To significantly improve the warfare decision-making, the British Army has launched a new digital targeting system called ASGARD, which stands for Autonomous Strike Guidance and Reconnaissance Device.
This system aims to help soldiers find, target, and eliminate enemy forces more quickly. ASGARD has already passed successful tests in the field with NATO forces in Estonia.
AI battle network cuts strike decisions
Developed in response to lessons learned from the Ukraine conflict, ASGARD integrates artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and secure digital networks to create a battlefield web that allows commanders to detect, decide, and strike within minutes, not hours.
The system enables real-time targeting across dispersed formations, doubling the lethality of British forces while cutting down sensor-to-shooter timelines to near-instantaneous levels.
“Project ASGARD proves we can do things differently,” said General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff.
“It’s not just a pathfinder for transformation, it is the transformation. What took hours now takes minutes. The UK now fields a recce-strike complex comparable to that used by Ukraine to hammer Russian forces in the Donbas.”
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the next phase of ASGARD’s development has received government funding.
As part of a broader Strategic Defence Review initiative, the British Army aims to achieve a tenfold increase in combat lethality over the next decade by integrating surveillance, autonomy, digital command systems, and rapid decision-making tools.
UK’s future Digital Targeting Web
ASGARD’s launch marks an important change. The Defence Secretary first announced the program in October 2024, which has advanced quickly.
Contracts were signed in January 2025, and within just four months, a prototype was ready for NATO’s Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia.
The system showed it could identify enemy threats, share targeting data across the battlefield, and guide strikes with very little delay.
Designed to be scalable and interoperable, ASGARD is a core building block in the UK’s future Digital Targeting Web, a cross-service initiative intended to digitize battlefield targeting by 2027.
Backed by over £1 billion ($1.16 billion) in funding, the system will connect sensors, shooters, and decision-makers across land, sea, air, and space domains.
“This is the future of warfare,” said Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry.
“We are applying hard-won lessons from Ukraine so our forces can strike farther and faster than our adversaries. ASGARD shows what’s possible when the government, industry, and armed forces work together urgently.”
Digital-first capabilities
The prototype used during Exercise Hedgehog included AI-powered fire control software, low-latency tactical networks, and semi-autonomous target recommendation tools.
ASGARD’s capabilities were showcased in London this week to NATO allies and defense industry leaders, demonstrating its disruptive impact on adversary operations.
ASGARD is more than just a hardware system; it marks a change in how the Army acquires technology. The Army now focuses on fast procurement, modular designs, and working with small and medium-sized companies.
This project shows how the Army can quickly add digital capabilities to its front-line units.
The next phase will extend ASGARD’s use to Corps and Divisional levels, helping with long-range precision fires and distributed command nodes.
By utilizing innovations in AI and digital decision-making, ASGARD can change how the British Army fights and wins in future battles.
