The Defence Futures and Force Design (F&FD), formerly Defence Futures and formerly Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) is the United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defence's (MOD's) think tank.
History The DCDC, originally called the Joint Doctrine and Concepts Centre (JDCC), was established as a result of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review. The UK recognised that it needed to have a clearer long-term vision of the way in which it expected it forces and their methods of operation to develop.
Programme SOLARIUM – Strategic Command’s transformation programme – launched the new Integration Design Authority (IDA) on 1 July 2024. Due to this transformation the DCDC has evolved into a new organisation – Defence Futures, part of the IDA. By 1 July 2024, "following Defence Reform, Defence Futures has been restructured and now operates as Defence Futures and Force Design."
Structure The F&FD is headed by a two-star officer, located at Shrivenham and is under the UK's Strategic Command but reports to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) who sets its priorities and outputs.
Outputs F&FD produces many publications relating to the future global environment. It also has a Doctrine Team responsible for writing and maintaining a range of joint operational level UK and NATO doctrine publications, and Strategy, Analysis and Research and Legal Teams such as the Global Strategic Trends Programme.
Directors The list of Directors of the JDCC, DCDC and F&FD have been:
Director JDCC Major-General Anthony Milton 1999-2002 Air Vice-Marshal Iain McNicoll 2002-2005 Rear Admiral Christopher Parr 2005-2008 (JDCC became DCDC around 2006)
Director DCDC Major-General Paul Newton 2008-2010 Air Vice-Marshal M. Paul Colley 2010-2012 Major-General Andrew Sharpe 2012-2013 Rear Admiral Paul Bennett 2013-2013 Rear Admiral John Kingwell 2013-2016 Major General Gerald I. Mitchell 2016-2020 Major-General Darrell Amison 2020–2022. Air Vice-Marshal John Monahan 2022–2024 Air Vice-Marshal Mark K. Ridgway 2024–present
Director F&FD Air Vice-Marshal Mark K. Ridgway 2024–present
References
External links Defence Futures and Force Design (F&FD) Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre Archived Website