Vanguard Magazine

18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com to allow the SAPIENT system to use the same OSUS platform to ensure interop- erability with the technologies of their TTCP counterparts. At CUE 18, Chris and his team were able to integrate the information col- lected by the CUPSS successfully, as well as any information collected by Canada's ISS tactical vest. One of the observa- tions, albeit a minor one, that arose for SAPIENT was understanding data being sent by the French-speaking Canadian soldiers from their ISS vests. This feed- back will be useful going forward as one day the technology may be used within the interoperable NATO environment. "The process of multi-source inte- gration and data fusion is like weaving spaghetti," Briggs analogized. "Under- standing the technologies, how they have generated their data and the con- text in which the technologies are oper- ating is a big challenge – this was much easier to address when the scientists are working together on a common goal and are able to physically look at each deFenCe innoVAtion others' screens and discuss." CUE 18 was by all accounts a success. The experiment achieved what it had set out to do – gain a greater understanding of urban complexities and their impact on military operations through experimenta- tion. For all CUE 18 participants, being able to work alongside each other proved to be very effective in improving timely communication between users of the tech- nologies and the research leads on the respective technologies. The experiment served to inform concepts and require- ments as the researchers gained a greater understanding of urban complexities and their impact on military operations through the experimentation. The terabytes of data gathered by the scientists will be pored over in the coming months to improve and to evolve the tech- nologies tested in Montreal. Some will re- appear at the next CUE iteration; others will continue to be developed and modi- fied, and eventually integrated into each nation's respective militaries. Research re- lationships have been forged and strength- ened in person and will continue over time zones and fibre optics. In an increasingly complex and intercon- nected world, the technologies that are developed by DRDC to be used by the Canadian military certainly need to be in- terconnected themselves, but also with the technologies of our allies. Interoperability is key to success in the field, as all missions and operations abroad involved a significant ele- ment of cooperation. Events like the CUE create and foster the environment for coop- eration and interoperability to flourish, and for the military technologies that serve to protect military and civilian lives to evolve and to succeed. Second Lieutenant Alexandra Hejduk joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2017. She is working with the public affairs office at the 2nd Canadian Division, Army in Montréal, Quebec, as she awaits her public affairs officer training in 2019. Prior to her military career, she taught at a private university in Poland and at a private academy in South Korea. She also worked in mental health and addictions, in tourism, and, most recently prior to enlisting, in municipal government. Photos: Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces

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