Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence Sees DISA as Model for C4I Department
Members of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) — led by Royal Saudi Land Forces MG Abdullah Mojeeb A. Al-Zahrani, director of the Command, Communications, Control, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) Department — visited the Defense Information Systems Agency Headquarters on Fort George G. Meade, Md. to meet with DISA Director Air Force Lt Gen Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr. and other DISA senior officials on Jan. 16.
The Saudi delegation also included:
- Royal Saudi Naval Forces Major General Bakeer Ahmed Al-Turki, director general of the General Directorate for Information Technology.
- Royal Saudi Naval Forces Captain Ali M. Al-Juaied, the Systems Support Unit manager in the C4I Department.
- Royal Saudi Land Forces Colonel Abdullah Mohammed A. Al-Amri, deputy director of the J3 Communications Department.
- Lieutenant Colonel Adel Al-Turki, a training officer from the Saudi Arabian Embassy.
Saudi MoD officials are interested in using DISA as a model for their efforts to provide relevant and reliable enterprise services to the Saudi Armed Forces.
The purpose of their visit was to learn how the agency helps provide strategic capabilities at the national level, how DISA’s systems enable the commander to exercise command and control (C2) over military forces, and the role of the DISA Command Center as an operations center.
The delegation met with Hawkins, received a DISA organizational brief, and toured the DISA Command Center (DCC). Throughout the visit, DISA and Saudi representatives engaged in discussions regarding DISA’s mission and organizational structure; the capabilities DISA provides to the military services, combatant commands, and other entities; training offered by the agency for its mission partners; and how DISA protects the Global Information Grid against cyber attacks.
Representatives of the MoD C4I Department appreciated the opportunity to obtain DISA’s perspective on real-world activities and operations, which will allow them to develop and refine methodologies within their department.
The Saudis’ increased insight into DISA’s mission and operations also reinforced their support of the ongoing C2 interoperability program between DISA and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through the sharing of information standards and subject matter expertise, the C2 interoperability program provides direct support to U.S. Central Command and their theater security cooperation strategies.
Posted January 22, 2013