Our Mission - “To act as the lead organization within The British Defence Staff for United States/United Kingdom Government to Government collaboration on science, technology, research and development to enhance UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) knowledge, capabilities and value in research and development for the benefit of military effectiveness, exploitation and operational capability.”

Knowledge, Co-operation and Collaboration

The Defence Science and Technology (DST) staff are the lead group, within the British Defence Staff-United States (BDS-US), for US/UK Government to Government collaboration on science, technology, research and development.

The US is the UK’s most important international defence partner in research, development, procurement, and operational matters. Co-operation and collaboration between the US and UK has grown significantly in recent years with the support of the DST staff. Within Washington we act as the MOD’s lead and focus for participation in the multi-national TTCP (The Technical Cooperation Programme), as well as meeting the needs of a large number of MOD customers in support of the MOD Science & Technology programme and the wider MOD Research and Development programme. The principal role for DST staff is to identify new areas for successful exploitation and collaboration while ensuring effective use of existing agreements.

Historical Perspective

The close relationship between the US and UK with respect to defence science and technology has existed for many years and began during the Second World War with the handing over of specific technologies on the developments made by the UK on radar and jet engines. In 1957, following the launching of the Russian Sputnik programme, the US realized that to maintain its position in the world as a leader in defence technology it needed its allies and agreements such as The Technical Co-operation programme (TTCP) was borne. This was further consolidated with the “1958 Mutual Defence Agreement”, which permitted the exchange of technology on nuclear weapons and nuclear submarine propulsion. Since then the amount of co-operation and collaboration between the US and the UK has grown significantly, aided by the British Embassy based DST staff.

DST Organization

DST staff interface at all levels with both the US DOD and the UK MOD. To do this and be an effective interface between these two organisations DST needs to be and is a flexible organisation with personnel embedded in the Land, Sea, Air, C4ISR and Policy areas.

Click here for a DST Organisational Chart