Raytheon triples the capacity of its software defined AN/ARC-231 radio system with a new downloadable waveform

News Report

As illustrated in a recent press release, Raytheon is tripling the satellite capacity for all AN/ARC-231 airborne radio terminals by a succesfull upgrade to the Integrated Waveform software (IW), following successful field tests hosted by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

New production radios as well as the more than 5,000 currently fielded ARC-231 radios can receive the IW enhancement via a software upgrade that can be implemented in theater. This approach will have minimal impact on the deployed radios and will require minimal operator intervention, thus increasing mission capabilities. The upgrade will provide an increase of several hundred networks for ARC-231 SATCOM users. Additional benefits over the current network are improved link margin, improved voice quality and a simpler setup procedure for ARC-231 operators.

The Technology

The AN/ARC-231 is an Airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM Communications System.
This system supports U.S. DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data and imagery transmission and provides network-capable communications in a compact radio set. The system is currently used on a wide variety of platforms. Rotary wing platforms include MH-60L/M and UH-60L/M Black Hawks, MH-47E/G and CH-47G Chinooks, UH-1N Hueys, A2C2S Black Hawks, AH-64 Apaches and ARH-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARH). Fixed wing platforms include Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Altitude Multi-Mission –ARLM, USAF Rivet Joint, and USAF Joint-STARS. These platforms, along with a wide variety of additional users, utilize the ARC-231 for VHF/UHF Line-of-Sight Single Channel and SATCOM BLOS for voice and data transmission.

The system is based upon a software definable radio, allowing implementation of upgrades via PC-based software downloads, even while the equipment is installed within the operational platforms. Prior to the last upgrade of the IW software, UHF radio communications had limited capacity, causing communication delays in theater. The present UHF satellite system is in fact reaching the end of its lifecycle, and in order to bridge the gap between the current system and the replacement system, which is the MUOS satellite constellation (Mobile User Objective System), the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency has worked with Raytheon and other radio vendors in the development and rapid fielding of IW as the UHF SATCOM solution.

Comments

"Raytheon offers the IW software upgrade at no cost to ARC-231 users," said David Patton, ARC-231 senior program manager for Raytheon's Network Centric Systems business. "Furthermore, full backward compatibility is provided with this software update to minimize any changes to existing equipment installations. This approach is part of Raytheon's commitment to provide readily available, high-performance, high-quality products to the warfighters."

References: Raytheon (1,2)

ST Electronics' SuperneT VICS provides vehicular integration of C4ISR components

News Report

As reported by Digital Battlespace, ST Electronics recently unveiled its new SuperneT Vehicular Communication Systems ST6800 (SuperneT VICS) which provides a network platform to facilitate integration of heterogeneous C4ISR components.

The Technology

ST Electronics' SuperneT family of Integrated Communication System ST6800 (also known as ICS) is an integrated C4 solution that integrates various subsystems to provide seamless data and voice interoperability as well as information dissemination across disparate systems and heterogeneous networks. It allows integration of disparate systems to deliver unified voice, data and multimedia services to fixed and mobile user terminals, as well as interoperability between different agencies to achieve closer co-ordination and faster response, and interconnectivity between remote fixed/mobile command centres and strategic headquarters for more effective sharing of resources and information.

The vehicular version of the product (VICS) is essentially a mobile communication solution that caters for the setup of highly mobile platforms such as patrol craft, armoured vehicles, commercial vehicles, ambulances, etc, and it is is designed to operate in a fast paced and fast-changing network topology environment. This latest system allows for interconnectivity, survivability and interoperability, and is based on an open architecture design that allows systems to be easily upgraded and therefore cuts costs for the customer.

The SuperneT VICS exploits IP technology to facilitate the convergence and integration of voice and data services, and offers a standard gigabit ethernet interface backbone that serves as a common network fabric to connect all platforms' C4ISR systems. SuperneT VICS leverages this gigabit ethernet interface for implementing a secured, fault tolerant dual ring backbone which offers no single point of failure for mission critical operations. This backbone allows for secured communication services including voice and data separation to enhance information assurance.

The SuperneT VICS backbone comprises fully rugged, small form factor intelligent crew stations, radio and Ethernet gateways to facilitate user assess to a comprehensive suite of voice and data services. These services include vehicle intercom, radio access/control, communication rebroadcast, Layer 2 and 3 switching, etc. The SuperneT VICS also facilitates integrated system management that includes frequency, network and equipment management.

Comments

"The SuperneT VICS offers an ideal platform for collaboration, providing speed of command and control and enhanced operational efficiency for work groups on wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, and small naval crafts operating in high temp and harsh tactical environments," the Company announced during the last Singapore Air Show.

References: Digital Battlespace (1), ST Electronics (2,3)

Taiwan's Air Defense gets centralised Command and Control

News Report

As reported by Taiwan Today, the Republic of China (ROC) recently announced a plan to consolidate all its military’s missile units and anti-missile operations into a single air-defense missile command, reportung to the General Staff Headquarters. The purpose of the move is to shorten the command chain and increase response time so as to ensure the security of Taiwan’s air space.

Based on the news gathered trhough media reports, the main strength of the nation’s air-defense missile arsenal, including Patriot Advanced Capability-3, Tien Kung and Hawk missile batteries, will be shortly shifted from the Air Force’s air-defense artillery command to the Ministry of National Defense's missile command.

High-ranking military officials said this marks the first major change in Taiwan's armed forces’ air and missile defense operations command structure since the start of 2006, when various types of missile battalions under the MND’s missile general headquarters (now the missile command) were shifted to the air force’s air-defense artillery general headquarters, which is now the air-defense artillery command.

References: Taiwan Today (1)

How U.S. Army is restructuring its modernization programs based on the NIE results

News Report

Here in this blog we have already discussed how the U.S. Army is using its Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) efforts, part of the Agile Acquisition Process, to force a shift from Research, Developmental, Technical and Engineering efforts to the procurement of mature network capability that will be fielded starting in 2013 (1,2). The year-old NIE has already driven decisions to send certain systems to the field, revamp others to better meet Soldier needs and terminate several programs that lacked merit, leading to significant cost savings and avoidance.

As reported by U.S. Army, much of the cost savings and avoidance stems from program adjustments made after NIE results prompted the U.S. Army to re-assess planned purchases or revise requirements. Examples include the cancellation of the Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team effort (including the Network Integration Kit) and the Mounted Soldier System program, and the restructure of the Nett Warrior and Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radio efforts.

Industry participation in the NIE and the Agile Process is growing steadily, and more than 40 industry technologies will be included as part of NIE 12.2 in April-June.

Nett Warrior

Nett Warrior is the desendent of the U.S. Army’s Land Warrior program, which sought to provide soldiers with digital maps connected to a tactical data network and managed by a small computer. During the first NIE event in June 2011, U.S. soldiers deemed the system valuable but too bulky (it was weighting between eight to 10 pounds). U.S. Army leadership quickly restructured the Nett Warrior program to take advantage of the latest commercial technology. The lighter version unveiled at a press briefing in October 2011 weights three pounds and consists of a monocle to project battlefield maps and unit location data to the user, and what the service calls an End User Device connected to a Joint Tactical Radio System Rifleman Radio.

The slimmed-down version of Nett Warrior received positive reviews at NIE 12.1 in November 2011. This radical redesign was the result of post-NIE 12.1 U.S. Army's decision to trim many of the old features from the system. These changes yielded more than $800 million in cost avoidance and resulted in a more usable end product for the dismounted Soldier, to be delivered to more units on a faster timeline. "In the Nett Warrior situation, the formal requirement didn't match up with what users were saying they needed to get the job done," said Col. John Morrison, director of the Army G-3/5/7 LandWarNet-Battle Command Directorate. "The NIE gave us the opportunity to get the technology right, and to save significant time and money in the process."

Joint Tactical JTRS Ground Mobile Radio

Another major programmatic change related to the NIE is the termination of the Joint Tactical JTRS Ground Mobile Radio, or GMR. JTRS GMR is a software-programmable radio system providing secure, reliable, multi-channel voice, data, imagery and video communications for mobile military users. The system was expected to deliver networked communications on-the-move at the tactical edge supporting information sharing and combat readiness between service branches.

Soldiers at NIE 11.2 desired the GMR's communications potential but criticized its size, power consumption and startup time. When a decrease in the planned purchase quantity of GMR radios triggered a rise in unit cost and a subsequent Nunn McCurdy Breach, the Department of Defense decided not to re-certify the program, thus clearing a path for the U.S. Army to pursue lower cost, mature alternatives within the available radio market.

The U.S. Army is now using the Agile Process to procure a GMR replacement, known as the Mid-Tier Networking Vehicular Radio, or MNVR. This Non-Developmental Item, known as NDI, effort aims to procure available radios that transmit information using high bandwidth, non-proprietary waveforms such as Wideband Networking Waveform, or WNW, and Soldier Radio Waveform, or SRW, to move voice, video, data and images across the force in real time. The Army will leverage NIE 13.1 in the fall to test potential MNVR solutions and determine which will be fielded for Capability Set 14.

On November 2011, The U.S. Army issued a draft request for proposal for this system. Northrop Grumman and ITT Exelis have already teamed to compete for the U.S. Army's vehicle-mounted, software-defined radio, and proposed Northrop Grumman's Freedom 350 multifunction radio.

NIE 12.2

NIE 12.2 (scheduled for April-June 2012) will operate in a classified environment with secure data connections and will connect evaluation units to a higher-division headquarters, being represented by the 101st Airborne Division operating out of Fort Campbell, Ky. 2/1 AD operations at White Sands will require the brigade, battalion and company command posts to "jump" or move in uncooperative and unpredictable environments, and quickly establish network connectivity. A battalion-sized opposition force will be employed in dynamic scenarios with hybrid threats, including conventional forces, insurgents and members of the local population.

References: C4I Technology News (1,2), U.S. Army (3), DefenseSystems (4), MarketWatch (5)

U.S. DARPA's program on High-Assurance Cyber-Secured Military Vehicles

News Report

As announced by Fbo.Gov, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will conduct on February 21st a dedicated briefing in support of the High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems (HACMS) program. The objectives of the event are to familiarize participants with DARPA’s interest in innovative approaches to high-assurance cyber military systems, and to promote discussion of synergistic capabilities among potential program participants.

The Context

Embedded systems form a ubiquitous, networked, computing substrate that underlies much of modern technological society. Embedded systems have been networked for a variety of reasons, including the ability to conveniently access diagnostic information, perform software updates, provide innovative features, lower costs, and improve ease of use. To a first approximation, air-gapped systems no longer exist. Researchers and hackers have shown that these kinds of networked, embedded systems are vulnerable to remote attack and that such attacks can cause physical damage while hiding the effects from monitors.

The goal of the DARPA's HACMS program is to create technology for the construction of high-assurance cyber-physical systems, with a special focus on the vehicle space. HACMS will produce a set of publicly available tools integrated into a high-assurance software workbench, which will be widely distributed for use in both the commercial and defense software sectors. HACMS will use these tools to generate open-source, high-assurance operating system and control system components, and then will use these components to construct high-assurance military vehicles.

Achieving this goal requires a fundamentally different approach from what the software community has taken to date. HACMS will adopt a clean-slate, formal methods-based approach that enables semi-automated code synthesis from executable, formal specifications. In addition to generating code, such a synthesizer will produce a machine-checkable proof that the generated code satisfies the functional specification as well as appropriate security and safety policies.

Key HACMS technologies include interactive software synthesis systems, verification tools such as theorem provers and model checkers, and specification languages. Recent fundamental advances in the formal methods community, including advances in satisfiability (SAT) and satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solvers, separation logic, theorem provers, model checkers, domain-specific languages, and code synthesis engines suggest that this approach is feasible.

References: Fbo.gov (1)

Contract Award: Northrop Grumman receives the first delivery order for U.S. Navy CANES

News Report

As announced by U.S. DoD, Northrop Grumman, through its Space and Mission Systems Corp., Reston, Va., has been awarded a $36,646,047 delivery order under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract (N00039-10-D-0028) for the procurement of the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) common computing environment to include guided missile destroyer (DDG) variant first article; DDG variant production units; and multipurpose amphibious assault ship variant first article.

This contract includes options, which, if exercised at the maximum quantities, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $637,773,236. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2012.  If all contract options are exercised, work could continue until September 2013.

The issuance of this delivery order to Northrop Grumman is the result of the CANES competitive down-select to a single contractor for continued performance under the contract options for development, production and logistics support for CANES.

The Program

For years, the U.S. Navy has been living with a costly maintenance, logistics and support problem. The trouble is that each of the C4I systems aboard its ships requires a separate network infrastructure with a unique set of wires and experts to keep the system running. Now, the U.S. Navy plans to replace those "afloat networks" with a single, common network system. The goal of Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) is thus to consolidate and replace numerous legacy systems and deliver an open, common network to every ship, submarine and shore-based command and control center in the U.S. Navy.

From a programmatic point of view, CANES is the consolidation and enhancement of the requirements for five existing legacy network programs, as well as a single support framework for all C4I applications that currently require dedicated infrastructure to operate delivered and managed legacy systems. These include the Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS), Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Networks, and Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System Maritime (CENTRIXS-M).

CANES will have at its roots primarily the ISNS, but will also incorporate the capabilities of other networks to create a single Consolidated Computing Environment using standard network infrastructure and a common rack architecture. Enterprise services will support hosting of both warfighting and administrative application programs. This evolution requires detailed technical exchanges between the programs’ engineers and a significant amount of resource reprogramming.

The program will take advantage of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), and rapid COTS insertion, in order to bring fiscal savings to the U.S. Navy, as well as operational agility to the warfighter. U.S. Navy leaders believein fact that they have been leaving money on the table by maintaining their old systems without gaining new capabilities. By consolidating the computing infrastructure around a common network, U.S. Navy officials hope to extract best-of-breed technology and capabilities from the commercial sector. The CANES solution should also solve a significant configuration management and supportability problem. Currently, each ship has a different configuration of hardware and applications. Training sailors aboard ship to operate and maintain all of the systems increases the complexity and total ownership costs to the U.S. Navy. By moving to a common configuration for hardware and enterprise services, trained sailors can operate and maintain CANES regardless of ship class.

By separating the hardware from the software, U.S. Navy should be also capable to accept emerging requirements and quickly turn them into software solutions that ride on the common CANES infrastructure. Additionally, the high cost and schedule requirements of installing a system on a ship is simplified by delivering a set of CD/DVDs or providing a software download from a secure website. This methodology also makes it technically viable to reuse software, increase open competition by using a non-proprietary CANES backbone, and support other business strategies that will make C4I systems more affordable, supportable and available to the warfighter.

The Context

Since 2010, CANES has witnessed a head-to-head competition between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin's team included General Dynamics, ViaSat, Harris and American Systems. Northrop Grumman’s CANES team included IBM, Atlas Technologies, Beatty and Company Computing, Juno Technologies, and Syzygy Technologies. On March 2010, both the two teams were awarded a contract for design and development of the CANES common computing environment. On July 2011, U.S. SPAWAR completed the Critical Design Reviews for both competing systems.

References: U.S. DoD (1), DefenceAerospace.com (2), SPAWAR (3), DefenseNews (4), Journal of Software Technology (5), Defence Industry Daily (6)

Contract Award: General Dynamics to provide its Tactical Mobile Routers for United Arab Emirates' Command and Control System

News Report

As reported in a recent press release, General Dynamics Canada has received a contract to supply more than 2,700 Tactical Mobile Routers (TMR) for use in the Emirates Command and Control System (ECCS), a Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) program that will integrate and coordinate the tactical assets of the United Arab Emirates. The contract was awarded by Emiraje Systems, the UAE-based prime contractor for the ECCS.

The Technology

Current battlefield networks are increasingly employing standard Internet transport protocols which impose high bandwidth overhead and rely on consistent end-to-end connectivity. This technological solution has difficulty providing acceptable message delivery performance over the typically tactical network.

General Dynamics' Tactical Mobile Router (TMR) overcomes these challenges by analyzing network feedback to characterize links as Desired, Disadvantaged or Disrupted and then by delivering information via the most appropriate bearer. TMR uses advanced MESHnet® grade protocols designed to transfer messages with reliability, efficiency and reasonable latency in a disrupted heterogeneous network environment.

TMR is basically a rugged Internet router which ensure that military personnel can communicate using off-the-shelf applications, including e-mail, chat messages, and multimedia-rich shared information resources in challenging battlefield environments. The TMR creates tactical Internet ad-hoc networks seamlessly that automatically form, reconfigure, and operate even when network infrastructure is overloaded, damaged, or unavailable due to mountainous or remote terrain, urban environments, or other conditions. In addition, TMR's critical store-and-forward capabilities ensure continues flow of voice, data and Blue Force Tracking in rugged and remote military environments with communications infrastructure

Integration of the TMR into the existing UAE C4ISR networks offers an affordable, dependable option to extend the life of legacy networks while adding new internet-like applications.

Comments

“General Dynamics Canada worked closely with the Emiraje systems network design team to ensure that the TMR was able to address the most extreme requirements including some of the harshest, most challenging and remote environments that are open to network disruption,” said David Ibbetson, General Manager of General Dynamics Canada. “With the deployment of the TMR, UAE is adding strategic capability that ensures their soldiers have access to the type of reliable, continuous and ubiquitous Internet-like communication in the battlefield that we all have become accustomed to in our daily lives”.

The Context

Emirates Command and Control System (ECCS) is a major Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Program, which will federate, integrate, coordinate and maximize the combined efficiency of the UAE Armed Forces assets.

As prime contractor of ECCS, Emiraje Systems carries out in Abu Dhabi all system design and system integration activities, as well as the development of critical components. the Company also drives the solid industrial organization it has built, based on worldwide defence suppliers and subcontractors from Spain, France, UK, Canada, UAE and Switzerland. ECCS also represents a new model of industrial cooperation. Emiraje Systemshas been established in 2009 as a strategic Joint Venture between C4 Advanced Solutions (C4AS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Emirates Advanced Investments group (EAI), and Cassidian (the former EADS Defence & Security).

References: General Dynamics (1,2), Security News Desk (3)

U.S. Army is requesting proposals for a new Intelligence Cloud Computing Environment

News Report

Here in this blog we have already covered the increasing focus of Govenrment and Military organizations on the transition of their IT infrastructures towards cloud computing and virtualisation (1,2,3,4). In the Unites States, in particular, data center consolidation and cloud computing appear as the Army's most important priorities — not just for saving money, but for getting information where it needs to be so that soldiers can meet their mission.

Within this context, the U.S. Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command's communications-electronics center, or CERDEC, recently hosted an Industry Day to inform potential technology development partners of new capabilities that support Army cloud computing development efforts and hear what potential partners could contribute to those efforts. As reported by U.S. Army, "the Program Manager Distributed Common Ground System-Army (PM DCGS-A) has identified the need to establish operational clouds at fixed sites and at regional nodes to support Army intelligence data collection and analytics capabilities".

In order to fulfill that need, the CERDEC Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate's Tactical Cloud Integration Laboratory (I2WD) asked industry, academia and other government organizations to submit proposals for capabilities such as multi-intelligence, all-source analysis correlation; platform and resource allocation and optimization algorithms, predictive analysis tools; language translation services; still image and graphic processing capabilities; advanced human intelligence exploitation; and advanced visualization and conceptualization tools.

All proposals were to assist in an effort to establish an infrastructure that supports the storage and management of multi-intelligence data and provides a computational framework that brings analytics to that data.

Not only did potential government contractors have the opportunity to present possible solutions to the U.S. Army's cloud computing gaps, but the event gave government personnel the chance to tell industry where the U.S. Army's focus is related to current and future forces, said Mark Kitz, technical director of PM DCGS-A.  Developing cloud technology is important to the intelligence community as a component of DCGS-A, which is the Army's core intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance enterprise system, said Kitz. "It uses the latest in cloud technology to rapidly gather, collaborate and share intelligence data from multiple sources to deliver a common operating picture. DCGS-A is able to rapidly adapt to changing operational environments by leveraging an iterative development model and open architecture allowing for collaboration with multiple government, industry and academic partners," said Kitz.

The ultimate objective is to get technology out to Soldiers by maturing the capabilities and getting it to the DCGS Standard Cloud, said Upesh Patel, CERDEC I2WD TCIL technical director.  "This is a continuous process evolving over time, not a one shot deal. Requirements change and involve user driven- mission input," he stated.   

References: C4I Technology News (1,2,3,4), U.S. Army (5)