User:Philipreed.paris/sandbox

= NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) = The NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) is the primary NATO organization for Defence Science and Technology. Its mission is to maintain NATO’s scientific and technological advantage by generating, sharing and utilizing advanced scientific knowledge, technological developments and innovation to support the Alliance’s core tasks

Organization
The Science and Technology Organization (STO) is a NATO subsidiary body created within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington in 1949.

As NATO’s leading organization for Science and Technology (S&T), the STO delivers innovation, advice and scientific solutions to meet the Alliance’s ever-changing needs through the work of the collaborative expert panels and the in-house executive body that are composed of leading scientists and experts from NATO and Partner nations.

The STO operates under the authority of the North Atlantic Council which has delegated the operations of the STO to a Board of Directors (the S&T Board – STB) comprising the NATO Nations S&T managers. The STB is chaired by the NATO Chief Scientist who is a high-level recognized S&T leader of a NATO Nation, being permanently assigned to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels and also serving as the senior scientific advisor to the NATO leadership

The STO is composed of the STB, the Chief Scientist and the following three executive bodies:


 * The Office of the Chief Scientist (based in NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium) providing executive and administrative support to the Chief Scientist in exercising his/her three roles as STB Chairperson, Scientific Advisor and head of the Office
 * The Collaboration Support Office (based in Paris, France) providing executive and administrative support to the activities conducted in the framework of the Collaborative business model and its level2 committees and level 3 groups
 * The Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (based in La Spezia, Italy) organizing and conducting scientific research and technology development and deliver innovative and field tested S&T solutions to address the defence and security needs of the Alliance. Its mission is centered on the maritime domain but it may extrapolate to other domains to meet customers’ demands.

The Panels of the STO
The total spectrum of the Collaborative Effort is addressed by six Technical Panels who manage a wide range of Scientific Research Activities, a Group specialising in Modeling and Simulation, plus a Committee dedicated to supporting the Information & Knowledge Management needs of the organisation.

These Panels and Group are the power-house of the collaborative model and are made up of national representatives as well as recognised world-class scientists, engineers and information specialists. In addition to providing critical technical oversight, they also provide a communication link to military users and other NATO bodies.

In any given year, there are over 6000 Scientists and Engineers from NATO and its partners working on approximately 350 research activities being conducted by these Technical Teams. In all cases, these activities result in the publication of highly valued scientific literature published by the STO. The results of the this research can also be found in some specific peer-review journals, as well on our Publications Pages.

The Applied Vehicle Technology Panel

The Applied Vehicle Technology Panel, comprising more than 1000 scientists and engineers, strives to improve the performance, reliability, affordability, and safety of vehicles through advancement of appropriate technologies. The Panel addresses platform technologies for vehicles operating in all domains (land, sea, air, and space), for both new and ageing systems.

To accomplish this mission the members of the AVT community exploit their joint expertise in the fields of:


 * Mechanical systems, structures and materials
 * Propulsion and power systems
 * Performance, stability and control, fluid physics

The Human Factors and Medicine Panel

The mission of the Human Factors and Medicine Panel is to provide the science and technology base for optimising health, human protection, well being and performance of the human in operational environments with consideration of affordability. This involves understanding and ensuring the physical, physiological, psychological and cognitive compatibility among military personnel, technological systems, missions, and environments. This is accomplished by exchange of information, collaborative experiments and shared field trials.

The Information Systems Technology Panel

The mission of the IST Panel is to advance and exchange techniques and technologies in order to improve C3I systems, with a special focus on AI, Interoperability and Cyber Security, and to provide timely, affordable, dependable, secure and relevant information to war fighters, planners and strategists.

The Panel’s focus is the advancement and exchange of techniques and technologies to provide timely, affordable, dependable, secure and relevant information to war fighters, planners and strategists, as well as enabling technologies for modelling, simulation, and training. IST’s scope of responsibility covers the fields of Information Warfare and Assurance, Information and Knowledge Management, Communications and Networks, and Architecture and Enabling Technologies.

The IST Programme of Work is organized under three Focus Groups: 1. Information and Knowledge Management (IWA). 2. Architecture and Intelligence Information Systems (AI2S). 3. Communications & Networks (COM). The activities of the Panel are attached to these focus groups.

The System Analysis And Studies Panel

The System Analysis and Studies (SAS) Panel – NATO STO’s expert panel for analytical advice – conducts studies and analysis for better decisions in strategy, capability development, and operations within NATO, NATO Nations, and partner Nations. Key drivers in the SAS Panel’s work are the exploitation of new technologies, new forms of organization, and new concepts of operation. Currently, the SAS Panel consists of 43 senior scientific representatives from 23 NATO Nations, 2 Partnership for Peace Nations, 1 Global Partner, and 4 NATO organizations. The SAS Panel leverages analysts and scientists from academia, government, and industry to conduct research.

The Systems Concepts And Integration Panel

The mission of the Systems, Concepts and Integration (SCI) Panel is to advance knowledge concerning advanced system concepts, integration, engineering techniques and technologies across the spectrum of platforms and operating environments to assure cost-effective mission area capabilities. Integrated defence systems, including air, land, sea, and space systems (manned and unmanned), and associated weapon and countermeasure integration are covered. The SCI Panel’s activities focus on NATO and national mid to long-term system level operational needs.

The scope of Panel activities covers a multidisciplinary range of theoretical concepts, design, development, and evaluation methods applied to integrated defence systems. Areas of interest include:


 * Integrated mission systems including weapons and countermeasures.
 * System architecture/mechanization.
 * Vehicle integration.
 * Mission management.
 * System engineering technologies and testing.

The Sensors And Electronic Technology Panel

The Sensors & Electronics Technology (SET) Panel is eager to advance technology in electronics and passive/active sensors (as they pertain to reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, electronic warfare, communications, navigation) and to enhance sensor capabilities through multi-sensor integration/fusion in order to improve the operating capability and to contribute to fulfil strategic military results. As NATO war-fighters and peace-keepers continue to shift more and more towards asymmetrical warfare, SET technology have to focus on the military mission of saving lives, improving quality of life and extending our combat effectiveness. Research in the Sensors and Electronics Technology Panel concerns the phenomenology related to target signature, propagation and battle-space environment, electro-optics (or electro-optical, EO), radio frequency (RF), acoustic and magnetic sensors, antenna, signal and image processing, components, sensor hardening and electromagnetic compatibility.​

The NATO Modelling and Simulation Group
The NATO Modelling and Simulation Group (NMSG) is the STO Scientific and Technical Committee in which all NATO Modelling and Simulation (M&S) stakeholders and subject matter experts meet to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the NATO M&S Master Plan (NMSMP). The NMSMP is a NAC-approved NATO policy document that provides strategic vision and guidance for coordinating and utilizing M&S in NATO. The NATO M&S vision is “to exploit M&S to its full potential across NATO and the Nations to enhance both operational and cost effectiveness”. The mission of the NMSG is to promote cooperation among Alliance bodies, NATO, and partner nations to maximize the effective utilization of M&S. This includes M&S standardization, education, and associated science and technology. The NMSG, as nominated by the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), is the delegated tasking authority for standardization in the NATO modelling and simulation domain.

The NMSMP articulates the NATO vision and guiding principles regarding the use of M&S in support of the NATO mission, discusses the impact that achieving this vision will have on NATO M&S application areas and identifies the governance mechanisms and bodies, and the primary NATO M&S stakeholders. Under the umbrella of establishing a common technical framework, increasing interoperability and developing models, simulations and standards for M&S, the main current and future focus areas of work are: education and training; decision making; AI & BD; cyber defence; and acquisition. With the mission to investigate, plan, update and propose the future Programs of Work, the NMSG has three permanent sub-groups: the Military Operational Requirements Subgroup; the M&S Standards Subgroup; and the Planning and Programmes Committee.

The Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE)
CMRE is NATO's knowledge repository for maritime S&T, offering a trusted platform for NATO Nations and partners to work together and to share science and technology. CMRE provides a science and technology framework through which NATO realizes the benefits of ownership by enforcing the values of the Alliance while reducing risks, costs, and aligning national interests and ambitions. The intellectual capital thus generated has great value in creating operational advantage and equipping the future force.

CMRE conducts relevant, state-of-the-art scientific research in ocean science, modelling and simulation, acoustics and other disciplines,  that is potentially game changing. CMRE contributes new technologies enabling access to unmanned systems that have the ability to sense, comprehend, predict, communicate, plan, make decisions and take appropriate actions to achieve mission goals. This provides operators with new technologies across the spectrum of expeditionary kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities required to defeat traditional threats decisively and confront irregular challenges effectively. CMRE also provides Science & Technology enhancements to unmanned vehicles and vessels, integrated defence systems, and autonomous intelligent systems that better enable operators to complete missions in hostile environments by avoiding, defeating and surviving attacks.

How the work is Organized
The scientific work of the STO is organized by six Technical Panels that manage a wide range of scientific research activities, and one Group specializing in modelling and simulation, and a dedicated research centre delivering solutions in the maritime domain to address the defence and security needs of the Alliance.

The Panels and Group are the powerhouse of the collaborative model and are made up of national representatives as well as recognized worldclass scientists, engineers and information specialists. The Panels and Group are responsible for proposing and managing the scientific work programme. In addition to providing critical technical oversight, they also provide a communication link to military users and other NATO bodies.

Each Panel/Group’s Programme of Work will be carried out by Technical Teams made up of national experts. Prior to launching a Technical Team, when a Panel/Group believes that a particular expertise is required to assist or advise it on the technical merit or feasibility of a specific proposal, an Exploratory Team (ET) is established. An ET is the CSO’s instrument for carrying out a feasibility study to establish whether it is worth starting a bigger activity. During the PBM, each NATO Nation in the Panel/Group is polled to determine if it is willing to allocate resources and participate in a future ET on the topic. If this is the case, the ET finalizes the TAP and submits it to the Panel Office for revision. The step of involving an ET is sometimes omitted if the idea has a strong support and can go straight into a Technical Activity. The ET is, however, an essential supporting instrument for young/new scientists who wish to scope their proposal for a Technical Team. Technical Teams are assigned by the Panels/Group to perform specific tasks, such as:


 * Research Task Group (RTG) – study group, up to 3 years;
 * Specialist Team (ST) – quick reaction;
 * Research Workshop (RWS) – selected participation, 2 – 3 days;
 * Research Symposium (RSY) – more than 100 people, 3 – 4 days;
 * Research Specialists’ Meeting (RSM) – up to 100 people, 2 – 3 days;
 * Research Lecture Series (RLS) – junior and mid-level scientists;
 * Research Technical Course (RTC);
 * Support Project (SP);
 * Long-Term Scientific Study (LTSS);
 * Multinational Exercise (MNE);
 * Military Application Study (MAS);

Advanced Guidance for Alliance Research and Development (AG – AGARDograph).

A Research Task Group (RTG) technical team activity allows researchers from different nations to work together in order to solve a particular scientific research and technology development problem. RTGs are sponsored by the Panel/Group to meet the needs of NATO. RTGs are chartered for a maximum of three years after the initial meeting. Among the activities conducted during an RTG, a Cooperative Demonstration of Technology (CDT) may be organized. The findings will be documented in an STO publication (Technical Report or Technical Memoranda).

A Research Lecture Series (RLS) technical team activity aims to disseminate state-of-the-art scientific knowledge among junior and mid-level specialists, scientists and engineers in military-relevant domains that are not taught in universities. An RLS is a two-day educational event that is normally organized at three different locations. RLSs can include a roundtable discussion. RLSs are combined with an STO publication (Educational Notes), which will be made available before the first RLS session.

A Research Technical Course (RTC) is an educational technical team activity aimed at transferring practical knowledge and recent field developments through on-site instructor training or lectures to military decision makers. The material is tailored to a specific/specialized audience and is generally more operational in nature than for a Research Lecture Series (RLS). An RTC can be offered up to a maximum of four times lasting from one to three days. The STO publication is not always provided for an RTC.

A Research Workshop (RWS) technical team activity aims at facilitating intensive information exchange and focused discussion on a specific topic among a limited number of invited experts. The prime purpose of an RWS is to enhance the capability of the NATO S&T community to respond adequately to the military requirements of NATO. An RWS (generally not more than 30 participants) is a two to three-day event with no prescribed format. An RWS results in an STO publication (Meeting Proceedings).

A Research Specialists’ Meeting (RSM) technical team activity exchanges of state of the-art knowledge among an audience of specialists with invited speakers on an important scientific or applied topic. The prime purpose of an RSM is to enhance the capability of the NATO S&T community to respond adequately to the military requirements of NATO. An RSM is a medium-scale (usually less than 100 participants), two to three-day event. The Programme Committee organizes communications, inviting experts to give Keynote Addresses and arranging oral presentations that include roundtable discussions. An RSM results in an STO publication (Meeting Proceedings).

An AGARDograph (Advanced Guidance for Alliance Research and Development – AGARD) pertains to a single, clearly defined technical subject and comprises material generally agreed to be of lasting interest and value to the technical and war fighter communities represented throughout NATO. The AG material may be the work of a single author or be the coordinated and edited contributions of several authors. An AG team is chartered for a maximum of three years.

A Long-Term Scientific Study (LTSS) technical team activity provides recommendations to NATO and National Authorities based on assessment of the impact on military operations that might be expected from developments in science and technology over both the medium and long term (typically 10 – 20 years). This would include how emerging technologies, systems and methods may affect tactical concepts and doctrines. LTSS are chartered for three years after the initial meeting. Among the activities conducted during an LTSS, a brainstorming meeting, called Multinational Exercise (MNE), is organized. An LTSS results in an STO publication (Technical Report) and in presentations to various NATO or National Authorities.

A Military Application Study (MAS) technical team activity is a short-term rapid reaction study that assesses the application of technology to operational procedures to solve operational and equipment deficiencies

From AGARD to STO
The Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) was formed in 1952 and became an agency under the Military Committee in 1966. Its task was to foster and improve the interchange of information relating to aerospace research and development between the NATO nations. AGARD also provided scientific and technical advice and assistance to the NATO Military Committee in the field of aerospace research and development, with particular regard to military applications. On the 1st of january 1998, by approval of the charter, a new organization was formed by the merger of the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development and the Defence Research Group (DRG) to form the Research and Technology Organisation (RTO).

AGARD, the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development, represents a pioneering, successful experiment in scientific cooperation among NATO nations. The founder and first chairman of AGARD, Dr. Theodore von Kármán, had dedicated his life to the enhancement of understanding and cooperation among scientists of different nations. Therefore, in order to give perspective to the History of AGARD, it is considered helpful to trace earlier events which show how the concept of AGARD progressively developed in the mind of its creator. Dr. von Kármán's lifelong mission of scientific cooperation was inherited from his father, Maurice von Kármán, a distinguished philosopher and educator at the University of Budapest, who at the beginning of this century predicted that in about fifty years, scientific understanding would transcend national boundaries and lead to international cooperative ventures. AGARD is, in a very general sense, a creation by the son bearing out the prediction of the father half a century earlier. In order to set the stage for the origin of AGARD, we go back to the advent of World War II. Dr. von Kármán, then Director of the Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, was greatly saddened by the setback to international scientific cooperation, which he believed should eventually counter the irrationality of armed conflict. At the same time he was convinced that in times of world unrest, the United States and its allies should be backed by the most technically advanced military strength. For this reason, he gave unstintingly of his time and effort to help the US armed forces with their technical problems, including a new trend, originated by him, of providing special research and development indoctrination to young military officers. His statement, reproduced in the history of the USA Scientific Advisory Board: '.... scientific results cannot be used efficiently by soldiers who have no understanding of them, and scientists cannot produce results useful for warfare without an understanding of the operations.’ During this period, Dr. von Kármán was especially impressed by the vision shown by General H.H.(Hap) Arnold, whom he had first known as Commander of the Air Base at March Field, California; later as Commanding General of the Army Air Corps, and its successor, the US Air Force.

Panels
Panels were the heart of AGARD. The panels were composed of members from government and semi-government,   laboratories and agencies, universities and industry. AGARD originally started in 1952 with 4 Panels (Combustion, Aero-Medicine, Flight Test and Instrumentation, and Wind Tunnel and Model Testing). Von Kármán had a direct personal interest in the Panels - based on his life-long scientific work and his association with the military - and he gave them his guidance. Initially there were less than 100 Panel members. Their number grew rapidly to 200 in 1960 and with the expansion to 9 Panels in 1970, there were more than 500 Panel members in the 1990s. After a restructuring in 1994 the number of Panels was reduced to 7, plus a Technical Information Committee (TIC). Panel members were appointed by their respective National Delegates, normally for a term of 3 years. The detailed areas of interest of each Panel varied fairly rapidly as the field of aerospace science and technology expanded and as interactions between specialist areas became more or less relevant. In very general terms, the mission of each Panel was to fulfil the AGARD mission within its own area of scientific and technical interest and competence.

Each Panel defined a program of meetings and publications in its own speciality, within the general constraints of AGARD policy as determined by the Board. Panel members were responsible for enlisting the necessary support and participation from their own countries. Most Panels held two major meetings each year, which rotated among the NATO Member-Nations. The printing and publication of Panel written works (at that time around 70-90 publications a year) was organised by AGARD Headquarters. Occasionally publications were judged to be of such general interest, that up to 5000 copies were printed. The Research and Technology Organization (RTO) The need for more cohesion and cost-effectiveness, and the need for a single focus in NATO for air, land, sea and space R&T activities, resulted in the merger of AGARD and DRG into the NATO Research and Technology Organization in January 1998. It’s executive body was the NATO Research and Technology Agency (RTA) and located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

The NATO Modelling & Simulation Group
The Modelling and Simulation Group (MSG), was established in 1999 as a total new group. "NATO has not yet begun to harness the full potential of M&S to improve operations. Uses are rich and diverse, but a common Alliance strategy incorporating interoperability and reuse, a key to cost-effectiveness, does not (yet) exist."

Background

In November 1996, the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) established a Steering Group on NATO Simulation Policy and Applications with a mandate to craft an Alliance approach to simulation in order to improve Alliance operations (e.g., defence planning, training, exercises, support to operations, research, technology development and armaments acquisition (modernization)) cost-effectively. The CNAD specifically tasked the Steering Group to identify recommended technical standards in order to foster simulation interoperability and reuse, to craft a roadmap for the development of simulations in order to satisfy the most-pressing NATO needs, and to include these results in a comprehensive NATO Modelling & Simulation Master Plan (MSMP). The MSMP would in turn guide the Alliance in the development and use of modelling and simulation (M&S).

The Steering Group accomplished its work with the broad and active participation of senior government policy representatives, the NATO Military Authorities and M&S experts drawn from the NATO member governments and the NATO Industrial Advisory Group. The  Master Plan is the result of their endeavours

This NATO M&S Master Plan was endorsed by the Conference of NATO Armament Directors (CNAD) and the Military Committee (MC) in November 1998, and approved by the North Atlantic Council in December 1998. The M&S Master Plan recommended two organisational structures: the NATO Modelling & Simulation Group (as a level 2 body reporting to the RTB) and the establishment of a full-time Modelling & Simulation Co-ordination Office. The MSCO was established in the autumn of 1999 within the SPD Division of the RTA in Paris. The Office is now resourced by two VNCs (one Spain and one UK). One additional on-site French VNC is expected to join the team part-time from 1 April 2000. Additional US VNC remote support was also provided during the reporting period. The MSCO, under the authority of the RTA Director and within guidance provided by the Research and Technology Board (RTB) through the NMSG, have overall responsibility for co-ordinating and developing Alliance M&S to ensure efficient support to NATO operations. During the interim and start-up phase of 1999, the NMSG/MSCO have formulated Programmes of Work (POW) based upon guidance from the September 1999 RTB Meeting and the RTB M&S November 1999 Sub Group Meeting. The majority of resourcing and funding for these programmes is from National Resources and National Voluntary Contributions with NATO providing minimal funding for reports generated from the programmes.


 * Aerospace Application Studies Committee (AASC)
 * Dr Theodore Von Kármán

The Science and Technology Organization (STO)
In 2012, as a result of the NATO Reform, the NATO STO was established on 1 July 2012 and the NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) – renamed Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) - and the Research and Technology Agency (RTA) – renamed Collaboration Support Office (CSO) - emerged. This combined the expertise and legacy that has been ongoing for over 60 years. The third executive body, the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) was created and collocated with NATO Headquarters to improve scientific advice to NATO leadership. This structure remains today.

Scientific Publications
Some text here. . ..

How to Join Us
Whether you are a government representative, a military member, a specialist from industry, or an academic interested in any of our research topics, you can join our activities. There are two required steps in order to be a part of the CSO activities:

1) Contact your National Coordinator. The national coordinator is an individual designated by the nation to facilitate his/her nation’s participation in the STO. The list of institutions responsible for national coordination could be found on our website: https://www.sto.nato.int/Pages/national-coordinators.aspx

After you reach out to a national coordinator, he/she can provide you with more details on how your country is involved in activities and put you in contact with national representatives within a panel.

2) Contact the Panel Executive/Assistant. If you know which panel you are interested in, you can directly contact the Panel Office that would give you directions on how to join activities. Contact information for each Panel can be found at: https://www.sto.nato.int/Pages/contactus.aspx