---------------------------------------------------------------- The United States Navy on the World Wide Web A service of the Navy Office of Information, Washington DC send feedback/questions to comments@chinfo.navy.mil The United States Navy web site is found on the Internet at http://www.navy.mil ---------------------------------------------------------------- STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL KENNETH D. SLAGHT, U.S. NAVY COMMANDER, SPACE AND NAVAL WARFARE SYSTEMS COMMAND BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ON NAVY TRANSFORMATION FEBRUARY 20, 2002 Chairman Hunter, Congresswoman Davis, Members of the Committee, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to brief the committee on the Information Technology (IT) portion of the Navy's transformation. As a member of a team dedicated to ensuring this generation, and future generations of Americans have a Navy equipped, capable, and ready to go into "harm's way" on a moment's notice, I applaud your efforts at keeping these matters at the forefront. Defending America, in today's rapidly changing world, is contingent upon the ability to process data and information quickly. Now, more than ever, knowledge superiority and integrated IT capabilities are essential to not only winning the war against terrorism, but defending our Nation as well. This morning Admirals McGinn, Cohen, and Sprigg spoke about future requirements, the research and technology, and doctrinal changes shaping the Navy's Transformation. I would like to provide you with an overview of how we are actively pursuing Navy Transformation in the Fleet today, specifically the concept of Network Centric Warfare. The United States Navy - A fighting force in transition The warfighters of yesterday, today, and tomorrow all need the same two critical tools in order to fight and win wars - timely information and ordnance on target. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) is the Navy's acquisition command responsible for developing, acquiring, and fielding information systems. SPAWAR provides many of the critical command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) assets to the Navy and Marine Corps. Information Technology in Perspective The 1983 Operation in Grenada, "Operation Urgent Fury," is a dramatic example of the technological challenge the military services faced when they tried to fight jointly. The lack of interoperable communications and systemic command and control problems, in the end, provided us with some hard lessons. There were several examples of the Services' inability to operate and communicate jointly, but none as unsettling as the report of the warrior who, pinned down by enemy forces, could see the friendly gun-ships circling above but couldn't communicate with them to signal for help. In desperation, he used his personal phone card to place a call via a commercial telephone system back to Fort Bragg where the operations commander in turn radioed the gunship to provide fire-support for his beleaguered troops. Grenada was an awakening and there has been steady progress since. In Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the communications architecture was stronger and more robust but there were still major gaps. To make decisions, troops and their commanders were faced with information that was hours, maybe days old. In some cases, networks were so overloaded with traffic that air-tasking orders were flown out to the carriers faster than communications circuits could process them. By 1998 and the NATO Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, we were light years ahead of the dark days of Grenada. The speed and capabilities with which we could provide information were now almost instantaneous. It was a matter of clicking on an icon for the decision-makers to have information only seconds old - not hours or days. However, the compatibility between services was still not there and many of the connections were made manually or through on-the-spot reengineering. So where are we today? Special forces in the hills of Afghanistan are designating targets, coordinating with joint and coalition forces, updating Navy aircraft en route to targets, and calling in devastating precision strikes. We accomplish these feats by distributing data through a Wide Area Network (WAN), while automating the process of transferring and synchronizing data across the battlespace. Automating the system has minimized the need for operator intervention, allowing near real-time exchange of track data. Our time latency for Command and Control information is down to seconds or milliseconds. We are capable of not just real-time delivery of data and information, but of providing information that is ready to be acted upon quickly, resulting in placing weapons precisely on target. The rapid dominance achieved in Operation Enduring Freedom through the application of cutting-edge technology is a concrete example of what the warfighter can do when given the proper tools. However, technology does not stand still and the battlefields of tomorrow will look very different than those of today. We not only have to keep pace, we have to be one step ahead. In fact, three of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's six transformational goals focus on access to Information Technology. They are: protect our information networks, use information technology to link U.S. forces to fight jointly, and maintain access to space and protect our vital capabilities from attack. This fundamental concept of the importance and integration of Information Technology has been called Network Centric Warfare (NCW). The first steps to NCW had been laid out for the Navy through the CNO's vision of FORCEnet. The September 11th attack on America accelerated the process as everyone across the Department of Navy rededicated their efforts to work harder, faster, and smarter to get the best capabilities to the forces at the "tip of the spear." Network Centric Warfare is a visionary joint concept where a warfighter can instantly access any piece of information across a secure worldwide network, anywhere, anytime, in order to direct weapons on target. This joint concept requires a robust, interoperable information infrastructure; dynamic communications links; customizable content management; intuitive decision tools; and reliable information assurance. The transition to Network Centric Warfare is challenging, and the Navy has charted a course called FORCEnet. FORCEnet: Transforming the C4ISR Architecture FORCEnet is the Navy's transformational architecture for how Navy and Marine Corps elements will be linked with joint, Allied, and coalition forces through seamless, interoperable integration with the Department of Defense (DoD) Global Information Grid (GIG). Today, the Navy is working from every angle to make the FORCEnet architecture a reality. For simplicity, I will group the FORCEnet building blocks into the following areas: infrastructure, content delivery, rapid insertion of new technologies, and application integration. The Infrastructure: An Integrated IT Backbone The initial step to the realization of FORCEnet is the construction of an integrated communications and network backbone. This infrastructure will enable real-time transport of data to and from forces anywhere in the world. While many elements of the FORCEnet infrastructure have been evolving for years, the transformation is finding new ways to connect unique systems to deliver new capabilities. As information networks become more critical to our mission, absolute reliability of our information is required. As an overriding principle of Network Centric Warfare, we must ensure information security through multiple-layered defense architectures. IT-21: The Network At Sea IT-21 is the Navy's at-sea network being installed across the Fleet. It delivers the first integrated network that brings local and wide-area connectivity and applications to Fleet users. These mission-critical circuits and systems are the conduit our forces use to send and receive the information necessary to fight and win wars. IT-21 upgrades will deliver improved capabilities in: situational awareness, collaborative planning, force sustainment, deliberate and crisis planning, and time-critical strike. Two important subsets of IT-21 are the Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) and the Global Command Support System (GCSS). * Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) GCCS-M is the Naval component of the command and control system used by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and Theater Commanders-in-Chief (CINCs). The latest version of GCCS-M improves "Speed of Command" by distributing near real-time command and control data through a Wide Area Network automating the process of transferring and synchronizing tactical data across the battlespace. These upgrades allow commanders to measure information latency in seconds instead of minutes, hours, or days. * Global Command Support System (GCSS) - As the GCCS-M operates in the tactical realm, GCSS operates in the support realm. GCSS consists of a group of individual programs, the largest of which is the Naval Tactical Command Support System (NTCSS). NTCSS is software that allows functions, such as aviation and shipboard maintenance, supply system functions, administrative support, and capabilities such as ship's store and food service management to be accessed. For example, in the world of aviation, it provides an instantaneous view of actual aircraft maintenance status. Technicians afloat the world-over receive the up-to-date bulletins, rapidly order parts, and increase the readiness of their aircraft by using this system. The overall IT-21 objective is to provide the Fleet with a modern communications capability that utilizes commercial-off- the-shelf technologies. The ability to dynamically "plug-in" additional processors into commercial chassis or add disk space to a storage area network will enable us to rapidly expand to support critical capabilities before they are required. Since September 11, the Navy has accelerated installation of IT-21 capabilities in a series of mini-block upgrades in Fleet units. This process is advancing installations, decreasing time for delivery of future upgrades, and speeding insertion and transition of new technologies into the integrated C4ISR product line. But the speed of technology could easily out pace our ability to install equipment throughout the Fleet if we do not continue to pursue an aggressive upgrade cycle. Today, the Navy supports an afloat enterprise of 50,000 clients and more than 150,000 user accounts. On any day, millions of messages and billions of data bits are being shared among operational units in a secure manner. In just 4 years, we have fielded more than 35,000 network drops, 6 million feet of cable, and 1,500 equipment racks for more than 200 U.S. Naval ships. The Navy navigated this Fleet modernization program during a period in which we experienced an unprecedented leap in information technology. In less than 18 months, processing power and server capacity increased more than 300%. A very strong partnership between the Navy and industry permitted us to rapidly field this commercial off-the-shelf information technology at minimum cost to the taxpayer. Navy-Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI): The Network Ashore NMCI is bringing integrated network capability ashore using innovative outsourcing methodologies and contractual approaches. We are working closely with the Information Strike Force (ISF), led by Electronic Data Systems (EDS), to ensure this effort and IT-21 evolve together and share similar components and services that will enable cooperative modernization and single administration and management. This approach involves technical refreshing of the network infrastructure with increased capabilities, reduced cost, and greater information assurance for users. All aspects of the NMCI and IT-21 upgrades are being engineered similarly to ensure training and documentation can be combined across both efforts. The Information Strike Force has taken over the environment and management of the existing information networks, hardware, and software for more than 40,000 seats and has transitioned approximately 600 of those to the NMCI network environment. Bandwidth Increases Bandwidth is the fabric on which NMCI and IT-21 are woven together. SPAWAR's mission critical communications circuits and systems are the conduit by which our forces send or receive the information necessary to collaborate with friendly forces, fight, and win wars. We use a mix of government and commercial communications circuits to achieve the right mix of bandwidth and guaranteed access to communications. In conjunction with the increase in bandwidth capability, the Navy is developing a network architecture to effectively utilize the resources available. Once we can guarantee and prioritize network traffic on an as-needed basis, we will be able to recapture unused bandwidth to support other mission areas. Today, we face a great challenge to make the most of the limited bandwidth available. Four years ago, we were running 100 MHz workstations and communicated between ships via phone. Today, forces in the operational theater communicate with e- mail, chat rooms, video conferencing and web collaboration. This surge in information sharing among operational elements ashore and afloat requires new solutions to increase bandwidth. In FY 01, Fleet terminal bandwidth increased by 23%. In addition, the number of Fleet terminals increased by 27%. The number of commercial satellite channels we leased also increased, resulting in an increased bandwidth available to individual ships. However, like processor speed, the demand for bandwidth will always exceed capacity. This dramatic increase in bandwidth has an important side benefit - the men and women in uniform today have a better quality of life than anytime before. Their quality of work is enhanced by easy access to e- mail, family grams, telephone communication at sea, and Direct-to- Sailor television. This ultimately means our Sailors and Marines perform the mission better with the comfort and peace of mind that everything at home is O.K. I had one Sailor tell me he talked more with his son by e-mail while on deployment than when he was at home in person. I am sure you have seen the news stories of Sailors video- teleconferencing with their spouses and children at home, or the pilot who after flying patrol watched the Super Bowl in his ready room aboard ship. Their quality of life and quality of work is better than ever before. We are making a difference in their lives every moment of the day, whether they are on duty or not. NMCI and IT-21 enable the day-to-day work of the Fleet because they are connected to the Internet through a reliable and scalable Local Area Network (LAN), a large Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum, and computers with web-based applications. To date, 82 percent of the Fleet is connected to the World Wide Web. In addition to our ships, approximately 60 percent of all Navy piers are now connected directly to the Internet. Pierside connectivity under the Base Level Information Infrastructure (BLII) program has been completed at 14 naval bases in less than 18 months. More than 200 berths in the continental United States possess fiber-optic connectivity, which allows ships to pull pierside and plug into the same high level of data flow they have at sea. Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Information Operations (ISR/IO) Network and application integration extends into the sensor and C4I domains by engineering a Network Interface Unit (NIU) into the Common Data Link - Navy (CDL-N) terminal. This feature enables us to use previously stove-piped sensor links to bridge the gap among the sensor, decision maker, and shooter. This enhancement is the first step in evolving our sensor net into another resource of integrated, interconnected, off-ship network and information resources that can be shared across the FORCEnet. The Navy's ISR/IO systems provide our forces capabilities for collecting, processing, and disseminating information while exploiting or denying an adversary's ability to do the same. As an example, Naval cryptologic operations from forward deployed forces provide unique situational awareness presence by giving insight into an adversary's operations and decision-making. SPAWAR's shipboard Information Warfare (IW) exploit systems provide information to a mix of tactical, theater, and national assets. By detecting, locating, exploiting, and attacking threat emitters, the systems support immediate employment of electronic attack, threat warning and avoidance, and targeting. Legacy Naval cryptologic systems should be upgraded to allow current and future forward-operating forces to exploit threats, support force protection, and maintain a high state of readiness. The Navy is continuing its efforts to place IW/SIGINT capabilities in its organic battlegroup assets. The Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare (MIUW) system provides rapid deployable electronic surveillance measures, standard and thermal video, passive sonar, and radar capability. The newest version (V4) was delivered to Naval Coastal Warfare Group One in November and today is deployed in San Diego harbor providing force protection and homeport security. Space and Satellite Capability All of the components of FORCEnet depend upon our ability to operate from space. Space-based systems play a central role in the collection and distribution of time-critical information, enabling forces to maintain a distinct advantage in the execution of any mission, anywhere on the globe. These requirements necessitate a seamless, interoperable, global communications grid that allows the transfer, exchange, and allocation of Satellite Communications (SATCOM) on a real- time basis. Improving these vital assets, the next generation Advanced Narrowband Satellite Communications System will deliver cost- effective communications with improved capacity, an enhanced frequency spectrum, an advanced waveform development, optimized delivery techniques and dynamic allocation of communication resources. In addition, an eleventh Ultra High Frequency Follow-on Communications Satellite (UFO 11) is planned for launch in late 2003. It will maintain the availability of the UFO constellation until the next generation narrowband SATCOM system is put in place. Undersea Warfare FORCEnet also demands integration with undersea warfare sensors, both fixed and rapid-deployable, that make up the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS). The surveillance and cueing inherent to these systems are critical to tactical anti-submarine warfare because of their ability to cover large areas while, at the same time, networking multiple sensor systems. With the emphasis now on homeland security, IUSS will play an important role in the defense of harbors and other National assets. Tactical Data Links and Joint And Coalition Interoperability Advancements are being made in our ability to integrate all this data into the C4I and weapons/engagement grid. The next generation Tactical Data Link Terminal is the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS). This follow-on to the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) delivered the first production units to the Navy in 2001. Common Operational Picture (COP) Synchronization Tools (CST), a complimentary technology developed in the Joint arena, is enabling GCCS-M to evolve into an almost immediate command and control distribution system. The Multi-TADIL Capability (MTC) enables track data and force orders to be passed in real- time. Multi Tactical Data Links Capability (MTC) provides GCCS-M and its information systems a two-way direct link into the real- time Joint Data Network where previously GCCS-M had a passive or receive-only capability. This capability is revolutionizing the ability to view the battlespace from a planning and intelligence perspective through enhancements only real-time sensor information can bring to the situational awareness. All of the Navy's command ships have been outfitted with MTC and it is now being installed on two aircraft carriers. We are also working hard on business solutions with a program called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Business software solutions are central to the management of increasingly complex, automated systems. ERP is bringing together data elements, financial reporting systems, and business processes as we move closer to a true "enterprise solution." Content Delivery: Anytime, Anywhere, and Customized to the Mission The next step to FORCEnet is the redesign of our application environment to maximize use of the network backbone. Instead of local processing, our applications will be designed to take advantage of a multi-tiered environment where data can be provided or requested by our forces without their awareness of the infrastructure providing the information. This goes beyond traditional design by providing the ability to customize the information needed for a specific mission. The Navy has initiated an effort known as SPRINT (Sailor Prototyping and Rapid Insertion of Technology) to move in this direction. SPRINT is part of a larger effort known as Task Force Web. Task Force Web: Leading the Way to a Web-Enabled Navy Task Force Web is achieving the goal of using the web environment as the enabling technology. The World Wide Web and Internet technology have transformed the computing world, making information available to a multitude of users without the need for specialized software or expensive client upgrades/installations. Task Force Web has started moving all information systems to an "Internet Protocol" compatible system to take advantage of the rapid advances in the commercial sector. The accessibility of this environment to Fleet users has transformed the computing environment resulting in several successful Fleet- and Systems Command-developed applications. By merging IT systems into a commonly accessible portal, we can begin to make all databases available from any location. Task Force Web consists of two efforts: establishment of a Navy Enterprise Portal, and web-enabled legacy applications. These efforts will make dozens of disparate information databases available through a single web page. Naval Fires Network On the tactical side, Naval Fires Network (NFN) allows sensor data and other intelligence information to be rapidly converted to precise targeting information for Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs). In plain English, this means we now have proven the ability to take input from a sensor, like an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), transmit that input into the network and deliver a fire-control solution to hit the target. This is an extremely complicated feat and one that requires careful coordination across all the Services. By integrating the capabilities of multiple systems and fielding them at key nodes in the warfighting architecture, we now have the ability to dramatically reduce the time necessary to place moving targets in the crosshairs. Time Critical Strike A second example of joint teaming efforts is Time Critical Strike (TCS). TCS is an concept reliant upon integrating systems of the C4ISR grid. It has shown great potential for coordinating, streamlining, and merging numerous capabilities across programs and projects. The Time Critical Strike capability is based on technical, functional, and programmatic dependencies that enhance inter- operability and save funds while providing better warfighting capabilities at a faster rate of introduction. Rapid Insertion of New Technologies: Speed-To-Capability The fastest way to achieve Admiral Dennis Blair's (CINCPAC) vision of "Speed-to-Capability" is to let the customer have access to the gas pedal (and the steering wheel). This level of flexibility and customization in the hands of Fleet will cut by orders of magnitude development and enhancement time. In support of this, a new paradigm should be established to enable innovation while the acquisition process catches up. We are working to establish an Innovation Resource Pool so the Fleet can prototype new capabilities while the acquisition community prepares for the transition to production. Today, development, testing, and fielding of Information Technology systems continue to be driven by a process that takes almost 36 months. This is far too long and must be shortened significantly to bring the forces the tools they need quickly. The IT industry is using a concept called "Super-Techs" to increase responsiveness for their customers. Taking our lead from industry's best practices, we have instituted Fleet Engineering Systems Technicians (FSET) teams. These highly- trained, highly-experienced technicians forward deploy with the operating forces to fix problems, train operators, and in some cases, build and install new capabilities on-site. This initiative has greatly enhanced the reliability of our information systems, while at the same time giving the Fleet on- site developers. As FORCEnet drives changes to shorten the connection between what the warfighter requires and when it is delivered, we at SPAWAR are accelerating our speed to capability initiative. For example, the aircraft carrier USS STENNIS was scheduled in the standard process to receive an upgraded meteorological and oceanographic system in FY 03. When she was ordered to the Gulf early following the September 11th terrorist attack, SPAWAR's team acquired, tested, and installed commercial off-the-shelf computers, and trained the ship's crew in less than 30 days. The carrier deployed with the latest system that has more capability than the system it was scheduled to get in FY 03. New Technologies In the past year, more than a hundred technologies were identified for their potential value to C4ISR challenges. Many of them were mature enough to undergo immediate testing in operational environments. As we proceed with implementing FORCEnet, we are identifying new technologies that affect bandwidth, manning, command and control, remote network management, wireless line- of-sight communications, network architectures, decision support and interoperability with allies and coalition partners. In another example of following commercial industry's lead, last year SPAWAR introduced Gigabit Ethernet (GIGe) technology as the common shipboard LAN architecture. Migrating to GIGe technology will reduce system complexity and lower life cycle costs. It is easier to install, set up, administer and maintain, is the industry standard, and requires 30% less operator training time. The Navy is also taking advantage of commercial advances in wireless technology. The Digital Wideband Transmission Systems gives Naval forces one million bits per second data rates on a wireless Local Area Network while underway. Much like the wireless networks across our major metropolitan cities, task force leaders on different ships now have the ability to collaborate on briefings and plans without having to travel from ship to ship. This speeds the planning process by bringing team members together in a virtual environment. To move data rapidly over multiple frequencies, software programmable radios, such as the Joint Tactical Radio System - Maritime, will revolutionize the way we communicate by making a single radio the equivalent of dozens of today's radios. As the information backbone is enhanced, new technologies are rapidly being inserted, the applications are becoming commonly accessible, and soon we will be able to converge commonalities across the system. Integrated Applications: Converging the Architectures NMCI, IT-21, and the Marine Corps Tactical Network/Enterprise Network have different program timelines, different architecture and software requirements, and separate management authorities. Operating as independent entities creates management challenges. To address these, the Navy is pursuing a convergence strategy in terms of network design and development for the future. Using NMCI as an enabler/forcing function for convergence, we are crafting points of commonality to support full convergence of the networks. Effective employment of our sensor, C2, and weapons grids to support joint and allied missions will require the Navy's acquisition community to not only interface, but in some cases merge, the dedicated networks already in place. Care must be taken to ensure that as these networks and applications become integrated, they do not become "single points of service" that cannot be reached or specifically tailored by the warfighters. These capabilities must be provided as services on a robust network that can be assembled to solve a specific problem while maintaining consistency of implementation and protecting competencies such as interoperability. Part of the process of integrating hardware and software across a wide range of systems is to identify duplicative applications and simplify the process. Conclusion The integration of our network and applications across FORCEnet will enable a clear understanding of system duplication and inefficiencies. As we strive to accomplish missions such as time-critical targeting, those redundancies will become increasingly highlighted as the Fleet attempts to rapidly use the variety of resources in an interconnected manner. As the Naval Fires Network is an attempt to bring together the capabilities of the three Naval systems commands to support the prosecution of time-sensitive targets by enabling sensor to weapon interface, so too are we engaged in identifying the redundant portions of each system and defining the way ahead to an integrated capability. Due to their different origins, the systems involved have overlapping capabilities used to support different functions (e.g., targeting, ISR management, and command and control). A converged architecture has been defined that takes the best elements of each of these systems and makes them flexible enough to support the mission areas required by the other communities. By putting all the building blocks in place, the Navy will be able to build capabilities spanning the entire scope of the FORCEnet enterprise and will meet the needs of multiple communities while avoiding the pitfalls of customized, non- scalable applications servicing a single customer. Applications and networks will truly support the integration of sensors, networks, content, decision aids, weapons, warriors and supporting systems into a highly adaptive system operating from the seabed to space and from the land to the sea. At that point, our Network Centric Warfare will be established and we will truly be fighting today's wars with tomorrow's technology. House Armed Services Committee 2120 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515