Ludwig Decamps
General Manager
NATO Communications and Information
On the 4th of April, 75 years ago, 12 countries gathered at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington D.C. in a historic ceremony that would shape the future of international relations. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed and NATO was born.
President Truman’s address on that day emphasized the importance of nations “so deeply conscious of their common interests” coming together to preserve peace and to protect it in the future.
His words still resonate today. The accession of Finland in April 2023 and the recent membership of Sweden as the 32nd Ally, attests to the enduring commitment from like-minded nations to safeguard our collective security now, and in the future.
12 founding members then, 32 today, a stronger Alliance, and a shift in focus. The proliferation of cyber threats and the integration of technology in all aspects and domains of modern warfare have triggered a profound adaptation towards digitalisation which reflects on the Alliance’s commitment to staying relevant in today’s strategic environment.
For 75 years, NATO has been the bedrock of transatlantic peace, stability and security, whether on land, at sea, or in the air, and now in cyber and space. Today, in a more complex and unpredictable world, the Alliance’s continued political and military success and its ability to fulfil its tasks will rely on its capacity to adopt technologies to conduct multi-domain operations in a robust, resilient, and interoperable manner.
For this, an enhanced situation awareness, data-driven decision-making and strengthened collaboration with the private sector, civil society and academia are essential. A secure digital enterprise will be key enablers to maintain the technological edge of our armed forces and civil societies.
A shift in focus
The NATO 2030 initiative sets out an ambitious agenda for the next decade, with clear guidelines for further adaptation to address existing, new and future threats, including in cyber space, and a focus on resilience and innovation.
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency), NATO’s technology and cyber hub, is an enabler in delivering NATO’s 2030 ambitions and driving the digital transformation.
Born from a merger of several NATO entities in 2012, our Agency has a 68-year legacy of supporting the Alliance. From its roots in providing technical advice and software to the operational community in the 1950s, the Agency has evolved in line with NATO’s purpose and ambitions over the last decades. Just like the Alliance’s values have endured, supporting our forces remains at the heart of our mission. However, our operating environment has drastically changed with the rise of hybrid threats and ‘grey zone’ operations that fall below the threshold of traditional armed conflict.
The pace of technological change has never been higher, unlocking new opportunities and risks and reshaping our operational strategies. Our mission today reinforces NATO’s ability to adapt to an increase interconnectedness and emerging challenges by embracing and integrating these new technologies to ensure secure, reliable, resilient and efficient collaboration within NATO and enhancing interoperability across the Alliance.
Maximising the value of data through exploitation and sharing within the Alliance will allow us to achieve cognitive and decision superiority. For this, our experts work in cooperation with industry, academia, Allies and Partners, to keep pace of innovation and digital advances and help NATO remain a competitive and leading force in the current uncertain security environment.
The Baltics: NATO digital frontrunners
This renewed sense of threat is perhaps most acute among the three Baltic members, which have long been vulnerable to Russian aggression.
Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have made use of digitalisation as a powerful tool to rebuild their societies and bolster their resilience since they regained their independence in 1991. Their digitalisation efforts in the adoption of emerging technologies, their enhanced focus on cyber resilience and a flourishing innovation-driven private sector attest their digital maturity.
Estonia’s experience in handling the cyber-attacks of 2007 has placed the country as a recognised leader in cybersecurity. Annual exercises such as Cyber Coalition or Locked Shields serve as vital platforms to test resilience to cyber threats and conducting operations. Both of them are organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, founded in Tallinn the year of the attacks. The Agency supports the planning and execution of the exercises year in, year out. This year our experts will team up with Latvia to participate in Locked Shields and train together to enhance their skills.
In Latvia, the Agency is also immersed in a 5G project, harnessing the use of this technology to facilitate interoperability in multinational scenarios. Finally, late last year, the Agency extended connectivity for NATO digital networks to support the temporary deployment of NATO AWACS jets to Lithuania, extending the surveillance coverage to monitor Russian military activity near the Alliance’s borders in the Baltic region.
The changing nature of conflict and hybridisation of warfare demands the adoption of new technologies like 5G, Artificial Intelligence or cloud. Cognizant of that, Allies have committed an unprecedented increase in defence investment. In 2024, Allies in Europe will invest a combined total of 380 billion US dollars in defence, with 20% earmarked for higher-end and new equipment, as well as for new technologies.
The Baltic countries possess a strong, innovative, research-oriented and globally competitive industry, and a digital-ready workforce, covering many of the areas where the Agency is focusing its efforts. This brings collaboration opportunities for Baltic nationals and private sector to contribute to the Agency’s mission and enhance NATO’s digital transformation.
Industry is essential in shaping digital interoperability across the Alliance. Conscious of this strategic imperative, the Agency has launched a new outsourcing strategy to support NATO’s ambitions and deliver the most effective and efficient solutions against the NATO 2030 priorities. From the development of cyber security solutions, to the supply of advanced communications and information equipment, or the research and development of emerging technologies, the new strategy underscores a growing demand signal. Driven by the NATO 2030 commitments, NATO-wide collective budgets will increase by some 200% over the next six years, bringing new business opportunities for industry to tap in.
Eight months ago, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, we engaged with industry to explore NATO’s vision for its future defence capabilities at the NATO Industry Forum. This 2024, as we mark NATO’s 75th anniversary, the Agency crosses the Atlantic to launch the second edition of our flagship event. NATO Edge 2024 will take place in Tampa, Florida from 3-5 December, strengthening the transatlantic bond between decision-makers, industry and academia to discuss the technology, collaboration and partnerships required to future-proof the Alliance.
Industry makes NATO stronger. Only by leveraging our partnerships with industry, we will ensure the success of the most enduring alliance in history, and safeguard peace and stability for our future generations.