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| Standing watch in a combat information center. (Source: https://www.defense.gov/observe/photo-gallery/igphoto/2001986006/) |
At the Brussels Summit in July 2018, NATO leadership acknowledged that space is a highly dynamic and rapidly evolving area, which is essential to a coherent Alliance deterrence and defence. A year later in December 2019, NATO defence ministers recognized space as a new operational domain – alongside air, land, sea and cyberspace. These decisions arose from many years of reflection and deliberation regarding the role and growing importance of space to the Alliance.
Then, in October 2019, Alliance Defence Ministers approved the Emerging and Disruptive Technologies Roadmap (EDT) Roadmap. This Roadmap is the result of intense consultations at NATO HQ, amongst Nations at the level of the Deputy Permanent Representatives Committee (DPRC), and with staffs of all NATO stakeholders. The Roadmap explicitly mentions seven key areas: 1) space; 2) artificial intelligence; 3) autonomy; 4) data; 5) hypersonic and new missile technologies; 6) quantum technologies; and 7) biotechnologies and human augmentation/enhancement.
Now, in May 2020, the Systems Concepts and Integration (SCI) Panel endorsed SCI-345, Space as a Force Enabler. Once this Research Workshop (RWS) is approved by the NATO Science & Technology Board (STB) in the near future, it will address the Alliance Defence Ministers’ EDT Roadmap head on. This RWS will bring together operators, planners, space thinkers, and the acquisition community to exchange information and feed into the NATO S&T community to help determine and prioritize NATO near-, mid-, and far-term needs and requirements.
EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
Developing a Technology Roadmap specific to the space domain will inform S&T stakeholders within NATO of topics related to space activities, to include but not limited to:
- Operational overview of required data products
- Operational overview of S&T capability gaps and S&T requirements
- Definition of Research Task Group to refine RWS recommendations
- Identification and promotion of common standards
- Production of a collaborative S&T activity roadmap to better coordinate Space activities as an Emerging and Disruptive Technology
For more information please contact the SCI Panel Office. Published by SCI |
