NATO is set to preview nearly $1 billion in new contract opportunities and sign four bilateral cyber threat information sharing agreements with international industry partners at its upcoming defense conference in Berlin the week of May 21.
Officials at NITEC 18, organized by NATO’s Communication and Information (NCI) Agency, will provide an overview of the alliance’s future digital defense strategy and discuss plans for future air & missile defense and satellite communications contracts.
“The event will preview and discuss a new NATO architectural blueprint for deployable communication systems; this architecture will inform upcoming bids and the briefing is highly recommended for Industry partners interested in supplying NATO with deployable communication systems,” NATO officials said in a statement.
NATO leadership is expected to discuss contract opportunities coming up over the next 18 to 24 months, including over $530 million in upgrades to satellite communications and networks and $253 million towards integrated air and missile defense capabilities.
Officials will also preview contracts totaling up to $118 million in new competition for advanced software to support NATO troops. Other program opportunities include about $80 million for information and knowledge management and $12 million toward countering small unmanned aerial systems.
Updates will also be provided to attendees on NATO’s Cyber Shield exercise and competition for its counter-IED technology deployed to its response force.
NCI Agency officials at NITEC will also sign four new cyber threat information sharing agreements with Britain’s Vodafone Global Enterprise Ltd., AT&T [T], Italy’s CY4GATE and France’s Thales Communications & Security.
“Enhanced cooperation and rapid information-sharing between public and private sector proves to be one the most effective defences in terms of the highest-impact, lowest-cost and fastest way to increase cyber resilience, improve incident handling and mitigate vulnerability to attack,” officials said in a statement.
The new partnerships will assist with NCI Agency efforts to defend NATO networks from adversarial cyber threats, including facilitating early exchange of non-classified technical information and bolstering situational awareness initiatives.
“The collective approach and above all expertise of the private sector is crucial in addressing the current and future challenges in cyberspace,” Kevin Scheid, NCI Agency general manager, said in a statement.