM strategy enables localisation to better serve supply chain, trust, and pricing needs. We collaborate with other vendors to deliver solutions that are cohesive, interoperable, and genuinely useful.
We operate across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, and we recognise that each region has unique operational and regulatory needs. Our products are designed for localisation, supporting different infrastructures, languages, and compliance standards. That regional understanding, combined with global reach, makes us adaptable and relevant wherever we operate. It's about being close to the problem and quick to respond.
Andrew Dobson, Business Unit Director - Military
For more information please visit:
https://www.dtccodan.com
