NATO DIANA - Secure Information Sharing
I take a look at Canadian company VanWyn, who was recently selected to participate in the NATO DIANA accelerator
Introduction
In 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced its intent to launch the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). The purpose of DIANA is to support innovation of NATO members by bringing together start-ups and innovators with experts and operators to accelerate the development of emerging and disruptive technologies. Those chosen to participate with DIANA have access to grants, networks, and opportunities to maximize the potential for success by the innovator.
In a similar approach as Canada’s IDEaS, applicants respond to a specific challenge proposed by DIANA. The initial three challenges were released earlier this year, and 44 companies were chosen to participate as the first group of participants.
The specific challenge I am interested in is the Secure Information Sharing Challenge, also called the Truly Reliable and Unquestionably Secure Technology Challenge (TRUST). Although I have significant issues with the assumption that technology can be “unquestionably” secure, the challenge is interesting.
The Challenge:
“The Secure Information Sharing topic will address the necessity for trusted exchange of information between organisations using zero-trust principles with a focus on the Confidentiality, Integrity (trust), and Availability of streaming data (CIA triad).”
A Canadian Challenger Enters
On 8 December 2023, the Department of National Defence congratulated seven Canadian companies who were selected as part of the first 44 companies to receive funding from DIANA and participate in its accelerator program. Of the seven Canadian companies chosen, there was one that stood out as being the only Canadian firm selected to participate in the secure information sharing challenge.
VanWyn Aerospace Logistics was selected for this challenge, with a capability that will become increasingly important in the coming years.
VanWyn - The Who and the What
Despite everything I have described thus far, only a little information has been released about the responses themselves other than knowing some of the firms that were selected. As a result, understanding the potential capability being presented for secure information sharing requires a bit of digging.
VanWyn’s website lists three primary activities: aerospace logistics, wireless power transfer, and climate technology.
The core to VanWyn’s business in these areas appears to be twofold:
high-altitude balloons called “Sitallite” (because it “sits” in the sky indefinitely)
and wireless power transfer
VanWyn’s flyer shows its potential uses as a communications relay, but potential payloads are certainly myriad. While the use of balloons for communications relays is not new, the concept has been around for some time. New technologies have seen a reemergence of them as a capability, reaching a critical point of attention in 2023 and the Chinese spy balloons incident. However, for me I will always remember when The Pirate Bay said they would be putting their servers in the sky.
However, what makes VanWyn’s capability so interesting and cool is its combination with wireless power transfer, which is what enables the platform to remain in geo-synchronous high altitude. Where the secure communications come in is that the laser used can also serve as a secure communication system.
So what?
The importance of communications and information during conflict or disasters is self-evident, but the changing global circumstances introduce new challenges to achieve secure and reliable communications. The uses are myriad, but I will cover a couple:
Conflict zones: The adoption of drones and information and communication technologies integrated into platforms means reliable and secure communications is all the more important. However, militaries remain reliant upon existing, largely insecure forms of information and data transfer that are prone to denial or manipulation. Ukraine’s use of Starlink highlights this importance. High-altitude balloons are seen as one solution to reduce reliance upon satellites and become even more useful when joined with wireless power and data transfer.
Home defence: NORAD modernization means that Canada and the United States are developing next-generation over-the-horizon radars for the Arctic. However, the United States and Canadian concepts of joint all-domain command and control and pan-domain concepts mean that the new radars will be connected digitally. This raises the issue of data connectivity between stations in the Arctic and command and control. One such solution is the use of such balloons to connect stations in the Arctic to Colorado Springs and chain of command. This potential role in Arctic sovereignty already appears to be on their radar as well.
Disasters: During natural disasters, communications infrastructure is often the first to be impacted. If not by the physical effects of the climate, which can destroy infrastructure, networks can degrade due to the massive increase in the use of communications networks following a disaster. Deploying such a capability can help restore services to areas or provide additional services and support for rescue efforts.
Conclusion
VanWyn appears to be at the forefront of a capability that will likely soon be standard amongst militaries. Although such capabilities have long existed, the specific innovations and patents held by VanWyn President Erinn van Wynsberghe are cause for excitement at what is to come.
The takeaway from this should be that firms must be increasingly aware of the growing importance of secure information sharing. This is not about existing command and control and ensuring a common operating picture, but about how Canada and its allies intend to fight in the 21st century. Capabilities, be it from the F-35 to software-defined radios, rely upon secure and reliable information and communications technology. The F-35, as an air dominance platform, achieves air dominance through much of its highly advanced electronic systems. Information and communications technology is no longer a support capability or system, but is essential to security and defence.