NATO ISTAR

Establishing a NATO-owned Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance Capability

By Major

By Maj

 Giuseppe

 Valentino

, IT

 AF

Joint Air Power Competence Centre (2019-2023)

By Lieutenant Colonel

By Lt Col

 Andre

 Haider

, GE

 A

Joint Air Power Competence Centre

Published:
 March 2022
Warfare Domains: Air Operations
JAPCC_WP ISTAR_Cover
Please note that this publication is not available for public download. For cleared individuals it is available on the JAPCC NS portal. If you are a user with appropriate access, you can also request your digital copy via the NATO NS WAN under

Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of a coalition, such as NATO, have always played a key role in the success of operations. Although often this is considered an invisible job, the data collection and Intel analysis provide decision-makers and actors with a better situational awareness of what is happening in all domains of military operations. This means that allies work together to collect, analyse, and share information for target acquisition with maximum effects.

In recent years, changes in the global security environment have highlighted the need to rethink the strategic concept that underpins NATO. The Alliance is facing an international multipolar framework, in which emerging state and non-state actors are contesting order and security around the world. To respond to these challenges NATO must develop new ‘tools’ beyond the three main lines of effort: collective defence, crisis management, and cooperative security. Launched by Secretary General Stoltenberg, NATO 2030 aims to convey a new strategy for the future of the organization, aided by inputs gathered from across the Alliance.

NATO 2030 is an important starting point to analyse and understand the way forward. The Alliance must go beyond mere dialogue and take measurable action to implement this new strategy. Considering the opportunities that new technologies offer in terms of information sharing, unlimited capacity for data exploitation, and decision-making at all levels, ISTAR is presently the most critical technical and operational challenge for the Alliance. This task compels a new ISR mindset with both persistence and adaptability to anticipate and respond to future developments, no longer content to be static and antiquated. The NATO Intelligence Enterprise (NIE) must undergo significant change, be adaptable to both conflict and conflict prevention, and leverage the experience gained through rapid acquisition to transition to rapidly completing the implementation of new ideas and concepts. Beginning from a SHAPE Request for Support (RfS), the present study aims to identify the elements necessary to complete the current NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force (NAGSF) structure, integrate it with three intelligence disciplines (OSINT, COMINT, IMINT) and envision new NATO ISTAR capabilities.

This white paper will not be available on our public website, so I invite you and your staff to contact us to send you the study directly. As always, we welcome thoughtful insights and comments from our readers. Your request for the study, as well as any remarks or observations, may be sent directly to the C4ISR Branch via e-mail at .

Content Navigation
Author
Major
 Giuseppe
 Valentino
Joint Air Power Competence Centre (2019-2023)
Author
Lieutenant Colonel
 Andre
 Haider
Joint Air Power Competence Centre

Lieutenant Colonel André Haider is an artillery officer by trade with over fifteen years’ experience in command & control and operational planning. He is the JAPCC’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Subject Matter Expert for more than ten years and represents the JAPCC in the NATO Joint Capability Group Unmanned Aircraft Systems and NATO Counter-UAS Working Group. He authored multiple studies, books, and articles with regard to operational and legal issues of UAS and C-UAS.

Information provided is current as of July 2021
Author
Lieutenant Colonel
 Tim
 Vasen DipEng, MSc
German Air Force HQ

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Vasen DipEng, MSc, served for several years in commanding and staff positions within the artillery branch, including a deployment to KFOR as company commander of the DEU ISTAR-company before becoming a career intelligence officer. Serving in positions responsible for IMINT planning and technical assessments, including positions at the office of military studies as a senior analyst for Space systems and head of Space intelligence at the German Space Situational Awareness Centre (GSSAC). Since October 2017 he serves as Space Intelligence SME at the JAPCC, e.g. responsible as OPFOR Space planner in TRJN17, TRJE18, TRJU19 and STJUJA20.

Information provided is current as of August 2021
Author
Lieutenant Colonel
 Jürgen
 Welsch
Joint Air Power Competence Centre

Lieutenant Colonel Juergen Welsch joined the German Air Force in 1984. In 1990 he gained a Bachelor Degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the Hochschule der Bundeswehr Muenchen. From 1990 on, Lieutenant Colonel Welsch worked in multiple operational- and staff positions within the field of AIRC2. In 2003, he switched to the Royal Netherlands Airforce (RNLAF). In the RNLAF, he fulfilled different operational and leadership posts, from the tactical level up to the Ministry of Defence and AIRCOM. Lieutenant Colonel Welsch participated as an operator or planner in operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Lieutenant Colonel Juergen Welsch is working within the C4ISR+S Branch of the JAPPC as Subject Matter Expert in the field of Command and Control and Air Battle Management.

Information provided is current as of February 2022
Author
Major
 Andreas
 Wurster
Joint Air Power Competence Centre (2019-2022)

Major Wurster joined the German Armed Forces in 1993. He served as Military Security NCO in a Mechanized Infantry Battalion. In 2000 he became a Warrant Officer and attended officer training for three years, including a two-year study in economic computer science at the Bundeswehr College for business and computer science.

On his first post as Warrant Officer Captain Wurster was responsible for Security and OPSEC of an Airborne Regiment for six years. In 2009 he became an Intel Analyst in the German Rapid Forces Division DSO/DSK. There he was responsible for analysis of countries in order to assess the probability of evacuating Germans and other people by German Armed Forces. During this time, he was deployed three times on NATO missions in Afghanistan.

Major Wurster attended several Intel Trainings at the NATO School Oberammergau/Germany, NSHQ Chievres/Belgium and DIA Washington/USA. In 2018 Major Wurster changed career again to a Staff Officer and attended in 2019 the Staff Officer Training at the Command and Staff College in Hamburg.

After this he was posted to the JAPCC Assessment, Coordination and Engagement Branch as SME for Research, Analysis and Intel Support. In the JAPCC he is responsible for Intel Support of all SME´s and provides Intel related contributions to the products of the JAPCC.

Information provided is current as of February 2022
Author
Mr
 Adam
 Jux
Civilian Targeting Consultant

Mr Adam T. Jux is a retired Royal Air Force Officer who served in the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Army over his 27 years of military experience. He is a qualified targeteer and has worked in the discipline for the last 14 years, including on operations. He has instructed in targeting and collateral damage estimation and has mentored targeting at the Joint and Component levels. He has published a number of articles and contributed to white paper research regarding targeting in general and its interaction with intelligence and other disciplines. He is currently working as a civilian targeting consultant for NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger, Norway, under contract for Calian Europe AS.

Information provided is current as of February 2023

Contact Us

Contact Information

Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Römerstrasse 140
47546 Kalkar
Germany

+49 (0) 2824 90 2201

Download Request for Support

Please leave us a message

Contact Form