A key prerequisite for all defense planning activities is to qualify interoperable and cost-effective defense capabilities. It is obviously a long term endeavor which requires, in our view, the following approach:

• Development or Harmonization of Defense, Security and Industrial Strategies. By harmonizing defense, security and industrial strategies we are driving the development of dual-use / hybrid capabilities to meet emerging defense and security challenges, strengthening interoperability, optimizing in parallel the use of available resources and strengthening the Defense Industrial Technological Base.

• Synchronization of national defense planning with international defense planning projects. The synchronization and harmonization of national and international defense planning projects allow us to strengthen interoperability in multinational coalitions, join Smart Defense and Pooling and Sharing (Cluster) Multinational Programs sharing the burden costs, participating in new technologies and strengthening the role of the National Industrial Technological Base in international consortia supporting the economic growth.

• Establishment of a Defense Accreditation and Certification System. It is fundamental for all defense organizations to establish a Defense Accreditation and Certification System in order to ensure conformity of the defense equipment with the defense standards provisions. This system safeguards the reliability, maintainability and life-cycle of defense materiel and guarantees that the systems meet the required interoperability criteria set while we are designing the related defense capability.

• Establishment of a mutual defense qualification acceptance system with Allies and partner nations. A mutual defense qualification acceptance system is considered essential especially between allies that are engaged in the form of consortium in the development of defense capabilities and the co-production or the follow-on support of defense equipment. This system recognizes and accepts the accreditation and certification systems established by the consortium parties, avoiding duplication of efforts and time/money consuming procedures on the certification of defense materiel standards during the production and/or acquisition and follow-on support of defense equipment.

• Establishment of a strong link between National SDOs, Academia, Industry and Defense and Security Stakeholders. Estimations on product cost savings following a more intensive use of civil standards by the military sector range from 10% up to 50%. On this basis the cooperation of all stakeholders on defense, security and civil standardization, including academia offering research and innovation is fundamental to optimize the use of resources, maximize operational effectiveness and upgrade qualitative services and products in both civil and defense arena.

• Establishment of Higher Education and Training on Defense Planning, Acquisition and Standardization. Quality is not an act, it is a habit. Building a robust mind-set on defense planning, acquisition and standardization best practices, is fundamental for developing interoperable capabilities. The human dimension of interoperability is considered even more critical than the technical and procedural ones towards successful capabilities development. To this end it is necessary for all defense organizations around the world to establish higher education on Defense Planning, Acquisition and Standardization.

• Application of best practice standards in defense procurement and throughout the life-cycle of the defense equipment. The application of the best practice defense and civil standards in the defense procurement guarantying the reliability and maintainability of the defense equipment, stretching the life-cycle of the equipment to the maximum possible extent reducing in parallel its cost and facilitating interoperability with future defense acquisition programs.

• Application of best practice standardization management policies, strategies, structures, processes and tools. Defense Standardization bodies have a critical role in qualifying interoperable capabilities. On this it is essential for a defense standardization organization to establish a defense standardization policy (what), a related strategy (how) an integrated structure (one stop service) for overseeing and harmonizing standardization activities, a dynamic process for developing, maintaining and managing defense standards integrated within the defense planning process and the necessary tools (databases, collaborative platforms, tracking tools) for the management of standardization projects and facilitating the capabilities related interoperability profiles.

Defense Capability Pillars

In other words the key challenge for the military forces is to “born interoperable”. The answer in this this is to build-up capabilities with the formulation of interoperability requirements and the implementation of best practice standardization solutions in the following capability pillars:

• Doctrine: the way military forces operate, in terms of the capability.
• Organization: How military forces are organized to operate in terms of the capability e.g divisions, air wings, Marine-Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs), etc.
• Training: How military forces are prepared to engage tactically in terms of the capability; basic training to advanced individual training, various types of unit training, to performance of military exercises and operations according to established standards (eg doctrines, TTP, etc.)
• Materiel: Defense equipment necessary for the capability, such as weapon systems, C3 architecture, sensors, spares, ammunition etc., in order to carry out specific military operations effectively.
• Leadership: How professional education and competence management is conducted to ensure qualified managers (in certain capabilities seen in light of military exercises and operations).
• Personnel: How to ensure that qualified and motivated personnel are available in certain capabilities through training and exercise, and in military exercises and operations.
• Facilities: The facilities and infrastructure necessary to safeguard certain capabilities.

Once developing a capability we advising you to define interoperability requirements and standardize (standardization solutions offered by defense or civil standards) each of the above mentioned capability pillars to read as D(S)-O(S)-T(S)–L(S)-M(S)-P(S)-F(S).

In the section of the implementation of defense standards we are presenting further details on the application of defense standards in the DOTLMPF system.

For further advice on building up interoperable defense capabilities please get registered and join us using the DSA Forum.