Jean Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, assistant secretary general for innovation, hybrid and cyber at NATO, said the military alliance plans to expand the framework of its Task Force X and create more pilots on autonomous capabilities and artificial intelligence integration.
The NATO official announced the strategy in his remarks at last week’s NATO Open Innovation Conference & Expo, where the Task Force X showcase was among the event highlights.
Allied Command Transformation launched the task force in early 2025 to strengthen maritime security. It demonstrates NATO’s commitment to rapidly operationalizing and integrating emerging technologies into naval systems, particularly in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools protecting undersea assets in regions like the Baltic Sea.
System Integration Techniques
Ellerman-Kingombe also stressed the importance of combining traditional and emerging players in defense innovation. NATO efforts need to focus on boosting the resilience of its traditional defense industrial base and include “nontraditional suppliers that offer many of the new tech solutions,” he said.
NOICE25, held from June 2 to 4 in Copenhagen, featured workshops programmed for innovators to refine their capabilities, explore alternative conceptualization processes and promote networking via collaborative exercises. The event’s participants also gained opportunities to share best practices and discuss project challenges and their solutions.
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Some of the solutions showcased at NOICE included:
- uncrewed ISR surface vehicles
- mobile autonomous surveillance and security systems
- counter-drone systems designed for cost-effective deployment
- innovative medical systems for blood transport and preventing infection
- underwater intelligence systems using magnetic sensors for protecting offshore and underwater infrastructures
In addition to Task Force X, NATO has launched Baltic Sentry, a multi-domain mission for protecting critical Baltic Sea infrastructures, which include frigates, maritime patrol aircraft and a fleet of naval drones.