PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff program that seeks to provide the right technology for the right capability at the right time, began June 9th and runs through June 19th at U.S. Northern Command and 24 other locations in eight countries.
U.S. Joint Forces Command is responsible for the management oversight of CWID, while USNORTHCOM manages the Homeland Security/Homeland Defense (HS/HD) portions of the demonstration.
According to USNORTHCOM CWID Battle Staff Director Col. Teddy Byrd, “CWID is a dynamic demonstration that allows front line soldiers and first responders to test a wide variety of new technologies in an operational environment. These technologies do everything from protecting classified data to allowing multiple government and non-government agencies to communicate effectively.
“The end result is that lives will be saved because the right information will get to the right people at the right time,” said Byrd.
During CWID demonstrations, participants investigate interagency and coalition interoperability shortfalls. “CWID gives USNORTHCOM and its Homeland Security and Defense partners an opportunity to assess emerging yet mature technologies that we can field within 12 to 18 months,” said USNORTHCOM CWID Program Manager Chris Lambert.
Technologies assessed during CWID operations must either provide a new capability or improve an existing capability. The demonstration is focused on command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) technology. USJFCOM uses CWID to target information technologies that address combatant commander capability gaps and warfighter requirements, while assisting with coordination and development of technology transition decisions.
The demonstration also focuses on interagency information sharing and coalition interoperability, and addresses HS/HD capabilities.
CWID scenario role players and support engineers interact over a secure, global network, ensuring capabilities are tested by the coalition and interagency partners they are designed to assist.