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Army Digitization Master Plan (ADMP)

CHAPTER 3 - DIGITIZATION IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

3.0 DIGITIZATION IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

 

Digitization Goal

The digitization goal is to integrate modern information technology in the Army of the 21st Century (Force XXI). For maximum combat effectiveness, systems must be interoperable among the battlefield operating systems from the individual soldier and platforms to corps. It is, therefore, essential that equipment, common standards, protocols, and naming/addressing schemes enable system-to-system and processor-to-processor linkages across the battlefield.

3.1 Strategic Direction

 

Decisions of senior Army leaders during the October 1994 Commanders' Conference provide the strategic direction for Force XXI. Information-age technology for battle command, battlespace, depth and simultaneous attack, early entry, and combat service support underwrite our capabilities to project and sustain the force, protect the force, win the information war, conduct precision strikes, and dominate land maneuver across the continuum of military operations in the 21st century.

The leaders in the Army recognize that simply automating existing functions will not yield the full benefits of automation so they have approved a process to redesign the Army. The process of redesigning the operational Army is called Joint Venture. It is led by US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and involves participation of Major Commands (MACOM).

The TRADOC/Joint Venture process redesigns the operating force to be knowledge-based, modular, and tailorable. The ADO supports Joint Venture's efforts by providing information based technologies which will improve the lethality, survivability, and the operating tempo of tactical units.

3.2 Development Through Advanced Warfighting Experiments (AWEs)

 

Figure 3-1 depicts the process in developing Force XXI. Through an iterative series of modeling, simulations, and Army Warfighting Experiments (AWEs), Joint Venture focuses on providing early digitization capabilities, organizational redesign, new tactics, techniques, and procedures. Two 1994 events, Desert Hammer and Desert Capture III, have become the baseline for two AWEs to be conducted in 1995, Focused Dispatch and Warrior Focus. Focused Dispatch will evaluate the following force enhancements: battalion and brigade organizational changes, digital equipment requirements, training packages for a virtual brigade, fire support enhancements, brigade and below battle command, alternative combat service support structures and operations, Joint and Interagency intelligence connectivity, intelligence collection enhancements, suite of sensors, combat identification solutions, and integration of air defense artillery initiatives. Warrior Focus will evaluate: battle command links from individual soldiers to brigade, special operations forces and conventional mission interfaces, Joint digitization issues, continuous operations, 2nd generation Forward Looking Infrared equipment, training and leader development, weapons of mass destruction defense linkages, advanced precision air delivery system, and enroute battle command.

Figure 3-1 Force XXI Strategy

Preceding each AWE, a sufficient train-up time is provided for participating units to become proficient in the fielded digital capability and refine their tactics, techniques and procedures. This time also allows data collection opportunities for independent agencies to gather empirical data for analysis to determine the value added from insertion of battle command digital technologies. Each experiment is an iterative process to establish a rolling baseline (as described in Annex H, Experimentation Master Plan) by which to compare subsequent experiments.

The critical event in 1997 is the AWE called Brigade Task Force XXI. The major goals of this exercise, which include elements from the US Air Force and the US Marine Corps, are to document improvements in survivability, lethality, and operational tempo resulting from the insertion of digitized technology, and verifying the utility of force structure changes as well as changes in tactics, techniques and procedures. The exercise will also provide insights to division and corps command and control (C2) processes. Once the analysis of Brigade Task Force XXI AWE is completed, it will become the rolling baseline for future exercise comparisons. A division level Battle Command Training Program (BCTP) exercise, called Division XXI AWE, will be conducted in FY98. This exercise will use modeling, simulation, and the Brigade Task Force XXI unit in a live interactive environment. The analysis and lessons learned from Division XXI AWE will then become the rolling baseline for a corps exercise being conducted 2nd Quarter, FY99.