One Team, One Fight: Joint forces, NATO units participate in command and control exercise HEAVY RAIN 23

U.S. Army Sgt. William Ansong, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced signaler, explains the effects of a jammed signal during exercise HEAVY RAIN 23, at Grostenquin, France, Nov. 16, 2023. HEAVY RAIN is a U.S. Air Forces in Europe-led command and control exercise that integrates communicators, operators and aggressors from joint forces, NATO allies and partners, testing and evaluating their communication and data-sharing capabilities in a rapidly changing operating environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jared Lovett)

Converging Allies and Partner Data into the DAF Data Fabric

Published May 5, 2026
By 16 AF

TOPIC SPONSOR: 16 AF

CSAF Action Orders have all emphasized the need to integrate our allies and partners. While it is widely acknowledged that this would be advantageous to both the US and our allies and partners, past efforts to reduce impediments, such as the "NOFORN" classification, have been unable to achieve the level needed to facilitate joint and combined multi-domain operations.

How can data/information from our Allies and Partners be woven into the Department of the Air Force's data fabric?

Dobre, Maj. Costinel-Viorel (ROUAF), "Integrated Deterrence: Department of the Air Force and NATO Space and Cyberspace Interoperability" AFGC thesis, 2025, 66 pgs.
- Dobre highlights that obsolete data-sharing protocols and overclassification, such as "No Foreign Nationals" (NOFORN) designations, currently delay vital communications and cyber incident responses by 24 to 48 hours. To weave allied data into a shared fabric, Dobre recommends enforcing compliance with standardized systems like the Federated Mission Networking (FMN) platform and adopting secure real-time data-sharing tools. He specifically points to the success of the Five Eyes’ "Torch" system, which has reduced delays in classified information exchange by up to 50-60%.
Harrison, Todd and Christopher Reid, "Battle Networks and the Future Force: Part 3, The Roles of Allies and Partners," Air Force Fellows Paper (published as CSIS Brief), 2022, 9 pgs.