U.S. Second Fleet—the fleet lead in Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006

CHIPS, July-Sept, 2006 by Sharon Anderson

In the Maritime Dynamic Targeting (MDT), STIMS No. 2041, and Time Sensitive Targets (TST) piece, the Navy wants to develop the process by which maritime forces prosecute MDT and TST. This experiment provided the opportunity and means to focus technology development for marine command and control and targeting to speed up targeting capability. The experiment also was an opportunity for input into the development of JFMCC command and control, targeting and fires doctrine, and TTP.

Maritime Dynamic Targeting objectives include testing joint interoperability, timeliness and accuracy, and appropriateness of response. MDT demonstrated the interoperability, interdependence and connectivity between the Combined Forces Air Component Commander, the Combined Forces Commander, the Joint Task Force Commander and Second Fleet using the same software suite that the air component uses at Nellis Air Force Base, called the CAOC Common Client.

Cross component collaboration means that when the Air Force or the Navy develops a target, it becomes available for anybody to execute a strike on that target.

"For Maritime Dynamic Targeting we have developed a CONOPS, and we have refined that through spirals. We have refined the standard operating procedures to the point where we are now. It seems to be working well, so well that the Air Force has adopted the same kind of processes and procedures in its operations center at Nellis Air Force Base," Forbes said.

Tactical IP Networks, STIMS No. 2040, and Link 16, STIMS No. 2039, presented the concept of the airborne network evolving from voice-based command and control at the operational level to a more complex network of data shared in many forms by many users. Machine to Machine (M2M) targeting using Link 16 is a legacy system that constituted the backbone of Navy experimentation in JEFX 04. Further experimentation is needed to enhance Blue Force situational awareness and improve the Navy's ability to receive and transmit imagery and conduct Digital TST.

A desired outcome of this part of the experiment is that imagery using the J16.0 message and targeting data can be transmitted through the current infrastructure with acceptable latency and that the images are of sufficient quality to reduce the kill chain time to execute.

Airborne Tactical Internet Protocol (Tac IP) experimentation allowed the exploration of maturing technologies that have the potential to significantly enhance information flow around the battle space. JEFX 06 employed Tactical Targeting Network Technology to investigate Tac IP networks potential use and role within net-centric operations.

"Tactical IP Network takes the ground-based, terrestrial IP networks that you are familiar with and puts them in the air. Now you have airplanes interoperating over an IP network at high bandwidth, with high data rates that we heretofore have not been able to do," Forbes said. "Link 16 experiments with nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by passing imagery back and forth."