On 8 January 2026, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska visited the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Academy in Oeiras, as part of her official visit to Portugal.
The Deputy Secretary General was welcomed by the Dean of the Academy, CAPT Pedro Borges, and senior leadership from the Academy. During the visit, she received briefings on the Academy’s mission, course portfolio and the role its training plays in supporting NATO operations and readiness.
Following the briefings, the delegation toured key training areas, including the Firefly and Dragonfly training kits, where instructors demonstrated how the Academy delivers hands-on training on NATO deployable communication systems used to support command and control in deployed environments. The tour concluded in the SATCOM area where staff showcased training on NATO tactical and satellite communications terminals that enable secure connectivity between deployed forces and NATO networks.
The NCI Academy, part of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), was officially inaugurated in 2021, in Oeiras, Portugal, establishing itself as NATO’s flagship training institution for communications and information systems, command and control and cyber and emerging technologies.
The visit highlighted the Academy’s role as a strategic enabler of NATO’s technological, operational and cognitive advantage, supporting the Alliance through the delivery high-quality education and training that prepares military and civilian personnel to operate, maintain and defend NATO’s secure networks and systems.