Vanguard Magazine

16 DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 www.vanguardcanada.com intervieW C2is ProCureMent ProjeCts Synchronizing By MARCELLO SUKHDEO for the canadian army C ommand and Control Infor- mation System (C2IS) is an integral part of the Canadian Army and its operation. In this area, many projects are ongo- ing to modernize and further equip the Army to be a part of joint military opera- tions. Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with Lieutenant-Colonel Neil Marshall, Section Head of Director Land Requirements 4 at the Canadian Army Headquarters. LCol Marshall is respon- sible for the new equipment program for Land Command, Control, Communica- tions, Computers and Intelligence. LCol Marshall began his career with the Canadian Armed Forces in 1992 in Winni- peg, Manitoba. During his career, he had the opportunity to command at the troop and platoon level with the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regi- ment and 2nd Battalion, the Royal Cana- dian Regiment, respectively. In June 2012, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron. He has served in a variety of staff assign- ments including Project Director for the Ca- Army Headquarters that oversees the fu- ture equipment needs of the Canadian Army. The section within this directorate that I lead, Land Requirements 4, has his- torically been responsible for command, control, communications, computers, in- telligence, and simulation projects. My position as Section Head has two basic roles. First, I provide guidance and men- torship to the 10 project directors who report to me, each responsible for their own projects. Second, it is my duty to en- sure that the individual projects are well nested within the larger Army and Cana- dian Armed Forces capital program and to coordinate their inter-project boundaries. Many of the projects we are responsible for are dependent on other procurement de- liverables, and there is a real risk of voids and/or overlap between projects that can lead to inefficiencies – or worse, future gaps in capability. It is my responsibility to look at the broader picture to try to ensure our procurement projects are synchronized so the project directors can get on with their jobs, confident that they are doing their hard work in the right direction. Q What are some of the projects that are coming through the pipeline to fulfill Initiative 42 of Strong, Secure, Engaged? In fact, we are doing far more than just working on Initiative 42 of Strong, Secure, Engaged. SSE 42, as it is generally called, speaks to modernizing "land-based com- mand and control, intelligence, surveil- lance and reconnaissance systems." But we are also working on projects for SSE 35, 41, and 64. As I mentioned before, these projects are all closely linked in one way or another, so we tend to see this more as the Army's larger Command and Control In- formation System (C2IS). Within DLR 4, An interview with LCoL NeiL MarshaLL, Director LAnD requirements 4, cAnADiAn Army nadian Army's integration of Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnais- sance (C4ISR) capability, instructor and Operations Officer at the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electron- ics, and was the Deputy Commanding Of- ficer, Canadian Forces Station Leitrim, in Ottawa. More recently, he was the Army Deputy G6 within the Directorate Land Command and Information at the Cana- dian Army Headquarters. His overseas assignments include de- ployments with the Disaster Assistance Response Team to Turkey, with the Unit- ed Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Er- itrea, and with the United States Security Coordinator in Jerusalem and the West Bank. LCol Marshall was promoted to his cur- rent rank in June 2017. Q To begin, please give us an over- view of your position and what you are responsible for as Director Land Requirements 4 of the Canadian Army? The Directorate of Land Requirements is the organization within the Canadian

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