Systematic takes a seat on NATO advisory body

Henrik Sommer, former brigadier general and now Director at Systematic, is Denmark's new representative on NATO's Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). He promises to give the defence industry a unique insight into what the alliance needs.

Seats at the table are in high demand as NATO defines the defence needs of the future. Henrik Sommer, Director of Defence at Systematic and a former brigadier general, has just taken up the role of Deputy Head of Delegation in NIAG, where the defence industries of all 32 NATO countries are represented. Denmark's seat is held through the Confederation of Danish Industry's Defence and Security section (DI FoS), which appointed Henrik Sommer to the task.

The role is new to him, but the group is not. As a brigadier general, he previously sat on NIAG as NATO's military representative, briefing the group on NATO's development efforts and requirements for military units.

This time, he represents Danish defence industry and Systematic. He sees his job as sharing NIAG's work for the benefit of Danish defence companies and the shared defence task facing Denmark as a nation.

"NIAG is where you come closest to understanding how NATO thinks and sets priorities when defining the defence needs of the future. My assessment is that industry needs more knowledge and information in this area in order to adapt and develop the right products, and I'm glad to contribute to that," he says.

Collaboration runs both ways

For Henrik Sommer, the work in NIAG runs two ways: bringing knowledge and information back to Denmark to share with the defence industry, and advising NATO in areas where combat power needs to be increased.

"For example, NIAG was consulted on the phase-out of its command system for air operations (AWACS), on which a new agreement has just been reached," says Henrik Sommer.

More recently, the need to rapidly increase combat power has become a very high priority.

"NATO tells participants, for example, what nations need to have ready for a battlefield in 2040, but we're also briefed on how industry can best deliver to NATO here and now," he explains.

NIAG also advises the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), made up of the heads of each country's NATO procurement. They meet regularly to exchange experience and coordinate procurement, and here too, NIAG's representatives have a chance to play a part.

"It's genuinely important to spend defence money wisely. That's why dialogue between industry and defence matters - so defence doesn't end up buying outdated technology," Sommer points out.

Technological rearmament

The war in Ukraine poses a threat to NATO's borders, making strong cooperation between NATO, nations and industry more important than ever. At the same time, technological rearmament is taking up more and more space. Against this backdrop, Henrik Sommer and Systematic are particularly well placed to contribute to NIAG's work.

"With customers in more than 50 countries, Systematic is a world leader in command and control systems, but we haven't forgotten where we came from. Forty years ago, we were also a small start-up, and we remember that as we take on the role of a link between NATO and Danish defence industry," he says.