True Interoperability Challenge field is a dangerous place . It is even more dangerous when friendly forces cannot tell the difference between friendly and enemy formations . FFT systems are essential in maintaining situational awareness of the battlefield and the front line trace of friendly forces .
Finally , our nations must employ Functional Area Systems ( FAS ) that are interoperable . This is to ensure that commanders have the visibility at the operational and strategic levels to effectively synchronize resources across space and time within the operational area .
What happens when we are not ( NATO CIS ) interoperable ? We simply lose the ability to effectively execute mission command and with that , lose situational awareness of the battle field ,
increase the chances of losing track of friendly units and , therefore , increase the potential risk of fratricide .
How do we achieve CIS interoperability ? It starts out as a collective effort by every alliance member . With the four aspects of CIS interoperability mentioned as a start point , we all work toward standardizing our technology , policies , and acquisition processes so that whatever we do , we move toward interoperability . Following NATO STANAGs is a great start . Not only does NATO benefit from this on an operational level , moving toward CIS interoperability will naturally lead us to fulfill the idea of the Connected Forces Initiative . By connecting our headquarters , training areas , and centres of excellence , NATO will gain long term savings and greater training opportunities because exercises would not be limited by geography . A nation facing limited fiscal resources may still participate in an exercise from their home headquarters with another country that is participating from a home training area or some other deployed location .
Obviously , achieving CIS interoperability requires resources , but the nations agreed during the Lisbon Summit to modernize their forces in exchange for a smaller Force Command Structure . Working toward CIS interoperability is a very good way to modernize the force . A recommended cost saving measure is to take advantage of NCIA ’ s NATO First Solution . This allows for guaranteed interoperability with the NATO Command Structure through seamless integration with existing NATO capabilities ; is cost effective by leveraging existing common funded capabilities and avoiding duplicate development costs ; reduces complexity by avoiding the need to implement , support and train on various systems that deliver the similar capabilities ; and allows units to train as they fight by using the same infrastructure , applications and exercises as those used during operations .
If CIS interoperability were easy , it would have been done by now . NATO has faced difficult challenges in the past , but with a concerted effort , this challenge will be surmounted as well .
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