From the event

21-22 Oct. 2008

CNAD advances on key capability requirements

NATO R&T

National Armaments Directors from the 26 NATO member countries, invitees from Albania and Croatia, as well as 11 Partnership for Peace nations met at NATO Headquarters for the biannual Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD). The CNAD focused its attention on meeting capability requirements for NATO operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and in the Mediterranean.

NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Chief of Staff SHAPE, General Karl-Heinz Lather, highlighted the critical need for capabilities such as Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS), helicopters and strategic lift, to support NATO troops in the field, and the role Armament Directors play in delivering these capabilities. The meeting was held in conjunction with a special event marking the 10th anniversary of NATO’s Research and Technology Organization. 

Good progress made

The need for more and better Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities is being addressed in 3 steps starting with full motion video cameras on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and building to a system where the AGS will form the core of a state of the art information system for operational commanders.

Direction was given on how best to move forward with missile defences for Alliance deployed forces under the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence Programme (ALTBMD) programme.  NADs also reviewed the good progress being made to address Bucharest Summit tasking on territorial missile defence.

The CNAD highlighted recent accomplishments with the Defence Against Terrorism Programme of Work (DAT POW), showcasing the ability to develop and deploy practical countermeasures that mitigate terrorist attacks.  

Armaments Directors also reviewed the work being done to address the Alliance’s shortfall of helicopters for operations in Afghanistan and examined lessons learned from Partner nation involvement in the very successful Strategic Airlift Capability (C-17) programme. They heard from the Deputy Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, Major General Carlo Magrassi, on practical ways to improve armaments cooperation with the European Union. 

Multinational solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges

Peter C.W. Flory, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment and the Permanent Chairman of the CNAD, emphasized the need for multinational approaches to address both current and future capability requirements.  “In today’s environment, with levels of national defence spending that in many cases do not match the demands of real world Alliance operations, there is a need for cost effective solutions.  NATO and other multinational approaches can develop and deploy capabilities that may otherwise be too expensive or not represent efficient solutions for individual nations,” Flory said.