Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma (ADMST): preparedness for the next conflict through collaboration in research and innovation.

The UK Strategic Defence Review 2025 provides a compelling examination of the threats faced by the UK. The UK as a whole, and the Ministry of Defence in particular, must become ready for large-scale conflict operations (LSCO) and learn the lessons from Ukraine. A successful academic military surgical department should regularly re-evaluate its mission, its surgical priorities and its outputs. This paper describes the principles by which the UK Defence Medical Services' Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma will work to address the likely clinical realities of LSCO. Three overarching themes to departmental work are described, underpinned by a commitment to collaboration via research partnerships-both within and external to Defence-to enable the delivery of best possible outcomes as the country's armed forces rapidly pivot to the future and adapt to new threats.