Poland signed a landmark agreement Feb. 24 to facilitate the development and lower the cost of advanced technologies in areas such as command and control (C2) systems, cyber defence, intelligence-sharing, surveillance, reconnaissance and coalition interoperability.
In the aftermath of the November 2010 Lisbon Summit, the Alliance is focusing on cost-effective investments to defend against 21st century threats, such as cyber and missile defence. In a recent high-profile speech at the Munich Security conference, Secretary General Rasmussen has called for “smart, modern defence” based on multinational initiatives that will save costs on the development of new capabilities required to counter 21st century threats such as cyber attacks.
The agreement was signed in The Hague by the General Manager of the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A), Georges D’hollander, and the Director General of the Ministry of National Defence, Jacek Olbrycht, in the presence of the Polish Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Dr. Boguslaw Winid, Director of the ITT Department of the Polish Ministry of National Defence, Dr. Romuald Hoffmann, and high-ranking Polish officials.
Hoffmann believes the agreement will be a supporting vehicle for more interoperable solutions and also hopes it will speed up introduction of Polish technology into Alliance systems. He pointed out solutions already well-tested during CWIX exercises conducted under the umbrella of ACT and NC3A.
Specific benefits for Poland include: a faster track and lower cost for accessing NATO’s advanced technology laboratories for joint testing and research; an easier process for the establishment of multinational projects such as joint research and development or joint acquisition in order to benefit from economies of scale; and–through Polish national authorities–easier and lower-cost access for Polish Industry interested in testing, experimenting and validating the interoperability of their systems with those of NATO.
The NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) is responsible for some of NATO’s priority technology projects, such as the procurement of upgraded cyber defenses, missile defense and advanced intelligence-sharing, surveillance and reconnaissance.