The Nato surveillance concepts are being developed with an international team of defence and technology firms. Credit: © L3Harris Technologies.

L3Harris Technologies and a team of European defence and technology companies have been contracted to develop future Nato surveillance concepts.

The effort is in support of Nato’s Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme.

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The organisation currently operates a fleet of Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) aircraft. It is in the process of finding a replacement for the ageing fleet by 2035.

L3Harris International vice-president Charles Davis said: “L3Harris has the skill and experience to address the AFSC programme complexities across all domains – air, land, sea, space and cyber.

“The team has approached the Risk Reduction Feasibility Study phase with an open mind towards the platforms and digital architectures that will best achieve Nato’s objectives.

“It is critical to give Nato and the member nations as much flexibility as possible in developing an advanced technology, highly adaptive, cost-effective AFSC concept shaped to meet evolving hybrid challenges.”

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The company has not yet revealed the names of the teammates.

The team will adopt a data-centric, platform-agnostic approach to create a ‘system of systems’ options for surveillance and control capabilities.

They will also analyse the risks and feasibility of potential technological solutions.

L3Harris Strategy Integrated Mission Systems vice-president Dave Johnson said: “Nato has made it very clear that its objective is to ensure data and information are placed at the heart of all future AFSC capabilities.

“With our data-centric, platform-agnostic architecture approach and experience building JADC2 capabilities, the L3Harris team is committed to working with Nato, studying all aspects of its flagship programme and developing a concept for joint all-domain surveillance and control for the AFSC programme.”

Last year, Nato received a High Level Technical Concept (HLTC) study from L3Harris and its international teammates.

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