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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Global Command and Control System (GCCS) is the central command and control system for achieving information superiority in Joint Vision 2010. It is an integrated, reliable, and secure command and control system linking the National Command Authority down to the Joint Task Force and Component Commanders. GCCS provides the top-level infrastructure for automated support to command and control operations worldwide. It provides seamless battlespace awareness and a fused battlespace picture by exchanging data, imagery, intelligence, status of forces, and planning information. GCCS employs client/server architecture using commercial software and hardware, open systems standards, office automation, government developed military planning software, and worldwide web technology. Also, it rides on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET) communications backbone, or it can be accessed from dial-in remote terminals.

The Joint Staff (J-3) officially declared GCCS the System of Record on August 30, 1996. It simultaneously shut down the legacy system, the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS). In 1997, after two months of repeated operational assessments, the Joint Staff declared the top secret GCCS(T) the System of Record to replace the final legacy portion of WWMCCS¾ the Top Secret Support System. This year, the commercial operating systems and data base support systems of GCCS v2.2.2, that were out-of-date and difficult-to-support, were replaced with GCCS v3.0. Such a major change requires a full operational test and provides an opportunity to baseline some of GCCS performance characteristics. Test planning paralleled the careful development of an Evolutionary Phase Implementation Plan and companion Capstone TEMP. These efforts reapplied the successful new acquisition approach first adopted for GCCS(T). Worldwide, CINCs have gained an appreciation for the value of participating in the OT&E process for GCCS. Several CINCs volunteered to provide test sites in order to gain early knowledge and understanding of the new GCCS v3.0.

The Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), planned OT&E on Stage I of the GCCS v3.0. The OT&E evaluated performance, interoperability, security, mission support, and sustainability in compliance with the DOT&E-approved TEMP (December 1997). DISA and the CINCs created a logically separate worldwide test network paralleling the existing one for the then current System of Record. Using the parallel network, JITC was able to conduct the OT&E at five primary and twelve other test sites without disrupting the current System of Record. These tests were conducted from January 5-April 8, 1998. All three Service OTAs participated by simultaneously testing Service-unique capabilities and interfaces with GCCS. Another division of JITC conducted the Modified Developmental Test at the operational test sites before the OT&E. The security division of DISA conducted Security Test and Evaluation during Modified Developmental Test and during OT&E. Separate preplanned operational test segments covered: (1) installation and start up; (2) mission and sustainment tasks; (3) verification of problem fixes; (4) compatibility with GCCS v2.2.2; and (5) timing characteristics for future comparison. During the course of the test, it was necessary to add segments to cover the stress testing of exchanging and merging large operational plans, and to test the compatibility between the corrected security solution and key mission functions.

There were two principal test limitations: (1) many interfaces were not completed in time to be tested; and (2) some segments of the essential commercial software were not Y2K compliant. The program office plans to upgrade the software and achieve Y2K compliance by December 1998. System performance criteria not evaluated due to these test limitations will be evaluated in subsequent tests of the system upgrades.

The OT&E showed that GCCS v3.0, Stage I, could be successfully installed at all sites, could successfully support the great majority of its mission and sustainment tasks, and could be approved as secure to operate. However, the test uncovered serious shortfalls in printing messages, installation procedures, documentation, training, and many other areas. Once problems were uncovered, CINC users worldwide advised the Joint Staff on priorities for remedial action. Eventually, this process identified those with acceptable workarounds and those that must be fixed before GCCS v3.0 could be the System of Record. Operational sites verified most of the fixes before the end of the test and were to verify the others before GCCS v3.0 became the System of Record. Users indicated that the resulting transition from GCCS v2.2.2 to v3.0 was the smoothest they have had with a major GCCS version to date. Although the Pentagon help desk could not support both day-to-day operations and the OT&E, the JITC surveyed users about the help support they had with v2.2.2. DOT&E analysis showed that support processes at all levels are undergoing significant review, revision, and improvement. GCCS v3.0, Stage II, consists of an ongoing series of incremental functional enhancements that will be verified by operational assessment before fielding. GCCS users, developers, and testers have established a systematic process to adequately evaluate and correct each GCCS release according to operational mission requirements provided by the worldwide user community.

The active involvement of the worldwide user in OT&E is essential to evaluate the operational significance of problems within GCCS for which nearly every process has a work around. In addition, a performance baseline and metrics of progress are critical to the test and evaluation of GCCS. The increased effort to improve quality should provide significant operational savings and could also speed up command and control functions.