Sensors & Countermeasures

 researches and develops sensor and countermeasure technology for MOD by pushing the boundaries of science to protect lives at sea, on land and in the air.”

The Sensors and Countermeasures Department (SCD) researches and evaluates a range of sensors for air, land and sea military platforms. It specialises in integrated threat evaluation to support military tactics by studying the electronic signatures of hostile systems and platforms and providing an integrated countermeasure capability to survive engagement and protect lives.

SCD use a range of systems to identify potential threats to military personnel and equipment, and stop them. It provides:

• A focus for sensor systems to support MOD programmes that Dstl delivers against important issues
• Integrated Electronic Surveillance (ES) capability to support joint ES initiatives
• An integrated countermeasure capability to protect our land, sea and air forces
• The Dstl lead for Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Collector Systems programmes

The nature of the work undertaken in Sensors and Countermeasures means its people come from a wide range of scientific disciplines and technical backgrounds. Those joining the department as graduates have usually studied a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subject. Typically its people will have studied one of these subjects at university:

Electrical Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Engineering (general)
Hydrodynamics
Mathematics/Applied Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Oceanography
Optical Engineering
Physics
Science General
Software Engineering
Statistics
Systems Engineering

Careers in Sensors and Countermeasures