Annually, the NATO C2COE organises a seminar. This year it was conducted in Brussels, Belgium, from 25 to 27 June at the Park Inn by Radisson hotel Brussels Airport.
In today’s hybrid environment, it is imperative for commanders and their HQ’s to be able to work off the most, the most accurate and the most recent information possible, in order to gain and maintain an operational advantage. It is therefore important to be connected not just on the technical level, but even more so on the human and the organisational level. NATO and its allies have come a long way in achieving technical interoperability and many issues in that area have been resolved (although many still remain today). Similar or even higher in relevance, is the importance of organisational and human interoperability, in other words the importance of getting connected to any required and all contributing players in and around a theatre of operations. In order to extract the most relevant information to support decision-making, HQ’s need to access information from non-traditional sources in non-traditional ways in addition to not-to-be-neglected traditional information flows. Getting connected not only is important during the planning and execution of operations, but also during preparation. Various technological developments may affect C2, different domains and different levels may not always “understand” each other and essential or highly beneficial knowledge and information may be available but unfindable for the operator because he/she is unaware of the existence.
Aim of the seminar
The 2019 NATO C2COE seminar aimed to provide participants with an interesting mix of various ways and means of “getting connected” and to provide ample networking opportunities. Connections can be made, or lacking, in many ways, but connection is always about the exchange of information between a sender and a receiver. The purpose of getting connected in a Command & Control (C2) context is for the receiver of information to become better informed and hence aware of the environment (social, physical, digital etc.) in order to make well-informed decisions in whatever operation is being conducted. The seminar provided presentations on different aspects of connecting, ranging amongst others from basic and straightforward (or so it is often perceived) voice-communication (Brungart/Henry) through CIS (Communication and Information Systems) connectivity (Wirsching) and differing C2 approaches (Robinson/Markey) to next-generation C2 concepts (Hoeben) and artificial intelligence (AI) (Van Diggelen). These presentations emphasized the NATO C2COE’s mission and vision:
Mission – The NATO C2COE supports NATO, nations and international institutions/organizations with subject matter expertise on C2;
Vision – The NATO C2COE catalyzes C2 by capturing, creating, assessing and distributing C2 knowledge. The joint and multinational capacity of the NATO C2COE and its partners will lead to robust and applicable knowledge.
Disclaimer:
This unclassified publication is intended for interested professionals and non-professionals in the field of C2 from sponsoring nations, NATO, NATO member nations, partner nations, scientific organizations and industry.
This is a NATO C2COE product. It has been produced for information purposes only. It does not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of NATO and/or sponsoring nations of the Centre. It is designed to provide an independent opinion.
Presentations:
For access to the most of the PDF presentations in one file, go to our library and download the ‘PDF Presentations from the Annual Seminar 2019 “Get Connected”’. Password is: brussels2019