Vanguard Magazine

plications to meet its force generation and operational needs. As already described, many of these tools are effective and in- teroperable within their domain. Despite this, there remain many holes. The systems are often standalone, complicating their use and reducing their effectiveness in acceler- ating a commander's decision-making. One of the major deficiencies is an effective ap- plication for pan domain situational aware- ness. Despite years of effort, the selection of a core battle management application that supports all domain situational awareness has so far evaded the CAF. This application must be integrated with the many effective applications that have already been developed or purchased and are in use throughout the CAF today. It must also be interoperable with the C2 systems of the CAF's coalition partners as Canada's defence policy envisions operat- ing in coalitions to achieve Canada's de- fence objectives. Further, this integrated solution must be fully tested in a joint and coalition environment. Conclusion Integrations and interoperability efforts 14 DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 www.vanguardcanada.com The Network Although this article has focused on the programs and applications that support C2, the central role of the network must not be forgotten. Whether it be a Mesh radio system at the tactical edge, or an en- terprise cloud network, it continues to be essential to provide seamless connectivity, access and cyber protection. One of the many lessons learned from the war in Ukraine is the importance of resilient networking. The network trans- ports the data that the applications use to support all domain situational awareness and accelerated decision-making by com- manders at all levels. New technologies such as Low-Earth Orbiting (LOE) satellite constellations and advanced crypto algorithms, which include commercial algorithms, offer mili- tary planners more network options than ever before. Integration to Leverage Interoperability Efforts and Meet the CAF's C2 Needs The CAF has fielded and is using a range of COTS, MOTS, and in-house developed ap- C 4 I S R S O L U T I O N OCTOBER 22 & 23, 2024 bestdefenceconference.com SAVE THE DATE H e a t h e r P i l o t | 5 1 9 - 8 5 1 - 9 8 4 8 | h p i l o t @ p i l o t h i l l . c a throughout the CAF are critical if the CAF is to meet Canada's defence objectives and be an effective coalition partner in global operations. The challenges to achieve an integrated and interoperable force are sig- nificant. Even our biggest allies continue to struggle. The complexities of integration and interoperability will be the focus of the 2024 Vanguard C4ISR and Beyond Con- ference, providing participants an oppor- tunity to continue the discussion started here. DND and CAF leaders, coalition partners and industry partners will pres- ent their perspectives, perspectives that will shape the forward. The time to act is now. Rick Fawcett, OMM, CD, Vice-President, Strategy and Business Development, ADGA Group

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