Vanguard Magazine

The SevenTh AnnuAl C4ISR and Beyond conference wAS held virTuAlly on JAnuAry 28 And 29, 2021 on The Theme of Digital liVeD anD applieD – Core to the CanaDian armeD ForCes/Department oF national DeFenCe anD to eFFeCtiVe C4isr. 36 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com evenT T his virtual two-day event fa- cilitated the participation of extremely busy senior officers and executives who would have otherwise probably not been able to fit this speaking engagement into their very busy calendars. The speak- ers, panelists, and moderators were im- pressive across the board. Speakers include the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, LGen Mike Rouleau who opened the conference with the Day 1 keynote. In addition, there were at least 8 general/flag officers (cur- rently serving or retired) who participat- ed, including LTG Fogarty, Commanding General, U.S. Army Cyber Command. From a public service perspective, it was equally well attended with the Head of Defence Procurement, Deputy CIO, and other Director Generals participating. In- dustry was also well represented with ex- ecutives from Google, Bell, Microsoft, and General Dynamics, to name but a few. Another significant advantage of hosting the conference virtually was the increased attendance and audience participation. Over 650 personnel registered, with 463 attending the first day and 270 the sec- ond day. A total of 498 personnel logged into at least one session of the conference. Many of those who attended were junior officers/senior NCMs/and middle man- agers, which allowed leadership to com- municate their message more broadly and to develop a broader understanding of digital across all stakeholders. The fact that questions could be asked anonymously ensured that everyone would be comfort- able in asking questions. As a result, there was almost always a healthy list of ques- tions posed by the participants from which moderators could choose. For those who took the time out of their very busy sched- ules to participate, it was time exception- ally well spent. In setting the tone and tenure of the conference, the VCDS set out the Defence Team's digital priorities that he is commit- ted to champion and deliver. The four priorities are: 1) data and digitalization 2) properly architected C4ISR Spine 3) supply chain reformation 4) professional military education When he spoke about the relationship with industry, the VCDS indicated that defence needs to INVEST in C4ISR as a priority, LEVERAGE industry, PARTNER with industry, and FACILITATE increased in- teraction with industry to develop and de- liver innovative solutions. There were a number of key themes and takeaways that were reinforced during the two-day conference. The theme that was repeated the most was that digital is not about technology. Having agreed that dig- ital isn't about technology, the interaction focused on the barriers and obstacles to C4ISR and Beyond 2021 Lessons Learned from

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