Jacob Duhan, Head of Defence at Gunnebo Safe Storage, discusses how layered physical security supports interoperability, compliance and risk control across multinational defence operations
Gunnebo Safe Storage is an international provider of certified physical security solutions, specialising in high security storage for cash, valuables and sensitive assets across regulated sectors. Within the defence market, the company supports military organisations, government agencies and prime contractors with certified strong rooms, vaults, secure cabinets and deployable storage systems designed to protect critical operational equipment.
Operating in environments where compliance, resilience and accountability are non negotiable, Gunnebo focuses on independently tested and standards driven protection. Its defence portfolio addresses both permanent infrastructure and mobile deployments, enabling secure storage across bases, joint facilities and forward positions. By aligning physical security with recognised international certification frameworks, Gunnebo contributes to the stability and interoperability required in multinational defence operations.
Defence cooperation increasingly relies on multinational integration. Why is interoperability now such a strategic prioritywithin the defence environment?
Interoperability has moved from being a desirable capability to an operational necessity. Modern defence activity is defined by multinational missions, shared facilities, coordinated procurement programmes and integrated logistics chains. In this environment, forces must operate cohesively despite differences in national procedures, terminology and regulatory frameworks.
While policy alignment and joint training initiatives help bridge these gaps, they cannot eliminate structural differences between nations. What becomes critical is the presence of stable, measurable safeguards that function independently of local interpretation. That is where physical infrastructure plays a distinct role. It introduces predictability and objective performance standards into environments where administrative and procedural variation is unavoidable.
Policy and training are often emphasised as risk controls. Why are they insufficient on their ownand what can be done to improve this?
Policy, training and procedural discipline are essential components of defence risk management. However, they are inherently human dependent. Their effectiveness can fluctuate based on experience levels, personnel rotation and operational pressure.
Physical safe storage introduces a different type of control. It provides structure and measurable performance. Certified strong rooms, vaults and controlled access environments are independently tested and verified. Their protective capability does not rely on interpretation or familiarity with local doctrine.
In multinational contexts, where responsibilities overlap and compliance expectations differ, this objectivity becomes particularly important. A certified environment offers a common reference point that supports joint procedures without privileging one national framework over another.
As multinational missions, sharedfacilities and joint procurement programmes become more common, how does certified physical storage contribute in practical terms to supporting interoperability, maintaining compliance across multiple national forces?
When sensitive operational tools are transferred between forces or stored in shared facilities, clarity around protection standards is essential. Certified storage environments provide documented levels of resistance and compliance aligned with recognised international standards.
This helps reduce uncertainty. Rather than negotiating procedural compromises, participating nations can anchor their joint processes to independently verified physical safeguards. The environment itself reinforces consistency.
In temporary deployments or rotating multinational headquarters, this stability becomes even more valuable. Personnel may change frequently, and procedural familiarity varies across contingents. A recognisable physical framework reduces the burden of repeated retraining and ensures baseline expectations are upheld regardless of individual experience.
Operational deployments inevitably introduceadditional layers of complexity. How can compliant storage be maintained outside permanent infrastructure?
Contemporary operations regularly extend beyond established national facilities. Combat resources and protective gear must be secured in temporary bases, transit locations and forward positions where fixed infrastructure may be limited.
Mobile vaults and containerised secure storage units address this requirement. They provide certified levels of protection in deployable formats, ensuring that assurance travels with the force.
In multinational settings, mobility reinforces interoperability. When multiple nations adopt comparable physical standards for transportable storage, there is a shared understanding of structural resilience, access control and audit requirements. This reduces friction in combined operations and maintains continuity across borders…
Read the full interview
