NATO plans to spend $3.2 billion on contracts in support of requirements such as cybersecurity, information technology and command-and-control systems over the next two and a half years, Defense News reported Friday.

Peter Scaruppe, acquisition director for NATO’s Communications and Information Agency, told the publication in an interview that the agency also looks to get more small businesses to participate in the procurement programs, Aaron Mehta writes.

The report said Scaruppe noted approximately $532 million of the planned investment will go to C2 systems for air and missile defense.

He added NATO currently works on a satellite communications contract that could cost $1.6 billion over a three-year period.

Contract expenditure could also grow in the “functional services” area that includes IT infrastructure implementation and joint software procurement, Scaruppe said.

Mehta reports NCI Agency will hold its annual conference in Ottawa, Canada, from April 24 to 26 in efforts to encourage small companies to do business with the organization.