NATO, Powerful new surveillance and reconnaissance technologies that soon could be deployed to Afghanistan have passed key tests, NATO’s Consultation, Command and Control Agency informed on 10 December.
A lessons-learned conference, held in The Hague on 29-30 November, highlighted the progress made in the Multi-sensor Aerospace-Ground Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Interoperability Coalition (MAJIIC), a nine-nation intelligence and surveillance project.
Under the programme, standards and technologies are being developed that will allow NATO commanders to instantly tap into real-time data from a number of NATO and national systems.
Many eyes in the sky and on the ground
“With MAJIIC we will be able to deploy a wide array of air, ground and space surveillance assets, from different countries, and have them provide commanders with a single, coherent and detailed picture of what’s happening on the ground,” said Joe Ross, Technical Manager at the Agency. “We’re breaking down the stovepipes we now have in intelligence and surveillance systems,” he continued.
In September, MAJIIC had its first full-blown test during a major NATO exercise in Norway, Trial Quest 2007, which included real-time manoeuvres by several thousand air and ground forces.
The lessons-learned conference evaluated the results of the exercise.
A coherent picture
“We had very good results in a number of important areas,” said Mr. Ross, “At this stage, we are looking at having some parts of the system being used in ISAF within 18 months or so.”
The countries involved in MAJIIC are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The nations have appointed the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) to provide overall technical management of MAJIIC.
