ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Research Development, and Engineering Command's communications-electronics center, CERDEC, hosted delegates from its French equivalent in research and development, the Direction Generale de L'Armement, March 16-17, at CERDEC's new facilities at the C4ISR campus here.

CERDEC technology leaders met with their French counterparts to discuss emerging C4ISR technologies for the battlefield, the status of current collaborative efforts and possibilities for future collaboration.

"I thank our French delegation for coming. We have a very productive set of data exchange and project agreements, and I appreciate all the people who have been supporting this effort all along," said CERDEC Director Jill Smith.

"Our interoperability and cooperation as coalition forces are very important, and we look forward to our continued success through these agreements," Smith said.

CERDEC also hosted delegates from Australia, India and Israel in March.

Partnerships such as these allow CERDEC to stay abreast of and leverage international R&D efforts and best practices. CERDEC signed five international agreements in 2010 and sent three engineers to work in international labs as part of the Engineering, Science and Exchange Program. CERDEC also hosts six international exchange engineers in its labs.