REPORT LAUNCH: THE FUTURE OF NATO C4ISR - C4ISR, which stands for Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, is referred to as the nervous system of the military and is crucial to any mission. As the war in Ukraine has shown, the relevance of such systems will only increase in a contested geopolitical environment. Despite the continuous development of collective and national capabilities, NATO C4ISR requires improvement to be able to counter current and future challenges. Although C4ISR underpins the success of every NATO operation, its criticality remains underappreciated.

This event launched the report “The Future of NATO C4ISR: Assessment and Recommendations after Madrid”, authored by Major General (Ret.) Gordon B. “Skip” Davis Jr. The event aimed to highlight and discuss the findings of our upcoming report on the vulnerabilities and opportunities for NATO C4ISR architecture of the future. The panel addressed issues such as lessons learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine and how should they inform NATO’s decision-making on C4ISR, how NATO C4ISR should respond to the changing character of warfare and threats such as terrorism, China and climate change, which innovative technologies NATO should prioritize, and how it can better collaborate with the private sector in pursuing them, as well as what steps should be taken at Vilnius Summit to maintain NATO C4ISR’s military dominance in today’s and tomorrow’s battlefield.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 03/16/23