ABCANZ DATE Working Group 2023 a resounding success

Last week, nineteen military delegates and civilian personnel from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand gathered at Victoria Barracks Sydney for the 2023 ABCANZ DATE Working Group. The conference, held from 13 -17 March, was the first in-person working group on the topic in four years.   

Over the course of five days, attendees engaged in a wide range of discussions and activities. Keynote speakers included BRIG Glenn Ryan (DGTRADOC) who gave the address for the official opening, CAPT Dave Tietzel and LCDR Mitch Tavener from the Royal Australian Navy; LTCOL David Thorsen from the Australian Defence College, and Mr Mark Zammit from the Australian Aviation Training Centre.

Key topics discussed over the week included DATE integration in the joint environment, information warfare, grey zone tactics, as well as updates on the operating environments of DATE Indo-Pacific, DATE Africa, and DATE Arctic. Future projects, ION, and the integration of DATE into the simulation environment also provided great discussion.

The visiting international guests were also given a tour of historic Victoria Barracks Sydney that provided the perfect backdrop for this important event.

The conference left attendees with a renewed commitment to working together and building out the DATE World. The 2023 ABCANZ DATE Working Group was an important step forward in strengthening the bonds between these five nations, and it is sure to have a lasting impact on the future of DATE and ION integration across the joint and combined force.