Army Digitization Master Plan (ADMP)

CHAPTER 5 - JOINT/COMBINED INTEROPERABILITY

Why Interoperability

The Army fights as part of an air, sea, space, and land team. In modern warfare, Joint and Combined force operations increase in complexity. These operations demand improved information systems, with seamless interfaces, for the Army Warfighter to obtain the information to conduct offensive and defensive operations, and Operations Other Than War (OOTW). This requirement for interoperability on the digitized battlefield is further stipulated in DoD Directive 4630.5, which states that all Command, Control , Communications and Intelligence (C3I) systems developed for use by US forces are considered to be for Joint use. By achieving interoperability through a common Technical Architecture, with common protocols, the Joint and Combined forces commander will have a clear and accurate vision of the battlespace.

5.2 Joint Interoperability

Current Status of Joint Interoperability

The Joint Staff developed "C4I for the Warrior" concept as a Joint interoperability objective. This was derived from Joint operational requirements. This concept creates a broadly connected Joint system of Joint systems that provides total battlespace information to the warrior and is entitled the Global Command and Control System (GCCS).

Each Service has implemented a framework to meet and conquer the challenges of Joint interoperability by synchronizing its Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) programs with the "C4I for the Warrior" concept. The resulting strategy frameworks are called "The Enterprise Strategy" for the Army, "Horizon" for the Air Force, "Copernicus" for the Navy, and the Marine Air Ground Task Force C4I (MAGTF C4I) for the Marine Corps. Each Service's strategy is focused on achieving interoperability through strict adherence to the Technical Architecture standards established by DoD.

Arm Digitization Office (ADO) Focus

The focus of the Army to attain Joint interoperability on the digitized battlefield has three components. The Army and its sister Services are migrating their current C4I systems to the Joint "C4I for the Warrior" concept. In accordance with the migration, the ADO will coordinate Army efforts to ensure that the Army Technical Architecture for information systems accommodates the provisions of the DoD Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM) - the common Technical Architecture of the Joint community. Second, the ADO will closely coordinate digitization efforts, to include the review and approval of information standards and data transport profiles with sister Services, the Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) through memorandums of agreement (MOA), and proactive participation in Joint working groups and those pertinent panels that comprise the Military Communications-Electronics Board (MCEB). To ensure senior level involvement from the other Services, the H Horizontal Technology Integration General Officer Working Group (HTI GOWG) will invite appropriate flag rank personnel from the sister Services when Joint interoperability issues are scheduled for discussion. Third, other Services will be invited to participate in planned experiments, such as Advanced Warfighting Experiments (AWEs) and Battle Lab Warfighting Experiments (BLWEs). These experiments will be used to address, evaluate, and resolve interoperability effectiveness issues.

The key to combined interoperability is the information standards and data transport profiles that comprise the "interoperability" components of information Technical Architecture. Once these structures are agreed to by the MCEB process, it will be presented to the appropriate international forum. However, since there are numerous for a currently established in the international community, the selection of the pertinent forum will be predicated on the following criteria: political situation, resource c capacity, future intelligence implications, and extent of ongoing digitization efforts.

5.2.1 Management and Coordination Structure

Work within the Established Structure

Due to the authority invested in it to "obtain coordination on military communications-electronics matters among DoD components..." the MCEB is the key organization to obtain resolution of interoperability issues. Therefore, the ADO will work within the MCEB structure of functional panels and working groups to obtain Joint/OSD approval of Army digitization interoperability efforts. Since the MCEB review/approval process is extensive and lengthy, the role of the ADO will be to obtain consensus among the e Services through memorandum of agreements, working groups, and for a of flag rank level personnel, prior to submission of the issue to the MCEB process. This "frontloading" of the review/approval process is necessary to ensure the Army of the 21st century can interoperate with the other Services as expeditiously as possible.

Memorandum of Agreements

MOAs will be utilized to focus the interoperability efforts between the Army and each of the other Services. The MOA expresses each Service's senior leadership full support of achieving interoperability on the digitized battlefield. The MOA also defines the focus of the individual Service digitization effort and describes the management structure used to monitor, coordinate, and guide the efforts of each Service to achieve Joint interoperability.

Migration to the common operating environment (COE)

The objective of each MOA will be to establish a mutual goal of cooperative development, a management structure, and specific agreements to achieve interoperability through the common operating environment (COE). As defined earlier in this plan, the COE is the common hardware and software infrastructure to support a diverse set of mission area applications. Efforts are underway to define and evolve a COE, both within the Army and in the Joint arena. The efforts of each Service are interrelated, allow allowing Service-specific mission applications ensure interoperability among all Services.

Figure 5-1.

Management Structure

A three tier management structure will be utilized to identify issues and problems requiring resolution. The top tier, a dual Service General Officer Steering Committee (GOSC), will be responsible for providing direction to the overall interoperability efforts of the two Services. It will also resolve conflicts and establish priorities. Membership in the GOSC will be defined in the MOA. The GOSC will meet as required. Periodically, the GOSC will hold a review of selected programs from both Services to ascertain the progress of battlefield digitization interoperability. The figure above depicts the management structure as defined in the USA/USMC MOA (draft) with the Director, ADO and the Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Developments Command (MCCDC).

The middle tier consists of a Council of Colonels from both Services. This Council will be responsible to identify issues and problems, make recommendations to the GOSC, and ensure that the GOSC's direction is fully implemented. Minimally, the Council will meet quarterly. Membership, at a minimum, will consist of a materiel developer, a combat developer and a budget/funding member from each Service. Additional Colonels/GM15s can attend as non-voting members.

The bottom tier will consist of the working groups, comprised of action officers and subject matter experts from both Services. These working groups will be responsible to the Council for day-to-day monitoring of digitization efforts, and collection of data to answer GOSC and Council questions. These ad hoc working groups will be formed as required by the Council.

Liaison

As part of the MOA, the other Services will be authorized and encouraged to conduct direct liaison with Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Army Materiel Command (AMC), Operational Test and Evaluation Command (OPTEC), and the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) structure for technical and user/operational requirements exchange to further define and scope unique interoperability tasks and requirements. Additionally, both the ADO and the other Service will effect liaison with each other to ensure frequent opportunities for dual Service interaction and expeditious resolution of problems , issues, and conflicts.

Joint Battlefield Digitization Management

There exists already two for a to identify and resolve interoperability issues and problems. The first forum is the HTI GOWG. The other Services attend the GOWG meetings when Joint issues are discussed. It is the venue for addressing Joint Interoperability issues not covered by or in conflict with the policies and procedures in each dual-Service MOA. Additionally, it is the final authority to review and approve the Joint position prior to submission to the MCEB review/approval process.

The other forum identifying and resolving interoperability issues is the Joint Battlefield Digitization Council of Colonels/Captains (JBD COC/C), consisting of 06/GM15 representatives from each Service, OSD, and the Joint Staff. The JBD COC/C gathers data, evaluates positions on issues and makes recommendations to the HTI GOWG.

To reiterate, the MCEB is the key organization to attaining resolution of interoperability issues. The panels that make up the MCEB are functionally oriented, to include: C4I interoperability improvement, data systems interoperability, frequency control, information systems security, interoperability testing, and standards coordination. Army representatives, normally from the Office of Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (ODISC4), sit on applicable panels , while the Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (DISC4) and Director of the ADO are members of the MCEB. This Army representation ensures proper and effective support of "frontloaded" Army and sister Services' position on Joint interoperability issues addressed in the MCEB review/approval process. Focus of the ADO in the MCEB will be the resolution and approval of information standards (i.e., data elements, Variable Message Format (VMF) message standards, etc .) and data transport profiles (Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP), systems profiles, etc.).

5.2.2 Joint Initiatives and Experiments

Army Warfighting Experiments

The ADO will utilize planned digitization experiments to evaluate and assess Joint digitization efforts. The first target of opportunity is the AWE Task Force XXI in 1997. The major Army goals of this AWE will be to document the improvements in survivability, lethality, and operational tempo. The exercise will also provide insights to the Army in terms of division and corps command and control. Once the analysis of Task Force XXI is completed, it will become the rolling baseline for future exercise comparisons.

All other Services have been invited to participate in Task Force XXI, with initial focus on Marine Corps and Air Force participation. Though the extent of each Service's participation is still being defined, each will receive a sufficient number of software and hardware appliques through the Army's Research, Development And Acquisition (RD&A) contract to ascertain interoperability connectivity and compatibility. Based on the results of this AWE, a baseline for Joint interoperability will be establish , to be used as a comparison for Joint interoperability during follow-on AWEs.

It is the Army's intention to make full use of the Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstrations (JWIDs) to test interoperability on the Joint digitized battlefield.

Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstrations

JWIDs are a series of Joint Staff sponsored interoperability demonstrations. JWID is a complex undertaking that brings together the Services, federal agencies, and commercial vendors. Interoperability and Joint operations are the fundamental goals of these demonstrations - goals that are intended to advance the "C4I for the Warrior" concept.

JWID '95 is sponsored by the Marine Corps and will be held in September 1995. The primary objective of JWID '95 is to demonstrate the interoperability of existing and emerging C4I systems employed in a Joint Task Force deployment scenario. The Marine Corps will use this opportunity to exercise its MAGTF C4I systems strategy. It is built on the Joint Maritime Command Information System (JMCIS) unified build software and the GCCS COE. The Army will take advantage of the excellent opportunity presented by JWID '95 to assess interoperability between MAGTF C4I systems and the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2).

Digital Battlefield Initiatives Concepts

There are many opportunities for leveraging from digitization programs of other Services. The ADO will closely coordinate with the other Services to identify these digitization initiatives and concepts. Currently, the Air Force has identified approximately seventy-five concepts that apply to the digitized battlefield. These concepts run the gauntlet of functions, including communications, navigation, identification, information management, and Local Area Network (LAN)/Wide Area Network (WAN). All other her Services are being surveyed for potential digital battlefield concepts. All concepts will be evaluated by the Army for possible inclusion in AWEs and/or Advanced Technology Demonstrations (ATDs). All data will be made available to other Services through the management and coordination structures previously described.

Digital Integration Laboratory (DIL)

Under the auspices of AMC Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM), the Digital Integration laboratory (DIL) provides the preliminary examination of, prototype hardware and software to verify ability to perform critical functions and meet interoperability requirements. The DIL is being made accessible to all the other Services, with the Marine Corps slated to be the first to connect to the DIL. Additionally, the DIL will be connected to selected Allied partners. Utilization of the DIL will be b based on a concept of "build a little, test a little."

5.3 Combined Interoperability/International Strategy

Vision/Goal

The ADO's vision in Multinational Force Compatibility (MFC) is to support our allies as required to successfully prosecute joint and coalition warfare and in OOTW. The goal in international cooperation is to establish and implement a basic strategy that supports coalition warfare through interoperability with our allies and provides for cost effective technology solutions for materiel development through international technology leveraging.

Secretary of Defense Perry, in his policy memorandum of June 25, 1993, called for a renaissance in armaments cooperation:

DoD Policy

"As we address issues of defense reinvestment and as our armed forces and those of our allies draw down, it is critical that we look for every opportunity to increase the effectiveness of those forces while making the most efficient use of the resources we apply to our collective defenses. I believe that armaments cooperation can be a primary means of achieving those ends. .."

In support of Secretary Perry's policy and in realization of the current geopolitical environment, the ADO supports those MFC and technology leveraging programs that enable the Army to perform effectively in joint and coalition warfare and in OOTW.

The International Digitization Strategy (Annex K) is designed to provide our key Allies with current and consistent information on US Army digitization efforts. This will facilitate the establishment of collaborative efforts to develop doctrine and systems that are capable of interoperation. In addition, the strategy will provide an overarching framework for coordinating the leveraging of advanced and emerging technology that will enhance the ability of both the US and its Allies to field inherently in interoperable systems. For our forces to successfully operate in a multinational conventional war environment, as well as OOTW, the following will be required:

Harmonization of national doctrine, tactics, and techniques in support of coalition warfare.
Implementation of cooperative programs in systems development, technology, and standards.
Execution of multinational evaluations of operational concepts, architectures, standards, systems and technologies that are evolving from the cooperative international efforts being undertaken by TRADOC and the Battle Labs, AMC Research Development & Engineering Centers supported by the Army Research Laboratory, PEO/PM's, sister Services, commercial development and academia research.

Multinational interoperability will be pursued by extending the Army Digitization Campaign Plan to include selected Allied countries. The Army Digitization Master Plan International Strategy (Annex K) incorporates the following efforts:

Establish a common basis of understanding of the necessary process leading to digitization. This includes architecture definitions, the architecture development process and the digitization campaign plan.
Develop specific "digitization" cooperative programs with major Allies in order to leverage and share the development of technology, and where possible, components, systems, processes and standards required for digitization.
Utilize commercial standards which are accepted internationally to achieve an open systems architecture.
Systematically define and implement a Technical and System Architecture as well as developing and fielding hardware/software solutions to provide for seamless information flow in a coalition warfare environment.
Utilize selected existing agreements and international for a with major Allies and focus their work toward achieving "digitization" goals.
Achieve command and control (C2) interoperability with Allied units by defining country unique operational and doctrinal concepts and procedures.
Use existing key international for a to promote harmonization. (Selected for a will be identified and prioritized so that the US position can be presented in a consistent and cohesive manner.)
Leverage foreign technology through international agreements. The proliferation of technology worldwide provides for selected opportunities to leverage and jointly pursue in a "quid pro quo" arrangement.
Push the state of the art for the doctrine associated with the international aspect of digitization. This includes the changes in doctrine which will be needed to accommodate the rapid exchange of information vertically through echelons and horizontally between functional areas and combat platforms.

These efforts form the basis for achieving multinational force compatibility through digitization as depicted in figure 5-2.

Figure 5-2.

5.3.1 Major Allied Efforts

There are no known specific major Allied efforts of the magnitude and scope of the US Army battlefield digitization program. Some countries, notably Germany, United Kingdom (UK), and France have expressed an interest in the US program. However, it is not believed they have made a significant resource commitment to implementation. The commercial market in these countries has the potential to provide the technology needed to support a digitization effort, should the military choose to make the investment . Several countries are making investments at the technology base level to support digitization initiatives. There are related efforts in the area of lower level command and control which are utilizing digitization. These efforts have similar objectives as the US Combined Arms Command and Control program, which include:

Germany - GeFuSys - An all arms system attempting to provide horizontal integration of artillery, engineers, air defense, army aviation, and armored troops.
France - SIR - A command and control system being developed for regiment and below.
UK - BICS - The Battalion Information Command and Control Information System (BICS) is primarily a conceptual study to determine the feasibility and cost effectiveness of a lower echelon C2 system. BOWMAN combat net radio is currently under development and expected to be fielded in the near term.

5.3.2 International Cooperative Initiatives

To attain the objectives of this strategy, we will coordinate and cooperate with our key Allies to define, develop, test, and field systems with effective and interoperable capabilities. Through technical discussions under various bilateral (e.g. Data Exchange Agreements (DEAs), Communication-Electronic Working Groups (CEWGs), etc.) and multi-lateral (e.g. America Britain Canada Australia (ABCA), Senior National Representative Army (SNR(A)), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)) for a, numerous co operative efforts have been formulated and are in the various stages of the MOU review/approval/implementation process.

5.3.3 Ongoing Programs

The identified projects which are addressing "digitization" efforts as their primary focus are briefly described. Army Tactical Command and Control Information System (ATCCIS) provides an architectural framework for NATO in the near and mid term. Combat Identification is narrowly focused on solving the fratricide problem. It is a multi phased program extending beyond the year 2000. Implementation of the mid/far term solution will in most likelihood involve digitization techniques which need to be int into the overall digitization program. The International C2 Systems Interoperability Project will provide the capability to link, initially with Germany, Allied systems with the AMC CECOM DIL and the Battle Labs to provide a capability for demonstration and experimentation. Future plans are to extend the effort to France and the UK in the mid term and later other key Allies.

5.3.4 Technology Leveraging Opportunities

In addition to the Army's goal of Multi-National Force Compatibility in international cooperation, there is also the goal of establishing and implementing a basic strategy of technology leveraging. Leveraging refers to activities that multiply the effects of US investments in technology by taking advantage of the investments made by others. Participation in international cooperative research and development R&D in key technology areas offer high payoff opportunities for leveraging US investments with t hose of our Allies. Such leverage will help maintain US technological advantage, stimulate battlefield interoperability, and sustain our economic competitiveness through the subsequent development of dual-use technology products.

The Army Science and Technology Master Plan identifies foreign technology trends in the following areas denoting strong capabilities with specific opportunities:

France - Communications, real time artificial intelligence (AI), photonic devices for optical computing.
Germany - Communications software.
Japan - Fuzzy Logic.
Israel - battle management software.
UK - gallium arsenic (GaAs) components.

Future programs will be developed to leverage information technology and expertise in digitization from both domestic and foreign government laboratories, industries and academia. To accomplish this the Army will:

Identify critical information and communication technologies through worldwide technology assessments.
Encourage industry to industry, academia teaming arrangements that allow the leveraging of foreign research and technology in identified critical technologies.
Develop cooperative agreements and exchange research data and information under the auspices of Technology Working Groups, NATO, and the Technology Cooperation Program.

The Army Research Laboratory Federated Laboratory initiative will be used to leverage key technology available in the international market.

5.3.5 Challenges

There are unique challenges which must be addressed in the implementation of an international digitization program. These are:

Different doctrine. Each country operates with their own set of doctrine which inhibits the seamless integration of multinational forces. Different force structures are often used which effect the command and control aspects.
Different C2 Automation capability. The command and control systems utilize different computers, software, operating systems. Through the use of commercially based systems and standards, this challenge can be met.
Technology differences. System upgrades provide a problem of interoperability. It may not be practical to achieve compatibility with systems which are displaced by several generations of technology.
Communications interoperability is a challenge. Programs such as the Multi Programmable Interface and the SPEAKEASY, with its programmable waveform capability, are needed to address this issue.
Financial constraints on the US and Allied sides. Most countries are in a declining defense environment which leaves scant resources for upgrade programs.
Political and economic. Each country has its own national political and economic goals which may drive it to certain non-optimal solutions and adoption of unique products which reduce the opportunity for interoperability and cooperation.
Security issues constrain the degree and open exchange of information. Different security implementations among nations complicates the issue further.

These challenges will be met in developing international digitization programs.

This strategy as presented allows for the formulation and execution of a consistent Army international strategy for digitization utilizing existing international for a whenever possible. By taking this integrated approach to international cooperation, concentrating on interoperability and technology leveraging, the US Army can present a single coordinated policy to our allies and adversaries in digitizing the battlefield.

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