When solving complex problems, attempting to “go it alone” guarantees a lack of the resources and support necessary to achieve meaningful and lasting solutions. This is why partnerships are crucial to the success of any formidable effort, including a nation’s security strategy and ability to defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) maintains dozens of cooperative efforts with international allies as it works to develop CBRN defense capabilities that keep warfighters safe and in support of the Nation’s overall defense interests. Strong partnerships with allies enhance interoperability, encourage innovation, and promote the exchange of valuable resources including expertise, manpower, capabilities, intelligence, and more.
Last month, JPEO-CBRND hosted CBRN defense experts from across the U.S. Department of Defense and UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Science, Technology, and Acquisition Forum (C-STAF). This annual bilateral meeting fosters collaboration between two close and longstanding allies with a common interest in contributing to global security.
Established in 2019 and formerly called the U.S./UK CBRN Defense Acquisition Engagement (CBRND AE), this year’s reimagined forum served as an opportunity to address critical technology gaps together to deliver incremental capabilities faster. It brought science and technology (S&T) and advanced development strategies together to gain efficiencies and strengthen CBRN defense capability lifecycle development for both countries, with the U.S. and UK’s shared deterrence mission as the throughline. A core defense principle, deterrence employs multi-faceted strategies and capabilities to discourage adversaries from deploying CBRN weapons. Deterrence is achieved, in part, by having strong defense capabilities that effectively detect, protect against, and respond to CBRN threats.
“We have an unprecedented opportunity within the C-STAF to achieve true end-to-end collaboration for our projects and programs,” said Nicole Kilgore, Deputy Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense and U.S. co-chair of the C-STAF event, in her opening remarks. “I see opportunities this week for us to redefine what collaboration looks like in an increasingly complex environment. Let’s think creatively about how we can bring together people, funding, infrastructure, and other resources to get interoperable capabilities into the hands of the warfighter at speed and scale.”
These common goals warrant the U.S. and UK to leverage their partnership and enhance capability development, mobilizing their unmatched potential for expanding technological and industrial collaboration. For example, the U.S./UK Integrated Threat Awareness – Coalition (ITAC) Coalition Warfare Program recently concluded five years of cooperative research, development, test, and evaluation (RTD&E) on knowledge management systems designed to support commanders’ decision making in CBRN environments. Both countries shared valuable insight on commanders’ critical information requests and highlighted the necessity of data accuracy, specifically in a coalition environment. The lessons learned from this collaboration are actively informing the future of knowledge management programs, like the JPEO-CBRND’s CBRN Support to Command and Control (CSC2) system, and will enable continuous development efforts focused on interoperability and seamless information sharing between the U.S., the UK, and our trusted allies.
Another shared deterrence strategy is the cultivation of its industrial base, where the development, acquisition, and sustainment of CBRN defense capabilities is part of an efficient economic and innovative ecosystem with allies and partners. The U.S. and UK’s bilateral technology collaboration is already unmatched, with the UK participating in more U.S.-led technology projects for military advantage than any other country. Aligning U.S. and UK capability requirements and coordinating procurement strategies will also bolster the defense industrial base and increase support for key manufacturing lines. “Proactive partnerships result in a robust and resilient industrial base,” stated Mark Nileshwar, UK CBRN team leader. “Partnering provides unique opportunities to derisk our programmes, while industry continues to invest in our technologies because of consistent demand and order quantities. This is how we enable the effective and efficient delivery of capabilities.”
This year’s forum kicked off with a tour of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), the Defense Department’s primary technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological defense. Participants spent the following three days engaged in a packed agenda addressing topics such as medical countermeasures, protection and decontamination, and integrated early warning, among others. C-STAF chairpersons support and receive strategic guidance from higher level U.S. DoD /UK MOD working groups, ensuring that the topics covered and resulting outcomes are aligned to cooperative priorities and strategic vision.
Events like C-STAF offer an invaluable opportunity for stakeholders to interface in real time while sharing knowledge and planning for future collaboration to tackle rapidly advancing and dynamic CBRN defense problem sets. “What’s striking to me is the evolution of the U.S./UK CBRN defense relationship over the past several years,” said Kimberly LeButt, the JPEO-CBRND’s deputy director of international programs, reflecting on the significant progress. “We started with a commitment to do more together, and today the depth and breadth of the collaboration is unparalleled. It doesn’t seem to matter what adversaries or challenges we face – our alliance just keeps getting stronger.” When it comes to deterring CBRN threats and keeping their fighting forces protected, both the U.S. and UK intend to go far, so they must go together.
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