On June 20th, 2023, Allied Command Transformation opened the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise to senior military and civilian representatives, demonstrating the value and necessity of improving interoperability and cross-domain information exchange between Allies and Partners.
Allied Command Transformation is committed to delivering fully interoperable Communications and Information Systems to improve the cross-domain exchange of information needed for Multi-Domain Operations and NATO’s ongoing Digital Transformation. One aspect of this effort is the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise, better known as CWIX, which improves the interoperability of Alliance and Partner Communication and Information Systems by testing them in a coalition scenario. In doing so, CWIX improves the readiness, resilience, and agility of these systems by ensuring that NATO Allies and Partners can operate effectively together to keep the Alliance safe.
Allied Command Transformation hosted the CWIX 2023 VIP Day at the Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland, welcoming more than 200 senior military and civilian representatives from NATO, Nations, and Partners. This year’s VIP Day provided an opportunity for decision-makers to learn about the interoperability challenges between national and NATO Communication and Information Systems, and interact with the teams testing interoperability solutions at CWIX 2023. Decision-makers were also shown how CWIX is improving cross-domain information exchange between all five operational domains and learned about the importance of Federated Mission Networking as a critical enabler to achieving Multi-Domain Operations.
Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Chris Badia, in his welcome address to the senior representatives highlighted the importance of interoperability and Digital Transformation, and their role in enabling enable data-driven decision-making and Multi-Domain Operations. He also stressed the important role CWIX plays in improving readiness and interoperability, stating:
“Our experts are exercising and testing the standards and specifications of fielded capabilities to ensure that they are ready to support NATO missions. They are also preparing the Alliance to meet the challenges of tomorrow by anticipating the requirements, standards, and specifications up to and beyond 2030.”
CWIX is NATO’s Premier Interoperability Exercise and is designed to solve interoperability challenges by testing NATO and National Communication and Information Systems, with particular emphasis on those that will deploy within a NATO Response Force. It is also designed to stimulate innovation and improve the interoperability of people, processes, and technology, to enhance commanders’ decision-making through the exchange of information and the provision of situational awareness. CWIX 2023 is the largest iteration of the exercise to date, with approximately 2000 participants from 36 nations. Over the course of this 3-week exercise, they will test 406 deployable command and control systems and conduct over 25,000 interoperability tests.
As part of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation’s Interoperability Continuum, CWIX takes place alongside the TIDE Sprint and the TIDE Hackathon. Altogether, these events provide a venue for subject matter experts to develop Communication and Information Systems to ensure the interoperability of NATO’s systems now, and into the future.
To learn more about the TIDE Sprint, Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise, and the TIDE Hackathon, click here.
