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TESTIMONY OF 
 LTG STEVEN W. BOUTELLE
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER/G-6
UNITED STATES ARMY

 BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM, UNCONVENTIONAL THREATS AND CAPABILITIES
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE AND INTEROPERABILITY

FEBRUARY 11, 2004
 

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on Department of Defense information systems architecture and interoperability.  

Today, we are an expeditionary Army supporting our Nation in the Global War On Terrorism.  Our Army is in the midst of a massive reorganization creating modular fighting units that can be rapidly deployed around the world.  Our forward deployed forces must have capability to reach back from anywhere on the globe through global networks to tap intelligence resources and collaboration tools on a real-time basis.  Our forces will continue to deploy as an integral part of a Joint force and often as a part of a coalition team as we continue the fight against a global terrorist network.  

As a Joint or Coalition expeditionary force, interoperability is not an option.  Existing systems must be interoperable or made interoperable.  All new systems must be developed with Joint interoperability and interdependencies as Key Performance Parameters.  The good news is that our services have achieved much interoperability today.  Many of our communications systems and networks are based on the same commercial Internet Protocol (IP) that served as the foundation for the World Wide Web.  This is a mandated standard of the Department of Defense's Joint Technical Architecture.  This, and other commercial based information technology protocols and standards are a foundation for achieving Joint, interagency, and multi-National (JIM) interoperability.  The Army has nearly completed the migration to an IP-based network as part of the larger Joint Network.  In accordance with the Joint Technical Architecture and current DoD guidance, we are moving to IP version 6.0 for a more efficient and effective network.  In practical terms, interoperability exists today at the network level and extends through space-based and terrestrial transmission systems.  These transmission systems serve as part of the Global Information Grid (GIG) supporting users around the world.  The DoD GIG Data Strategy directs a more complete migration to commercial web-based technologies, which will further strengthen interoperability across the Joint, interagency, and multi-national environment.   

Network level interoperability is vital to all organizations within the DoD.   An example of this type of interoperability is a user with an Apple computer sending email to a user with an IBM computer.  Both computers have different operating systems and probably different email programs, and the network is comprised of piece parts from many manufacturers such as Sun, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft.  However, common and enforced standards, such as those that reside in the Joint Technical Architecture, ensure your email transits the mix of equipment and is successfully delivered.  An example of the military application of network interoperability is the Joint Blue Force Situational Awareness, or Blue Force Tracking, implemented in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  While each service used different platforms and computers to track Blue (friendly) Forces, the Network interoperability standards enabled commanders on the ground to enjoy near-real-time visibility of friendly forces on dissimilar systems from individual trucks, tanks, helicopters, command centers and even here in the Washington area.

Our Army and DoD continue to expand the network interoperability of all of our programs.  We continue upgrading individual platform interoperability based on the standards of the JTA.  The bottom line is that while we have interoperability between the services now, it will be even more pervasive and richer in the future.  Additionally, we are
committed to working with OSD to ensure the GIG aligns with the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA).  

As the Army transforms to the Future Force, we are developing lighter, highly mobile, more modular, and strategically responsive organizations fully enabled by a more robust network of satellites, fiber optic cables, radios, and tactical communication system.  Battle Command capabilities, tied together by these enhanced networks will be the bridge from Current to Future Forces and enable the Expeditionary Joint Forces Commander to fully conduct interdependent, globally dispersed, network-centric warfare.  Battle Command is the essential operational capability that fundamentally enables the global conduct of future Joint operations.  Our Chief of Staff has seventeen focus areas; one of these is networks.  As we realign into modular units, we are adjusting the architecture of these units to exploit the success we saw in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and to align with the Joint Technical Architecture.   We are now in fact restructuring the Third Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, GA, which has recently returned from Iraq.   We are redesigning this unit to be flexible, adaptive, and Joint.

Systems such as the Joint Tactical Radio System, Warfighter Information Network - Tactical, Strategic Tactical Entry Point, Teleport, and Global Information Grid - Bandwidth Expansion are essential to support warfighters with secure, simultaneous real-time voice, data, imagery, and video globally.  

The Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) is the next generation radio.  This system changes the construct for radio hardware by relying on software to change frequencies and waveforms.  In addition to increased ease of interoperability, a common family of radio systems across the Department allows for savings in development and procurement costs.  JTRS represents Joint communications at its purest form.  It is a fully integrated and fully interoperable system combining the best of multi-service programmatic, technology, and operational experience and leadership while taking advantage of economies of scope and scale for development.  This high-capacity, software-programmable family of radios is multi-band/multi-mode capable and will provide simultaneous voice, data, and video communications enabling it to support the worldwide Joint mission tasks.  It also lays the foundation for achieving network connectivity across the frequency spectrum and provides the means for digital information exchanges, both vertically and horizontally, between Joint warfighting elements.  It represents a key part of success for our future warfighter and Joint teams.

The Warfighter Information Network - Tactical (WIN-T) is absolutely essential in our expeditionary Army.  WIN-T will serve as the Army's communications network for the future warfight, replacing the Army's twenty-five year old tactical communications system, Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE).  WIN-T leverages the rapid growth of commercial communications technologies we all enjoy, and brings those technologies on to the modern battlefield.  This will allow the Army to fully use enhanced services such as high-resolution imagery, operations on the move, and collaborative tools across the battlefield. WIN-T represents the Army's requirement to be born Joint, is a mission critical system, and is an integrating communications network that brings next generation communications to the Joint Warfighter.    Based on DoD's Joint Technical Architecture, it is optimized for offensive and Joint operations, while providing the Theater Combatant Commander the capability to perform multiple missions simultaneously and still maintain campaign quality.  

The Army's flagship transformation program, the Future Combat Systems (FCS), is a networked "system of systems" that uses advanced communications and technologies to integrate the soldier with "families" of manned and unmanned platforms and sensors.  The FCS network is composed of various communications nodes supported by UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles).  The FCS is a distributed network centric system leveraging WIN-T to allow reach back through STEP sites, Teleport, and the GIG-BE to critical war fighting resources.  This highly agile and lethal force will provide the tactical formations required to fulfill the Army's vision for its future force.  

The Satellite/Teleport/STEP are currently, and will remain, a linchpin for the war on terrorism.  Our Nation's military relies on this information projection capability to link intelligence sources with commanders allowing collaborative planning and execution worldwide on a real-time and virtually instantaneous basis.  We actively participate in the Joint Satellite Communications Acquisition Council with our sister services, OSD, and Joint partners.  Additionally, the Army meets with ASD(NII) Senior C4 representatives to discuss emerging satellite communications architecture and technology insertions to gain synergy and ensure the Army architecture is thoroughly aligned with the other services and Combatant Commands.  

Upgrading select STEPs to Teleports is another extremely important program.  Selected Strategic Tactical Entry Point (STEP) sites that currently access only military satellites are upgraded with additional satellite terminals operating in commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and radio bands.  This capability greatly increases our ability and flexibility to support the warfighters deployed globally.   This is currently funded to take place in three generational upgrades from FY 03 through FY 08.  

The Army is actively involved in synchronizing its information systems architecture.  The Joint Tactical Radio System, the Warfighter Information Network - Tactical, Strategic Tactical Entry Points, and Teleport are all being developed in conjunction with guidelines from the Joint Technical Architecture and OSD, which continues to provide adequate oversight.   Our Nation is in the midst of a global fight on terror.  The relevant and ready Army functions as the country's expeditionary force of power.  The future success of the Army depends upon its ability to transform within a fully integrated Joint environment and we cannot afford to delay that transformation.  The Army's C4 and information technology transformation is the enabler for an Army at War and transforming.  With the continued support of Congress, we will achieve our goal of an integrated net-centric, knowledge-based Future Force that functions as an integral part of the Joint warfight.  Our Nation requires a relevant, ready, Joint and integrated Army capable of winning the Nation's wars.