The objective of this Joint Test and Evaluation (JT&E) program is to improve Joint operations by providing recommendations to enhance Joint C2ISR tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP), operational concepts, training and systems. JC2ISR will enhance the Joint warfighter's ability to utilize diverse national, theater, and tactical collection sensors and dynamically focus them to identify, locate, track, and engage high value, mobile surface targets. Recommendations resulting from JC2ISR will significantly improve the Joint Force Commander's ability to integrate assigned organic and higher echelon platforms and sensors in a coordinated (cross-cued) and cooperative (simultaneous) collection strategy. The results of this JT&E will provide decision-makers significantly improved C2ISR tasking, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TPED) to support time critical targeting and are applicable to all Joint warfighters. This effort is designed to enhance a CinC's capability to achieve full spectrum dominance through precision engagement.

Unified Commands, Services, and National Intelligence Agencies currently devote significant resources in an effort to improve Joint warfighter's ability to engage time critical targets (TCTs). Recent military operations (e.g., Operations Desert Storm, Desert Fox, and Allied Force) confirm our inability to identify, locate, track, and engage fleeting, mobile targets. Simply put, enemy mobile targets are vulnerable for a shorter period of time that it takes to engage them using current procedures. A major contributor to this limitation lies in C2ISR TPED shortfalls conducting dynamic operations. Lessons learned from these military operations identify requirements for highly discriminate targeting information and avoidance of collateral or unintended damage despite poor weather and adversary countermeasures. The unaided human decision and C2ISR TPED cycle are too slow to respond to fleeting targets that can "shoot and scoot." Although we possess some ability to preplan countermeasures against TCTs using Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB), uncertainty as to the specific what, where, when, how, and why of enemy employment typically places TCT detection, identification and location inside the time cycle for preplanned operations.

The Office of the Director, Strategic and Tactical Systems (ODS&TS), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (OUSD AT&L) chartered JC2ISR to employ multi-Service and other Department of Defense (DoD) agency support, personnel and equipment to investigate, evaluate, and make recommendations to improve the operational effectiveness of Joint C2ISR. Specifically, JC2ISR will test and evaluate the Joint Task Force and Components' ability to dynamically task and re-task ISR collection platforms and sensors and their ability to process, exploit, and disseminate combat information to support time critical targeting. The JC2ISR JT&E program will baseline current C2ISR processes used to prosecute TCTs, identify ISR platform and sensor tasking, processing, exploitation, and dissemination deficiencies, and identify opportunities for Joint C2ISR improvements.

The JC2ISR JTF is currently drafting its Program Test Plan (PTP) and will soon begin constructing a Detailed Test Plan (DTP) for its first field test. With support from CENTCOM, the JC2ISR JTF is mapping on the information flow, physical processes, and collection management processes occurring within theater to support time critical targeting. The test force is now selecting specific Joint C2ISR enhancements for approval to be applied and tested in September 2001. The JC2ISR JTF is working with other complimentary initiatives to avoid duplication of effort and waste of scarce resources.