NC3A as a platform to support C4ISR capabilities development for the Comprehensive Approach

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Abstract:

A model for cooperative capability development among NATO and Partner Nations in support of the Comprehensive Approach for crisis management is presented. The ‘Comprehensive C4ISR Approach’ (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) through NC3A could be a useful instrument, not only for operationalizing the Comprehensive Approach for crisis management, but also for change management across all of NATO, positioning the agency as a platform for collaborative capability development and service provision. It will help in: addressing the requirements of the Integrated Security Sector as a whole (more than just those of defence structures); providing coordinated support throughout the full life cycle of C4ISR capabilities, and combining diverse funding streams. This approach is supported by several newly available tools and venues for coordination. These could help match top-down requirements with “bottom-up” solutions to strengthen interoperability in secure environments for many players – NATO, Partner Nations, and other international organizations, including those associated with the EU or the UN. In turn, this approach could lead to a platform, based on Network of Excellence on C4ISR, although full realization of the Network will require significant organizational innovation and change management