A decade of support

NITECH ››› A TRANSFORMATIONAL DECADE

A DECADE OF SUPPORT

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NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) General Manager, Stacy Cummings, tells Simon Michell about the critical role the NSPA has played in supporting NATO’s mission and its partnership with the NCI Agency

Q

How has NSPA evolved since its early days?

A To understand NSPA’s evolution we need to trace its history back to 1958, when the NATO Maintenance Supply Services System was established in Paris. At the time, our workforce was composed of only 25 personnel, and we focused on the support of three main weapon systems.

In the early 1960s, we introduced the Weapon Support Partnership framework and renamed the Agency the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). The Support Partnership is a multinational cooperation mechanism that continues to serve today as the backbone of our mission, enabling NATO Member Nations to collaborate and achieve commonality, interoperability and economies of scale. In 1968, the Agency Headquarters moved to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This was the beginning of a true partnership that has strengthened throughout the years.

In the 1990s, we shifted our scope of work to support operations and exercises. With NATO’s involvement in the Balkans, we started to outsource services to support military capabilities there. This continued in Kosovo, with the procurement and storage of deployable infrastructure for the NATO Command Structure. Our support increased as the years passed, and today it covers the full spectrum of capabilities, from transport to medical, infrastructure, food, fuel, base services and so on. Beyond the critical support provided during two decades in Afghanistan, the Agency is currently supporting NATO and national operations in Kosovo, Libya and Mali.

Another key landmark in NSPA’s history and evolution is represented by the decision taken at the 2010 Lisbon Summit when NATO Heads of State and Government agreed to reform the 14 existing NATO Agencies, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of capabilities and services. The NATO Support Agency (NSPA) was established as part of the reform process on 1 July 2012, through the merger of three former agencies: the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA), the Central Europe Pipeline Management Agency (CEPMA) and the NATO Airlift Management Agency (NAMA).

In this new framework, the Agency assumed overall responsibility for NATO procurement and large system acquisitions and became the Alliance’s major contributor of effective multinational logistics solutions. Hence, in 2015, we were renamed the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). And, our activities evolved from the maintenance and support of weapons systems and operations to full acquisition and logistical support. NSPA currently manages 31 Support Partnerships and supports more than 170 weapon systems, employing more than 1,400 staff members in eight different locations.

Q

What are NSPA’s current core functions and how do they enable NATO ongoing activities?

A NSPA provides the full range of services and capabilities in all domains (air, land, sea, cyber and space) in support to NATO, its Allies and partners. We support operations and missions, the development and management of system acquisition and life-cycle management sustainment, through multinational cooperation approaches that generate economies of scale and deliver interoperability among Allied Nations.

We acquire, support and maintain defence systems through an unbiased link between industry and the Member Nations, easing their operational efforts by providing a ‘one-stop shop’ where they can find all the necessary solutions to fulfil their core tasks and missions. This includes multinational acquisition of complex platforms, such as aircraft, helicopters and 35

NITECH ››› A TRANSFORMATIONAL DECADE unmanned systems as well as the provision of supplies such as fuel, spare parts and ammunition. In addition, it covers services such as maintenance of radars for air defence, and deployable infrastructure, transportation, medical and catering services.

By fulfilling its mission, the Agency enhances responsiveness towards NATO and Member Nations’ operational requirements, reducing costs and improving logistics, mobility, resilience and readiness across the Alliance.

How important was the renewal of the Q partnership agreement with the NCI Agency in March 2022?

A With the renewal of this partnership, we have reinforced our cooperation. Over the past few years, NSPA and the NCI Agency have leveraged this partnership to address areas such as cyber security, secure communications and network connectivity. Our capabilities are complementary, not duplicated. This renewed agreement enables us to continue working together and directing renewed efforts in areas of mutual interest, such as training and acquisition reform. Working together and leveraging the unique expertise of each agency enables us to deliver synergies for the benefit of the Alliance, our Member States and partners.

Q

How do you expect NSPA to evolve to meet future requirements?

New and emerging threats require agility and

A adaptability. The Alliance embraces change by taking the necessary steps to remain ready to face current and future challenges. NSPA enables NATO’s adaptation in different ways: developing and delivering key capabilities to Alliance Member Nations, working with industry to promote critical innovation, and contributing to the NATO 2030 initiative to strengthen the Alliance over the next decade and beyond.

NSPA manages numerous key NATO and multinational projects through their life cycle. A case in point is the multinational MRTT fleet, which provides strategic transport, air-to-air refuelling and Medevac (medical evacuation) capabilities to six Member States. NSPA also manages the acquisition of other multinational complex systems, from initial concept to capability

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NSPA manages the MRTT fleet on behalf of the six participating Nations (PHOTO: MMF/ Arnoud S)

NSPA provides life-cycle management and in-service support to more than 600 Boxer Infantry fighting vehicles (PHOTO: NATO)

delivery, product support and life-cycle logistics, and even to disposal. One of these acquisitions, the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC), represents NATO’s largest and most complex capability development initiative to date. The Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) is another key initiative for which NSPA manages the Concept Stage. NGRC will deliver the new generation of military multi-role helicopters across collaborating nations.

In addition, NSPA enhances defence capabilities in multiple areas in all operating domains. This includes full life-cycle management support to the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system, the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC), the Patriot missile system and Boxer armoured vehicles, to name but a few.

To successfully deliver these current and future capabilities, and gain access to the latest developments, NSPA engages and works closely with industry. Moreover, the Agency is supporting the Alliance’s efforts to maintain its technological edge with the establishment of the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). NSPA is uniquely suited to assist Allies in procuring and deploying, at scale, the innovative technologies that are developed and demonstrated within the DIANA ecosystem. This will allow DIANA to take advantage of the Agency’s processes that will continue to be developed to support innovation across NATO.

In the operations domain, NSPA supports a range of multinational and national missions and exercises, helping NATO strengthen its deterrence and defence posture, raising the readiness of our forces and increasing their ability to move across the Atlantic and within Europe by providing key services and the latest technology available.

Since 1958, NSPA has evolved and transformed to provide efficient, effective and responsive support to the whole Alliance. Looking at the future, I see NSPA as a key contributor to the NATO 2030 initiative. The Agency is well positioned to enhance resilience through interoperability and multinational cooperation enablement; preserve NATO’s technological edge; boost capability building and contribute to climate-change mitigation. Our new strategy includes all the necessary elements to help ensure that NATO remains ready, strong and united for the next decade and beyond.

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