Canadian Computer Network Connects Allies in Latvia
May 18, 2021 - Defence Stories
By Major Mark Peebles
Task Force Latvia
Communication is key on the battlefield, and Canadian signallers with the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Signal Squadron in Camp Adazi provided an important means for their allies to communicate on a secure network during Exercise KNIGHT LAVARD 2021 from 14 to 23 April.
Providing the Latvian Mechanized Infantry (MI) Brigade with Canadian Deployed Mission Network (CDMN) allowed them better access to NATO secure networks, which improves their ability to talk with higher NATO headquarters such as Multi-National Division (North), which is important to the Allied defence of the Baltic region. It also helps inform their development of their own secure military network.
The Canadian Deployed Mission Network is a secure computer network that is able to be used by Canadian Armed Forces expeditionary operations around the world. Importantly, however, it is able to connect to NATO secure networks. This is critical to soldiers deployed with the NATO enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia.
“CDMN is the main network that is used for planning and communicating during Canadian tactical Exercises on Op REASSURANCE. The CDMN itself is also Canada’s link or connection to the eFP Mission Network, a network that facilitates interoperability between other nations in the greater eFP community,” says Lieutenant Andrew Mosnier, with the eFP Signal Squadron, who notes that the network is used by soldiers from Italy, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Poland and Slovakia within the Battle Group.
It is also used by the Latvian National Armed Forces. While the Latvian military has its own secure computer networks, it is currently developing the capability to connect to the eFP Mission Network. While the Latvian MI Brigade normally has CDMN computers in their Headquarters, for Exercise KNIGHT LAVARD they needed more.
Major Gvido Kalniņš, the head signals officer with the Latvian MI Brigade Headquarters, notes that while the NATO Multi-National Division (North) Headquarters provided computers to communicate with them on a secure network, the MI Brigade had to come up with a way to communicate that information securely to their units. CDMN fits that bill.
“Connection carriers between different areas on this system are great. There are no restrictions on distances between extensions, where the back-up connections are in the places,” he says. “The Canadian CDMN system supports our requirements, and it has appropriate classification level, which is supposed to be used during this exercise.”
Lt. Mosnier says that the Latvian MI Brigade using CDMN during Exercise KNIGHT LAVARD is an opportunity to introduce to them some of the capabilities CDMN has to offer as they consider capabilities to add to their secure networks.
Major Kalniņš notes that the Latvian National Armed Forces continue to develop their computer networks to connect with NATO secure systems, as well as other capabilities. He adds that they will continue to work with Canadian troops to improve and evaluate their own national system to correspond the Canadian network.