Vanguard Magazine

34 APRIL/MAY 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com C4iSr By mArCello Sukhdeo To MeeT The Challenges of Leverage emerging TechnoLogies C ommand, Communications, Control, Computers, Intel- ligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) is a crucial facet of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and a growing area that is getting more atten- tion in recent years. For over five years, Vanguard has been working with both industry and govern- ment to bring together key stakeholders in a forum setting to further the discus- sion on C4ISR. On January 30 this year, Vanguard held its fifth annual C4ISR and Beyond event at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa. Built on the theme of "Enhancing Critical Decision Making," the conference featured four panels, two keynotes and one industry presentation. In his opening keynote message, MGen William Seymour, Deputy Commander, Canadian Joint Operations, set the stage for the day by talking about the CAF's operations in an increasingly "informa- tionized" environment. This environ- ment, according to MGen Seymour, is one in which our adversaries operate against us daily through cyber, informa- tion operations, and intelligence collec- tion. He explained that this provides a challenge in defending and perusing our interests while continuing to protect our values and principles. The future, he said, will be one that will sees several conflicts taking place simultaneously, playing out in multiple areas, and across numerous domains, which promises complexities that previous decades did not experience. MGen Seymour explained that one way to handle the complexities of the fu- ture is "to collaborate, innovate and field capabilities faster." To do so requires rec- ognizing and exploiting potential military capabilities that can be derived from new technologies. "A combination of AI, au- tonomous systems and robotics could provide the basis that underpins the next revolution in military affairs," said MGen Seymour. However, to get there, he said, they need to work more closely with in- dustry to nurture and support commercial technologies and, in some areas, establish strategic partnerships to develop other op- erational solutions. RAdm Jeffery B. Zwick, Chief of Force Development, delivered the other keynote message during the event. He spoke about the continuing advancement of technol- ogy today and how that will feed the evo- lution of C4ISR now and beyond. "At its core, C4ISR is nothing new," said RAdm Zwick. "The elements of it have ex- isted throughout mankind's applications of warfare. Fundamentally, the only thing that has changed is the volume and type of information that is available, and the speed by which it is processed and distributed." This process has evolved with technology throughout the ages – long distance tele- graphs, wired telephones and wireless radi- os, and wireless communication –enabling the commanders to make better-informed decisions faster so as to provide a competi- tive military advantage. A key factor that will continue to drive the evolution of C4ISR is the widespread adoption of data and analytics. "The amount of data available to a commander and his staff has increased exponentially. This will increase the pressures of data transmission, processing and storage," said RAdm Zwick. He went on to explain that in order for the CAF to effectively leverage this information, a robust joint system of systems must be implemented. Such a sys- tem will ensure the timely transmission of critical information from sensors to com- manders and staff. "The challenge though is how do we ef- fectively process, exploit and disseminate it to the leadership for decision making. Current methodologies will likely be over- whelming," he added. To effectively tackle this challenge, "we must leverage emerg- ing technologies such as AI and machine learning." He went on to talk about the benefits of machine learning and how it will sig- nificantly reduce the workload. In order to take full advantage of these emerging tech- nologies, RAdm Zwick said commanders and leaders cannot be passive with their information request; they must clearly articulate what information is essential to them because a lack of precision will over- load staff and reduce the delivery of rel- evant intelligence. A total of 23 speakers participated in the one-day conference, with the majority con- tributing to discussions in four panels on future land C4ISR, identity and informa- tion assurance, integrating AI in defence and security and cyber mission assurance. These panels delved into how to keep up with the requirements of security in mak- ing deliberate and predictable investments; sharing of experiences, insights and ideas C4IsR

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