Oracle today announced that the Royal Navy is using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Roving Edge Infrastructure to run Whitespace’s fully integrated sovereign AI capability, Saga, aboard HMS Prince of Wales. This enables the Royal Navy to use its sovereign AI platform to support the UK’s national security whether HMS Prince of Wales is in national waters or deployed abroad.

To stay ahead of adversaries and gain secure access to AI solutions, the HMS Prince of Wales, the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy and one of the most powerful surface warships ever built in the UK, deployed Saga on OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure. With the new capabilities, the warship will be able to process data close to the source, enabling faster insights. This enables the Royal Navy to run operational learning and decision support AI in challenging environments, turning complex mission data into actionable understanding without compromising the security of some of the world’s most sensitive information.

“Leveraging modern AI solutions across the entire operations of the Royal Navy is critical to the UK’s defensive capabilities,” said First Sea Lord, Sir Gwyn Jenkins. “To ensure the HMS Prince of Wales can succeed in its mission, the Royal Navy has deployed a solution that leverages the benefits of sovereign AI securely, without compromising operational control or efficiencies, no matter where it is in the world.”

OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure delivers cloud computing and storage services at the edge of networks and in disconnected locations. It is a dense, portable compute - and storage -optimised server that has been built to operate in remote and challenging environments. It is encased in a military-grade, ruggedised case that provides electromagnetic protection to limit emanations and interference.

“The Royal Navy, and more widely the Ministry of Defence, needs to store and run their sovereign data in environments that are highly secure while maintaining operational control,” said Jason Rees, senior vice president, technology engineering EMEA, Oracle. “The mission is at the edge. By using OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure, the Royal Navy can seamlessly and securely develop, deploy, and maintain sovereign AI capabilities for the Fleet Flagship anytime, anywhere.”

Whitespace, part of the Oracle Defence Ecosystem, is the UK’s sovereign AI company behind Collective, a modular AI operating system for high-risk environments. Within Collective, Saga provides an intuitive, app-like interface that allows Royal Navy personnel to capture lessons, review mission data and access tailored AI support in one secure environment.

“Deploying Saga on OCI Roving Edge Infrastructure shows what is now possible when sovereign AI is paired with resilient cloud-at-the-edge technology,” said Andrew Webber, Chief Partnerships Officer at Whitespace. “The Royal Navy needs capabilities that work anywhere, under any conditions, and this collaboration delivers exactly that. Together with Oracle, we are proving that the UK can field trusted, secure AI in live operational environments today.”

Additional Resources

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• Read about Oracle’s distributed cloud
• Learn more about Oracle Cloud security