NATO Communications and Information Systems Services Agency - Where Does NCSA Fit in The NATO Structure?

Where Does NCSA Fit in The NATO Structure?

NCSA is part of the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Organization (NC3O), reporting to the North Atlantic Council. NCSA works very closely with the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A), whose mission is to provide NATO with scientific support and common funded acquisition of Consultation, Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.

The Director of NCSA is accountable to NATO's Consultation, Command and Control Board for executing the general policy decisions, directives and strategy associated with providing CIS services throughout NATO. The Director is also accountable to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for all operational, or deployed, CIS assets.

As of 2007, Canadian Forces internet sources said that NCSA comprises a central headquarters staff co-located with Allied Command Operations at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium; two deployable NATO Signal Battalions, each with four deployable communication modules, comparable in size and mandate to signals companies (including 1st NATO Signals Battalion at Maastricht, Netherlands); ten Sectors that support the 10 major headquarters in NATO; and the NATO Communication and Information Systems (CIS) School in Latina, Italy.

It appears by 2011 there is now a 3rd NATO Signal Battalion (3NSB), located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, as well as a NATO Signal Regiment.

As of 2011, NCSA comprises a central headquarters staff co-located with Allied Command Operations at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium; the NATO Signal Regiment in Brunssum, Netherlands, as well as three deployable NATO Signal Battalions; five Sectors and eight Squadrons that support the 10 major headquarters in NATO; the NATO Communication and Information Systems (CIS) School in Latina, Italy; the NATO Programming Centre in Glons, Belgium; and the NCSA CIS Logistics Depot in Brunssum. (NCSA website)