NATO celebrates 50 years of capability delivery
Top national defence procurement officials from NATO and partner countries took stock of efforts to continue the enhanced contribution of the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) to NATO capability delivery in areas of priority for the Alliance, in Brussels on 3 November 2016.
To celebrate CNAD’s 50th anniversary, the CNAD Chairman and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg opened the meeting, stating that “thanks to the work of the CNAD, our men and women in uniform can rely on their equipment being of the very highest quality. And know that it will work seamlessly with that of their comrades in arms. Wherever they are. Whoever they are working with. Whatever their mission may be”.
Facilitating multinational cooperation
For half a century, the CNAD has been bringing Allies together to facilitate multinational cooperation in capability development and delivery to ensure that the Alliance has state-of-the-art capabilities readily available at all times.
Today, for the Alliance to keep its technological edge, especially in the context of complex capability development and acquisition, it is of particular importance to harness innovation in armaments programmes that can take many years to deliver.
The Secretary General noted that efforts in the NATO armaments community, which includes Allies and partners, are generating capabilities that will keep the Alliance strong, and he emphasised that “the Conference’s key contributions remain as significant as they were five decades ago”.
Enhancing the NATO-industry relationship
A stronger defence industry across the Alliance remains essential for acquiring the necessary capabilities. The CNAD is leading initiatives to bring new thinking to the customer/supplier relationship. At their meeting, National Armaments Directors took stock of efforts to continue the enhanced NATO-industry relationship and Mr Camille Grand, Permanent Chairman of the CNAD and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, underlined that "CNAD is the lead NATO body addressing topics related to industry. Through our work, we are helping to keep the transatlantic bond strong”.
CNAD support to capability delivery
Mr Grand opened the afternoon Allies-only session by sharing his thoughts on the CNAD’s role in implementing the important decisions taken at the Warsaw Summit in July. National Armament Directors were updated on how the CNAD’s working groups are addressing the defence planning priorities identified by Allied leaders at Warsaw.
The CNAD plays a critical role in ensuring that the Alliance is equipped with the required capabilities, and Allied Directors were briefed on the status of the major programmes governed by the CNAD: Ballistic Missile Defence; Alliance Future Surveillance and Control; Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; and Alliance Ground Surveillance.
The next CNAD meeting will be held in spring 2017.