During the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, NATO awarded three contracts in support of the Enhanced Air Command and Control (eAirC2) programme, advancing the Alliance's transformation towards a modern, data-centric Air Command and Control capability.
The programme is a key part of NATO’s broader initiative to enhance warfighting effectiveness in a rapidly evolving technological landscape and will enhance the Alliance’s ability to respond to evolving air and missile threats.
The contracts mark the start of the programme's first implementation phase, which will deliver the digital platform underpinning NATO's future AirC2 environment. Designed around open standards and a data-centric architecture, the platform will enable the NATO Command Structure and Allied Nations to securely exchange operational information across Air Command and Control functions at the speed required by modern operations. By providing a common data foundation, it will improve situational awareness, accelerate decision-making and support the rapid integration of future capabilities.
Following a competitive procurement process, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) awarded the contracts to Anduril, Palantir and Athea SAS. Each company will deploy its solution within NATO environments, where it will undergo evaluation against operational requirements and realistic mission scenarios. At the conclusion of this assessment, suppliers will submit final offers, after which NATO will select a single solution for long-term implementation.
“These contract awards represent an important milestone in delivering improved situational awareness, better coordination, and faster decision making across the NATO Command and Force Structures,” said NCIA General Manager Dr Dylan Browne. “The project is a tangible demonstration of NATO innovation and cooperation with industry to ensure we’re deploying state of the technology that can evolve and be scaled as needed.”
"Enhanced AirC2 transforms how NATO delivers Air Command and Control capability. With these contracts, we are positioning the Alliance to meet increasingly complex threats and providing warfighters a platform that can rapidly adapt at the speed of relevance,” said Nils Schroeter, Head of NATO’s independent Programme Office for enhanced AirC2.
The contracts were signed on 7 July at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in the presence of representatives from the NATO Communications and Information Agency, the NATO Independent Programme Office and industry partners.
The eAirC2 programme is modernizing NATO's Air Command and Control capability through a phased delivery approach, allowing capability to be fielded rapidly while continuously evolving to meet operational needs and emerging technologies.
From left to right: Palantir (Shon Manasco), NCIA (Dr Dylan Browne), Anduril (Brian Moran), and Philippe Gasc (Athea).