NATO · NATO / NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), governed by the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD)
AFSC is NATO's flagship capability programme to replace the retiring AWACS fleet by 2035 with a multi-domain 'system of systems' connecting NATO-owned, multinational, and national assets across ground, air, maritime, and space domains. Launched at the 2016 Warsaw Summit and originally called Alliance Future Surveillance and Control, it was renamed Alliance Federated Surveillance and Control to reflect its federated architecture. The programme entered its Realization Stage in February 2026, with NSPA responsible for programme management and technical interoperability, and the NCIA providing additional technical expertise. Industry engagement covers ISR and tactical control requirements, including legacy integration and new unmanned technologies.
AFSC is the largest and most complex capability procurement effort NATO has undertaken, offering sustained long-term contracting opportunities for defence and deep-tech companies across all 32 Allied nations. Companies working in ISR, unmanned systems, space-based surveillance, AI/data fusion, cloud architectures, and C2 systems are directly in scope for national and multinational development contracts tailored to AFSC requirements. Entering the Realization Stage in 2026 signals that procurement contracts for actual capability delivery—not just studies—are now on the near-term horizon.
24 NATO Allies (standalone venture capital fund)
The only sovereign-backed VC dedicated to Alliance defence, security and resilience: patient capital comfortable with defence sales cycles, and a cheque that signals credibility to ministries and co-investors.
The fastest single door into NATO for a dual-use startup: non-dilutive cash, military end-users, test infrastructure, and since 2026 a direct contracting path to Allied ministries via the Rapid Adoption Service.
For a defence-tech company or SME, the Demand Signal provides the clearest public articulation of what NATO and its member nations will seek to procure, enabling firms to align R&D roadmaps and investor narratives with validated Alliance priorities. It also creates a bridge to downstream procurement and adoption pathways by signalling which technology areas have the highest likelihood of translating into real contracts across 32 Allied nations. Non-traditional suppliers in particular can use the Signal to make the case to both governments and private capital providers that their technology addresses operationally urgent, institutionally recognised needs.