National Armaments Directors discuss Smart Defence
On 29 March, the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) brought together top national officials responsible for defence procurement at its biannual meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
CNAD is NATO’s senior body in charge of enabling multinational cooperation on the delivery of military capabilities in order to improve NATO forces’ effectiveness.
Participants focused on the Smart Defence approach, both in its practical and conceptual dimension. NATO’s Army, Naval and Air Force Armaments Groups presented an overview of respective multinational projects, and various representatives from NATO nations, NATO agencies and bodies laid the basis for extensive discussions.
Among the prominent Smart Defence programmes discussed during the all-day event were NATO’s Ballistic Missile Defence and Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, including Alliance Ground Surveillance.
Mr Patrick Auroy, Permanent Chairman of the CNAD and Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, also pointed to elements that are needed to reinforce Smart Defence, including the Connected Forces Initiative and closer cooperation between NATO and Industry.