The Technical Cooperation Program facts for kids
The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) is an old and important international group. It helps countries work together on science and technology for defence. This includes keeping countries safe and helping during emergencies. The countries that are part of TTCP are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US).
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How TTCP Started
TTCP began in 1957. At first, it was just the United Kingdom and the United States working together. The leaders of both countries agreed on a special idea. They said that no country can be completely safe or make progress all by itself. They believed countries need to work together, share their resources, and help each other. This idea was called the "Declaration of Common Purpose."
The arrangements which the nations of the free world have made for collective defense and mutual help are based on the recognition that the concept of national self sufficiency is now out of date. The countries of the free world are interdependent and only in genuine partnership, by combining their resources and sharing tasks in many fields, can progress and safety be found. For our part we have agreed that our two countries will henceforth act in accordance with this principle.
Three Countries Join Forces
Right after this agreement, Canada also wanted to join. The UK and the US welcomed Canada. This made the group a "Tripartite" (meaning three-part) Technical Cooperation Program. It was still called TTCP for short.
More Countries Join In
Australia joined TTCP in 1965. The group's name changed from Tripartite Technical Cooperation Program to The Technical Cooperation Program. This allowed them to keep the short name TTCP. New Zealand joined TTCP in 1969.
How TTCP Works
Top Leaders
TTCP is led by senior officials from each of the five member countries. These officials are called the Principals. They get help from their TTCP Deputies, who are based in Washington, and a special office called a secretariat.
Technical Teams
Below the Principals are several "TTCP Groups." These groups have smaller teams called Technical Panels and short-term Action Groups. In April 2009, there were 11 TTCP Groups:
- Aerospace Systems Group
- Chemical, Biological & Radiological Defence Group (CBR)
- Conventional Weapons Technology Group
- Command, Control, Communications & Information Systems Group (C3I)
- Electronic Warfare Systems Group (EW)
- Human Resources & Performance Group (HUM)
- Joint Systems & Analysis Group (JSA)
- Land Systems Group
- Maritime Systems Group
- Materials & Processing Technology Group
- Sensors Group
Each Technical Panel works on big projects together. These projects focus on important areas that all countries are interested in. An Action Group is a smaller team. It works on a specific, urgent problem and stops once the job is done.
Because of budget cuts in the early 2010s, especially in the US and Australia, the countries met less often in person for TTCP work.
"Five Eyes" and Other Groups
The five TTCP nations are often called the "Five Eyes" community. This name is used because they share important information, especially intelligence. They also work together in other related groups:
- ABCA Armies: This group includes the armies of Australia, Britain, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand.
- Air and Space Interoperability Council (ASIC): This group is for air forces.
- AUSCANNZUKUS: This group is for the navies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. It focuses on communication and computer systems.
- Combined Communications Electronics Board: This group works on communication-electronics.
- UKUSA Agreement: This is an agreement about sharing signal intelligence.
Some TTCP nations are also part of other international groups:
- Three TTCP nations (Canada, UK, and US) are members of the NATO Research and Technology Organisation.
- Four of the nations (Australia, Canada, UK, and US) are members of the Multilateral Interoperability Programme. This group has 27 nations.
- Only the UK has been a member of the European Defence Agency.
See also
