Integrated System Control update

Army Communicator, Fall, 2006 by Ed Duffy

The Training and Doctrine Command Systems Manager Warfighter Information Networks-Tactical Network Operations staff is in the process of drafting a Capability Production Document that focuses on the Modular Force Increment required to mature the Integrated System Control family of systems network capabilities for network planning, management, and interoperability requirements.

The CPD describes the next incremental set of ISYSCON capabilities required to support the demands of the modular force. It takes into consideration and leverages a number of programs and concepts that are either already fielded or in development. As the Army's tactical network operating environment has steadily evolved to accommodate modularization and the gap between current force and future force needs, the ISYSCON management of network capabilities and interoperability requirements to support the force must equally adapt to the changed operating environment.

In compliance with the 2004, CSA Directive #2--The Network Decision the ISYSCON Program was tailored to the "good enough" concept that was significant in defining the transformation of the Army to a Modular Fighting Force. The implementation of GE synchronized the ISYSCON with ABCS as a network enabler in the Army's operational transition to the Modular Force. Commensurate with the GE portion of the transition, some of the Army's existing tactical digitized Network Management problems were resolved by ISYSCON to support the warfighters' immediate technically achievable battlefield needs.

However, the ISYSCON network capabilities for Local Area Network management, Network Planning with its associated Network Initialization Capability and the requirement for joint interoperability to provide the warfighters at all levels of the Global Information Grid the right information, at the right place, at the right time were necessarily limited in order to achieve meeting the mandated GE and the Operation Enduring Freedom/ Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment schedules.

Subsequent operational assessments of network and data base products management show the GE solution has gaps and is less than adequate for the modular units given the nature of global conflicts and up-tempo operating environment.

The GE initiative represented the beginning of a major operational transition that continues to be assessed for changes to critical organizations and staffs that must communicate and coordinate. This CPD MFI is a result of reviewing and considering incremental changes to ISYSCON that compliment the CSA vision for increasing operational war fighting capabilities in the area of network capabilities and specifically the elements of network planning, network and data base management, LAN management and interoperability requirements for the Modular Force.

Based on the evolutionary development process stated in the ISYSCON Operational Requirements Document approved by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council in April 2005, the CPD outlines the needed Modular Force NM capabilities. It addresses data products and NM involving tactical network configuration and initialization capability development commensurate to provide the necessary functionality to perform on-demand dynamic battlefield unit task organization and reorganization for a 96-hour mission planning scenario and support the tenets of LandWarNet and Net Centric Warfare. It also describes the need for an overarching management of the Modular Force local area network Secure Internet Protocol Routing and Nonsecure Internet Protocol Routing networks to maintain crucial mission essential support data flowing during UTO/ UTRs. Additionally, the wide area network detailed network planning and engineering functionality requires adaptation to the Modular Force.

The target is to complete the CPD and have the document in the staffing process for upcoming Army program and systems reviews and discussions in the fall of 2006.

Mr. Duffy is a retired Army Signal Corps major and provides technical support for Madison Research Corporation contracts at Fort Gordon, Ga. His focus is on the definition of systems requirements and testing of automated communications network management for the modular force's battlefield information transport architecture. He is currently in direct support of the TRADOC Systems Manager Warfighter Information Network--Tactical in the area of network operations.

ACRONYM QUICKSCAN

CPD--Capability Production Document

DPEM--detailed network planning and engineering

GE--good enough

GIG--Global Information Grid

ISYSCON--Integrated System Control

JROC--Joint Requirements Oversight Council

LAN--local area network

MFI--Modular Force Increment

NIPR--Non-secure Internet Protocol Routing

NM--Network Management

OEF--Operation Enduring Freedom

OIF--Operation Iraqi Freedom

ORD--Operational Requirements Document

SIPR--Secure Internet Protocol Routing

TSM WIN-T--TRADOC Systems Manager Warfighter Information Network-Tactical

UTO--unit task organization and reorganization

UTR--unit task organization