MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

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The Voice of Military Communications and Computing Innovation Deliverer Douglas K. Wiltsie Program Executive Officer Enterprise Information Systems U.S. Army COMSATCOM Update O Biometrics O Optical Networking Defense Collaboration Online O IT for the IC www.MIT-kmi.com C4 March 2013 Volume 17, Issue 2 WHO’S WHO IN PEO EIS

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Military Information Technology, Volume 17 Issue 2, March 2013

Transcript of MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

Page 1: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

The Voice of Military Communications and Computing

Innovation DelivererDouglas K. Wiltsie Program Executive OfficerEnterprise Information Systems U.S. Army

COMSATCOM Update O Biometrics O Optical NetworkingDefense Collaboration Online O IT for the IC

www.MIT-kmi.com

C4March 2013

Volume 17, Issue 2

Who’s Who in PEo Eis

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At your service since 1947

Learn more • 877-275-UMUC • military.umuc.edu/anyplace

University of Maryland University College is the nation’s largest public university.

Since 1947, we’ve been creating learning opportunities—from a hotel ballroom in Wiesbaden to online classes at sea, to forward bases in Afghanistan. Today, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs entirely online. We’re on base or on-site in more than 25 countries, because we can turn just about anyplace into a campus.

some people only see A cAmp. We see A cAmpus.

UMUC15688 9.1_MIT_Campus_8.375x10.875.indd 1 7/23/12 3:53 PM

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Cover / Q&AFeatures

Douglas K. WiltsieProgram Executive Officer

Enterprise Information Systems U.S. Army

16

Departments Industry Interview2 eDitor’s PersPective3 Program notes/PeoPle14 Data bytes26 cotsacoPia27 resource center

michael bristol Senior Vice President and General ManagerGovernment Solutions GroupTeleCommunication Systems Inc.

4 comsatcom center uPDateAn update on the latest news from the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Center.

7 biometrics enables intelligenceAfter proving its value as a field identification tool for coalition forces in Afghanistan, biometrics technology is working its way into more and more aspects of military operations.By Karen e. Thuermer

10 Doubling Defense collaborationResponding to a surge in usage, the Defense Information Systems Agency has moved to increase the capacity of Defense Collaboration Online, its popular enterprise service for web meetings and other communication tools.By harrison Donnelly

12 common vision for intel itThe intelligence community will roll out the first version of its transformed information infrastructure this spring, according to officials at a February panel session focused on the intelligence community information technology enterprise initiative.By harrison Donnelly

March 2013Volume 17, Issue 2military information technology

20 24

Photos and job titles for the top decision makers in the Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems.

in PEo Eisoptical networking shines

To fulfill the military need for a robust communications infrastructure to transport vast volumes of voice, data and video to enable decision-makers to gain situational awareness in real time, the Department of Defense is increasingly relying on optical networking. By Peter BuxBaum

At your service since 1947

Learn more • 877-275-UMUC • military.umuc.edu/anyplace

University of Maryland University College is the nation’s largest public university.

Since 1947, we’ve been creating learning opportunities—from a hotel ballroom in Wiesbaden to online classes at sea, to forward bases in Afghanistan. Today, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs entirely online. We’re on base or on-site in more than 25 countries, because we can turn just about anyplace into a campus.

some people only see A cAmp. We see A cAmpus.

UMUC15688 9.1_MIT_Campus_8.375x10.875.indd 1 7/23/12 3:53 PM

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It won’t be a surprise to the folks at U.S. Cyber Command, but a recent news story in The Washington Post indicates that virtually all networks in the nation’s capital, from government agencies to think tanks, have been compromised at some point by cyber-attacks originating in China. The attacks have been mounted by what many believe is a vast cyberspying operation supported by ample resources and the latest technology.

No doubt, the Department of Defense is doing a better job than others in protecting its networks. But a new report on a DoD science blog warns that the department’s cybersecurity efforts can be undermined by a seemingly mundane act—charging your smartphone.

DoD policy has prohibited the use of USB ports on government computers for several years. But it appears that some people are not being very good about complying, especially when it comes to ensuring that their ubiquitous electronic pocket pals always have power.

According to the report on the Armed with Science blog, the worst cybersecurity scofflaws in South Korea are smartphone owners able to plug into government computers. During just one recent week, the Korea Theater Network Operations Center found 129 smartphone cyber-violations, and most of those responsible hadn’t known they were endangering network security.

“The main problem is that people are using their government computers to charge their phones with USB cables,” Lieutenant Colonel Mary M. Rezendes, 1st Signal Brigade operations officer-in-charge, was quoted as saying. “They don’t realize that computers recognize their phones as hard drives and that their software puts our network at risk.”

“Though the 1st Signal Brigade implements DoD network policies, unit commanders have the authority to enforce them,” said Colonel Paul H. Fredenburgh, the brigade’s commander. “But most importantly, it takes individual responsibility for us to collectively protect our networks.”

I hadn’t been aware of the Armed with Science blog, but it’s definitely worth a look: http://science.dodlive.mil.

Harrison DonnellyeDiTor

eDitor’S PerSPectiVe

The Voice of Military Communications and Computing

Editorial

Managing EditorHarrison Donnelly [email protected] Editorial ManagerLaura Davis [email protected] EditorSean Carmichael [email protected] Hobbes [email protected] Baddeley • Peter Buxbaum Cheryl Gerber • Karen E. Thuermer

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Program noteS Compiled by Kmi media Group staff

Air Force Colonel Patrick C. Higby, who is currently serving as deputy commander, White House Communications Agency, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general.

Navy Rear Admiral William H. Hilarides, who has been serving as special assistant to the deputy chief of naval oper-ations for information domi-nance, N2/N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, has been nominated to the rank of vice admiral and for assign-ment as commander, Naval Sea Systems Command.

Lockheed Martin has appointed Sondra L. Barbour as executive vice president of its Information Systems & Global Solutions business. She replaces Linda Gooden, who is retiring.

Air Force Brigadier General Burke E. Wilson, who is currently serving as the deputy commander, Air Forces Cyber, Air Force Space Command, has been nominated for appoint-ment to the rank of major general.

Thales Communications has appointed Todd Borkey as chief technology officer and vice president of strategic initiatives.

QinetiQ North America (QNA) has announced the appoint-ment of Richard M. Burke as director of strategic programs

of its Mission and Information Solutions business unit, where he will be responsible for aligning QNA’s advanced capa-bilities in the areas of cyber-intelligence, agile software development, big data and mobility solutions with the missions of the company’s homeland and national secu-rity customers.

Lieutenant General Joseph M. Cosumano Jr. (Ret.) has joined CFD Research Corp. as president. His 35-year military career culminated as commanding general, Space and Missile Defense Command.

IT Systems Training Aids Infrastructure

Modernization

Army Information Systems Engineering Command, based at Fort Detrick, Md., recently enlisted the assistance of BICSI to provide military and civilian personnel with relevant, vendor-neutral, standards-based information technology systems (ITS) training for infrastructure modernization.

BICSI is a worldwide source of informa-tion, education and knowledge assessment for the constantly evolving ITS industry, serving more than 23,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and techni-cians.

BICSI provides training courses and credentials to showcase an individual’s expertise in multiple facets of ITS, including outside plant, electronic safety and secu-rity, copper and optical fiber cabling, and more. Distribution design, which refers to the entire design of the telecommunica-tions infrastructure, is an essential part of military ITS, and BICSI’s flagship credential highlights an individual’s expertise in this complex field.

A Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) is an indi-vidual who has demonstrated knowledge in the design, integration and implemen-tation of telecommunications and data communications technology systems and related infrastructure. These individuals are uniquely positioned to create the detailed design of a new system and/or integrate design into an existing structure. The RCDD is one of the highest design credentials in the ITS industry, recognized worldwide.

But the RCDD is not just an indicator of design excellence. It is also a necessary credential to hold when designing commu-nications infrastructure for military use. In fact, page four of the Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria lists the RCDD as a requirement for all telecom design projects.

While an RCDD displays knowledge in all aspects of telecommunications infra-structure, BICSI training and credentialing is also available for specialized areas of ITS.

New Metrics Urged for Army Networking and Acquisition Initiatives

As it goes about modernizing its networks and adopting a more agile approach to IT acquisi-tion, the Army should establish a consolidated reporting and budgeting framework in order to provide more consistency and clarity in the justifi-cations for Army network initiatives and facilitate congressional oversight, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

The report, “Size and Scope of Modernization Investment Merit Increased Oversight” (GAO-13-179, January 10, 2013), looks at the variety of innovative strategies adopted by the Army as part of its network modernization efforts, including agile acquisition, laboratory evaluation and extensive field-testing of systems by users before deployment.

“The overall scope and cost of the Army’s new network strategy, as well as other factors unique to the strategy, present significant risks and challenges and deserve high-level oversight attention by both the Army and DoD,” the report contends. It ends by calling for the depart-ment to establish quantifiable outcome-based performance metrics for network equipment; develop a plan for future network evaluations to determine if those measures have been met; and evaluate fielded network performance and make recommendations for adjustments, as necessary.

The report is available at www.gao.gov/assets/660/651240.pdf.

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffPeoPle

Joseph M. Cosumano Jr.

Brig. Gen. Burke E. Wilson

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Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane in gale diam-eter ever recorded, affected portions of the Caribbean, 24 U.S. states, and parts of Eastern Canada in late October 2012. The states of New York and New Jersey, which were hit particularly hard, are still feeling the effects of this storm. The U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Army Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T), and Marine Corps called on the COMSATCOM Center to help reorganize their satellite accesses.

Due to the severity of this storm, personnel at the Global SATCOM Support Center (GSSC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Regional SATCOM Support Center (RSSC)-CONUS in Tampa, Fla., rearranged their work activities to focus all efforts on the direct mission needs affecting Hurricane Sandy. Because each of the three distinguished mission partners had active leased services already on contract through the COMSATCOM Center, the SSCs were able to redistribute terminals, and therefore bandwidth, over the CONUS footprint affected by Sandy. USNORTHCOM, WIN-T and the Marines each used their on-order Ku-band bandwidth and teleport infrastructure to provide support to relief efforts. These efforts included providing emergency temporary power and water-pumping capability and the distribution of food and fuel.

Each of the three mission partners used their reorganized terminals in different manners. For USNORTHCOM, the GSSC reprioritized more than 20 satellite access requests (SAR). Upgrad-ing these missions to the highest priority meant issuing new and revised transmission plans and new satellite access authorizations (SAA) to move all outlined technical parameters and configura-tions that were leased to support their original mission, to now support the Hurricane Sandy relief effort missions. USNORTH-COM then used these operational changes to support mission-crit-ical communications of the National Guard Bureau Joint Incident Site Communications Capability, Air Force Space Command,

USNORTHCOM Domestic Operations and Joint Task Force-Civil Support, and U.S. Transportation Command.

The changes in USNORTHCOM’s satellite services also allowed the Network Enterprise and Technology Command Regional Hub Node at Fort Bragg, N.C., to connect to the DoD Teleport at Camp Roberts, Calif., which had the availability to support the missions requested to ensure mission success. This operational change also provided public switched telephone network and public Internet access to first responders.

For WIN-T, RSSC-CONUS processed approximately 15 SARs and SAAs to support units of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of New Jersey Air National Guard (ANG); 10th Combat Aviation Brigade of New York ANG; 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of Pennsylvania ANG; Army Sustainment Command of Rock Island, Ill.; 10th Mountain Division of Fort Drum, N.Y.; 82nd Sustainment Brigade, N.C.; 42nd Infantry Division of N.Y. ANG; 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade of McChord, Wash.; and other ANG units from Maryland and Delaware. These operational changes re-allocated bandwidth that was originally used for train-ing exercises to be used to support Hurricane Sandy efforts under essential operational support. Lastly, to support the Marine Corps, RSSC-East processed one SAR and SAA in support of the 6th Com-munications Battalion of Brooklyn, N.Y.

The COMSATCOM Center is proud to have been able to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts and stands ready to support real-world contingencies in support of the joint warfighter.

Vizada Wins inmarsat agency Bgan contract

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) for Inmarsat services to Vizada for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies in the

(Editor’s Note: Following is an update on the latest news from the Defense Information Systems

Agency’s Commercial Satellite Communications (COMSATCOM) Center, based on the center’s newsletter, “COMSATCOM Scoop,” available

at: www.disa.mil/services/satcom/comsatcom-services/scoop-newsletter).

comsatcom support for Hurricane sandy relief efforts

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fall of 2012. The contract was awarded via the General Services Administration Information Technology Schedule 70 Special Item Number (SIN) 132-55, the COMSATCOM Subscription Services contract vehicle. This new contract will allow current DoD and non-DoD agency users to transition over 250 active communica-tions service accounts for Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Net-work (BGAN) services.

Inmarsat’s BGAN commercial offering is an IP-based mobile communications service that provides users with an integrated solution for voice, broadband data and streaming video. It is offered at high-speed data rates through the use of handheld or portable satellite terminals. This particular BPA will allow for consistency of Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) as well as the addition of a contractor-supplied online account management tool—that is, a dashboard-like tool—to aid in monitoring usage, training users, and reporting and resolving service issues.

DoD and other federal agencies have stringent requirements for the immediate availability of Inmarsat BGAN services to sup-port deployed forces. These services provide critical support to multiple DoD components and other federal agencies supporting a wide variety of missions around the world.

Agency BPA orders will be placed using the DISA online ordering tool, DISA Direct Order Entry (DDOE). To access these services via the newly awarded BPA, agencies will select Inmarsat BGAN type service, which is found under “Commercial Satellite Subscription Services.” The Inmarsat service type accessed from the Telecommunications Request (TR) page can no longer be used, as it directs requirement to the Inmarsat ID/IQ contract that is reaching end of life. Links are available through the new ordering page for Inmarsat services to the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLIN) and price structure for each BPA.

For additional information, the Inmarsat customer ordering guide is available on the COMSATCOM Center’s website at www.disa.mil/services/satcom/comsatcom-services/mobile-satellite. You can also contact the COMSATCOM Center via email at [email protected], or the MSS Help Desk by telephone at (301) 225-2600.

exploring tHe sdB numBer

Per Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 6250.01D, Satellite Communications, all SATCOM user require-ments for DoD-owned, allied or commercial satellite service shall be recorded in the Satellite Database (SDB). When begin-ning the COMSATCOM acquisition process, the COMSATCOM Center at DISA will assist you in completing an acquisition package.

This document contains areas to plug in your SDB number. For those of you re-competing a requirement, you may already be familiar with this number. However, if you have a new require-ment, you may be asking yourself several questions: Where do I get an SDB number? What is an SDB? Can I still get service without one?

An SDB number, an entry in the Satellite Database system, is owned and validated by the Joint Staff through the Joint SAT-COM Panel (JSP). The SDB entry represents information about your requirement, including specific networks that are needed to meet your operational missions, such as your area of operation, frequency spectrum, Joint Staff priority and data rate. Any DoD

user with current and future satellite communications needs—Ultra High Frequency, Super High Frequency, Extremely High Frequency, commercial, multi-band or undetermined—should have a valid SDB number, which is requested through your com-batant command or agency, where they are routed to the JSP for approval.

SATCOM requirements are logged into the SDB. The informa-tion in your SDB entry, including your networks and satellite needs, must be submitted on the SIPRNet and must be approved by the JSP. Annually, the JSP revalidates the entire SDB, includ-ing your SDB number, to analyze DoD’s ability to meet the SAT-COM requirement contained in warfighters’ operations orders and plans. This assessment provides a foundation for future mod-eling and planning, budgeting decisions, and acquisition program decisions. It also helps DoD understand and document the use of the commercial satellite market capabilities by operational forces. The information gleaned from these reviews can help mold the future of COMSATCOM acquisition, which would in turn help determine the future of your COMSATCOM mission.

While the COMSATCOM Center helps you prepare your acquisition package, DISA’s SATCOM Support Center personnel will confirm that you have an SDB number. Although lacking an SDB number is not part of the acquisition process and does not preclude commercial satellite access, per CJCSI 6250.01D, it will be required on the SAR. The SAR is submitted after the acquisition process is completed and is used to generate the SAA to access your newly acquired bandwidth. Because obtaining an SDB number takes time, the earlier you obtain it, the easier it will be for you to gain DoD-authorized use of the assigned satel-lite post award.

You may reference the SDB Management Tool User’s Guide on SIPRNet or CJCSI 6250.01D for more details regarding the submission process for SDB requirements.

dtcs closed-net suBscription serVice

In 2009, the Distributed Tactical Communications System (DTCS) met an urgent operational need for tactical communica-tions in austere environments. Since then, many improvements, such as increasing the range of a net from 100 to 250 miles, have been made to this critical communications system. Now, the COM-SATCOM Center’s Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services (EMSS) Division offers the customer closed-net services for radios. This means that the user can quickly and cost-effectively increase their tactical communication capabilities through DDOE.

Many commands use multiple nets to allow for greater flex-ibility on existing DTCS radios. For instance, multiple nets offer users the ability to be part of a small private network while still maintaining compatibility and accessibility with the larger overall command. Another popular reason for subscribing to additional nets is to have networks dedicated to different capabilities. A com-mand could have one network dedicated to voice and another one dedicated to location tracking. The nets and radios offer custom-ers communication services in a 250-mile range of the transmit-ting user. They eliminate the need:

• For frequency usage in foreign countries • To de-conflict frequency• For local infrastructure

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To order this type of capability, the customer will need to submit a TR on DDOE. Each DTCS device has the capacity to con-nect to 15 nets. However, the customer may subscribe to only one network per TR.

To begin the ordering process, customers with a DDOE account will create a new TR and select “EMSS (Iridium)” for the service type. Next, under the “New Services—Start Action” menu, select “Subscribe to DTCS Closed-Net Subscription Service.” When creating the TR, indicate if the network will reside in an existing domain, such as CENTCOM, PACOM or EMSS, or a new domain. If a new domain is required, please email the DTCS program office before submitting the TR at [email protected].

Quick tips—tHe performance Work statement

Upon receiving a request for COMSATCOM services, the COM-SATCOM Center prepares several documents that will eventually become a full acquisition package that fits an individual customer’s need.

Per standard acquisition guidelines of the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (https://www.ditco.disa.mil/contracts/it_instruct.asp), an acquisition package may include at a minimum the performance work statement (PWS), quality assur-ance surveillance plan, evaluation plan, CLIN list, the independent government cost estimate and the market research report. In this article, we’d like to focus specifically on the PWS—a significantly important document of the acquisition package.

The PWS as described by the Federal Acquisition Regulation is “a statement of work for performance-based acquisitions that describes the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes.” A PWS needs to be well written to help us acquire the best SATCOM solution for your mission. Therefore, providing as many details as possible about your requirements will help us create a PWS that best fits your needs.

There are a few ways to help the acquisition team develop a document that shows what capabilities you require versus one that

offers only one solution. Here are some tips to ensure you have sup-plied the COMSATCOM Center with the most useful information to create a successful PWS and a successful contract:

State the requirement, not the solution. A PWS should be results-oriented; it should state what capabilities the service needs to fulfill their mission, not what the service believes the contractor should do to achieve that outcome. Contractors should have the opportunity to propose their best solution. This should result in receiving several various proposals (rather than identical contrac-tor-proposed solutions). The more options to choose from, the more tailored the solution may be.

Ensure the scope of the requirement is accurately captured. The scope should only include what is necessary for mission suc-cess. A scope that is too vague can result in undesired solutions; a scope that is too narrow can limit innovation and result in very high-cost solutions or no solutions at all.

Define measurable objectives. Performance-based contracts require measurable performance objectives that will be used to eval-uate contractor performance throughout the life of the contract.

The COMSATCOM Center retains a dedicated staff of engineers and acquisition specialists to assist with developing the most accu-rate PWS. We take your requirements and translate them into a suc-cessful request for quote that then gains articulate vendor responses to meet your acquisition needs. By following the above suggestions, we should be able to work together to find you the best solution. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at [email protected]. Developing a thor-ough PWS will help us deliver operationally responsive, customer-focused and cost-effective commercial SATCOM services to you.

For more information on the PWS and other defense acquisi-tion topics, please visit the Defense Acquisition University website at www.dau.mil/default.aspx. O

For more information, contact MIT editor Harrison Donnelly at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.

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After proving its value as a field identifica-tion tool for coalition forces in Afghanistan, biometrics technology is working its way into more and more aspects of military operations, as both government and industry seek new methods for capturing, storing and analyz-ing vast quantities of data about individuals’ unique physical characteristics.

While biometrics providers continue to refine their hardware and software offerings, the military is focusing on expanded use of eye, fingerprint and facial data in the tactical arena.

In recent months, for example, the Army signed a contract for engineering support for development of a tactical biometric collection capability to capture biometric data and enroll it into the Department of Defense’s enterprise authoritative biometric database. In addition, U.S. Special Operations Command and other members of the military and intelligence communities are currently evaluating tactical biometric devices, having solicited appropri-ate devices from industry this past fall.

In this Q&A interview in this issue, Douglas K. Wiltsie, program executive officer enterprise information systems for the Army, offered this assessment of the importance of tactical biometrics: “Biometrics is one of the game-changers in theater today. Biometrics and ISR have been the two game-changers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Biometrics has been instrumental in capturing more than 70 percent of all known or suspected terror-ists caught on the battlefield. This system is critical to our ability to catch insurgents in

the area of operation in Afghanistan.” (See page 16.)

There are numerous biometric mission profiles, but at the core they all seek to determine an individual’s identity to reveal whether he or she is a friend or foe, autho-rized or unauthorized, trusted or suspect. “Understanding with whom you are dealing is invaluable intelligence, and dictates the level of caution and course of action to be taken, which can ultimately result in the difference between life and death, success and failure,” commented John B. Hinmon, senior vice president of marketing for Cross Match, a provider of multimodal biometric identifica-tion solutions.

The intelligence analysis associated with biometrics data helps match a specific person or unknown identity to a place, activity, device or weapon. “Biometrics-enabled intelligence is used to identify persons of interest, which can ultimately lead to his or her inclusion on a biometrically enabled watch list,” Hinmon said.

A report last spring by the Government Account-ability Office (GAO-12-442) underscored the broad scope of biometrics and related bio-metrics-enabled intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan, where from 2004 to 2011 the U.S. military collected biomet-ric data more than 1.6 million times. From among more than 1.1 million persons tested,

biometrics successfully identified approxi-mately 3,000 known enemy combatants.

The report also identified a number of issues with biometrics programs, however, including minimal biometrics training for leaders; challenges with ensuring the com-plete, accurate and timely transmission of biometrics data; and the absence of a require-ment to disseminate biometrics lessons learned across DoD. “As a result, these issues limit the effectiveness of biometrics as an intelligence tool and may allow enemy com-batants to move more freely within and across borders,” the report warned.

intel tool

Today biometrics is helping soldiers with intelligence information in a host of ways. For one, terrorists “hide in plain sight” and blend into normal activities, using disguises, false identities and other techniques.

“Biometrics cuts through these tech-niques and quickly identifies individuals very accurately and in a way that is very diffi-cult to fool,” commented Bob Kaufman, vice president and division manager for SAIC, which won the recent Army contract.

As an intelligence tool, biometrics and identity man-agement capabilities have pro-vided the advantage needed to positively identify persons of

military seeks expanded tactical collection capaBilities for fast-groWing identification tecHnology.

John hinmon

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By karen e. tHuermer, mit correspondent

[email protected]

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interest and to discover associations between individuals and their activities (through, for example, fingerprints on terrorist bomb frag-ments).

“The fusing of biometric information with other intelligence information, such as cell phone transmissions and data gathered from IED lab exploitation, provides a means to identify persons of interest through unique human identifiers like facial features, finger-prints and iris patterns, which are the most popular and widely used biometrics today,” remarked Kaufman.

As technology evolves, a number of other “unchangeable” identifiers will be brought to the battlefield. “These unique biometric identification technologies enable our soldiers in harm’s way to find, extract and detain potentially dangerous persons of interest from the popula-tion,” he said.

Lisa Kimball, vice presi-dent of DMDC operations for Telos Identity Management Solutions, pointed out that in many parts of the world, trusted identification creden-tials are nonexistent. “Where they are available, credentials—to include official U.S. and foreign national cards—are often easy to alter,” she said. “One can reason-ably expect that there is a robust black market for counterfeited credentials.”

As such, an identification credential alone cannot provide a soldier with the assurance needed to trust the individual holding that card—whether that person is attempting to gain access to a military facility or is sharing information. “Biometric technology can alle-viate much of the guess-work in making trust/no trust decisions,” Kimball said.

Three-factor identification is the current “gold standard” in ascertaining identity in the field. If an individual has possession of a cre-dential, can correctly respond to a biographic question and/or affirm a personal identifica-tion number, and can provide a biometric match, the questioner can trust with a high degree of certainty. But things get more com-plicated if no credential is available or there is no data record specific to the individual in question.

“America’s warfighters must have tech-nologies at their disposal which allow them to collect and verify identities,” she stressed. “Portable biometric collection devices enable just that. In and out of combat zones, soldiers are able to collect biographics and biometrics,

data which is then aggregated and analyzed and, subsequently, may be used to connect the dots, even in remote places around the world.”

Biometrics integration

Biometrics is being integrated into Army intelligence analysis by way of physical access control, electronic force protection and iden-tity management systems that empower U.S. armed forces to manage and protect person-nel and property, according to Kimball. “It also has enabled blue force personnel to get ‘bad operators’ off the streets,” she said.

By way of example, in-theater biometric collection and analysis has resulted in posi-

tive connections of suspects to improvised explosive devices. “Use of these technologies saves lives,” she emphasized.

The process used to inte-grate biometrics information into the intelligence cycle is known as biometric-enabled intelligence (BEI). It pro-vides an analytical baseline by resolving identities through high-confidence biometric matching and fusion with

other sources of intelligence to positively identify the person in question. BEI, when fused with all-source intelligence, is trans-forming battlefield situational awareness.

“Analysis formerly done by large analytical teams over days or weeks is now being done by computers, with previously unachievable speed and accuracy,” Kaufman said.

To cite a few examples, a watchlist “hit” during a biometrics screening reveals that a local national has ties to an insurgent net-work, leading to denial of his employment at a U.S. military installation overseas. An Army all-source analyst, while conducting intel-ligence preparation of the battlefield, develops geospatial plots of biometric and other data that reveal the operational patterns of an insurgent improvised explosive device net-work operating in his unit’s area of operations. A brigade combat team security officer plans focused biometric enrollment operations in conjunction with routine patrolling.

Three keys to multi-intelligence fusion are identity, location and time. “Biometrics provides a unique identity for each of us that can rapidly be searched, retrieved and fused by computers,” Kaufman explained.

This fixes and freezes the identity of indi-viduals at lightning speed and allows for the rapid correlation of information across

different INTs. This "match efficiency" pro-vides a dramatic increase in the speed and accuracy of analysis.

“Through BEI, we can focus our resources with confidence that our attention is on the correct individual,” he concluded.

standards deVelopment

A number of companies are involved in biometrics and making contributions for its advancement. SAIC, for one, has been an innovator in biometrics and forensics for 20 years. “Since 1993, SAIC has been on the fore-front of the evolving science that is driving biometrics/identity management technology,” Kaufman reported.

SAIC scientists and engineers have worked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and intel-ligence agencies to help develop, test and certify standards for biometrics technologies and products.

“SAIC has gained invaluable experience by serving federal government customers includ-ing the Army, DARPA, NIST, Navy, Coast Guard, the State Department in the areas of port and border security, and international surveillance and identification to include the warzones of Afghanistan and Iraq,” Kaufman revealed. “In each case, SAIC combines deep scientific experience in biometrics/identity management with operational experience that can only be gained by ‘going where our cus-tomer needs us’ in order to provide tailored, responsive solutions for our customers.”

Today SAIC scientists and engineers are working on a number of critical programs, as well as internal research and development efforts, to integrate biometric information with other intelligence information to provide collection, fusion and nodal analysis tools to the warfighter. “We are also reducing the size of biometric collection, storage and match-ing platforms through the use of new mobile technologies,” Kaufman added.

SAIC in January received a prime contract to provide software engineering maintenance and management services in support of the Quick Reaction Capabilities (QRC) managed by the Product Manager for Joint Personnel Identification (PM JPI). PM JPI will provide the U.S. military with a tactical biometric col-lection capability to aid in positively identify-ing actual or potential adversaries.

Under the contract, SAIC will provide software engineering maintenance and man-agement services to support PM JPI QRCs,

Lisa Kimball

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including sustainment of its design criteria and quality standards.

Cross Match Technologies is a provider of mobile multimodal biometric handhelds for U.S. and other foreign military and secu-rity organizations. The company makes the Secure Electronic Enrollment Kit (SEEK II) handheld, which combines forensic-quality fingerprint capture, rapid dual iris scan capa-bility and innovative facial capture technology. According to the company, the devices were selected for the Army Biometric Automated Toolset as the replacement for the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment from L-1 Identity Solutions (now Morpho-Trust USA).

Cross Match also provides a web-enabled biometric software platform called WEBS, which offers a modular, cloud-based approach to biometric services that improves security for personal information and reduces the overall cost of ownership. These are part of a wide range of civil ID, border, law enforce-ment and defense solutions offered.

SEEK provides an all-in-one FBI-certi-fied mobile fingerprint, iris, facial and demo-graphic data-capture handheld capable of creating and wirelessly communicating DoD Electronic Biometric Transmission Specifica-tion-compliant records in the field. “And the Mission Oriented Biometric Software on the device offers the operator the ability to load a 120,000-record watch list and immediately screen applicants regardless of network con-nectivity,” Hinmon added.  

To provide increasing value to its client base, TelosID is leveraging lessons learned from its many years of biometric technology development and implementation experiences within DoD.

“For instance, we are continually evolving our large-venue authentication and authoriza-tion control systems to include more efficient enrollment capabilities (biographic collection and biometric capture) and more expedient fingerprint-based background checks,” Kim-ball explained.

The company’s solution for fingerprint collection in support of FBI channeling ser-vices is now entirely web-based. “No work-station software is required and no personal information is left behind on the collection machine,” she said. “This makes the process both more efficient and more secure.”

neW applications

Building on the successes of the tech-nology in Southwest Asia, experts predict

biometrics will find previously unimagined applications throughout the range of military activities.

“Like the growth of aircraft use after World War I, our smart and innovative military forces will develop new ways to increase the benefits of biometrics through new concepts, doctrine and tactics,” commented Kaufman.

Application areas for biometrics continue to grow, with new work in fields such as border security, cybersecurity, critical infra-structure and health care. Kaufman predicts that technology will allow the increased col-lection of biometrics using common, mobile platforms, reducing the need for specialized biometrics collection equipment. “The accu-racy of voice and facial recognition biometrics will improve dramatically,” he said.

Biometrics is already being used as the basis of identity management and access control to sensitive data, allowing trace-ability between data and specific individu-als. Kaufman sees biometric modalities being developed and improved to allow the determi-nation of identity at long distances.

“Lastly, the lessons we are learning from biometrics is being applied to non-human objects, such as vehicles, aircraft and ships, thereby improving techniques used to identify these entities,” he concluded. “These initia-tives, when fused with other intelligence, will provide a powerful tool for the warfighter in tomorrow’s challenging conflicts.”

Kimball sees a key need to adjust biomet-ric collection and authentication technologies to meet social realities and cultural proclivi-ties of different populations.

“For example, in some parts of the world where manual labor is core to prevailing pro-fessions, fingerprints—fingers, for that mat-ter—are not readily readable or necessarily available,” she explained. “Hand geometry units, such as those that TelosID provides to DoD, are far more efficacious than fingerprint readers in those geographic areas. Similarly, in some parts of the world, direct eye con-tact, whether human-to-human or human-to-machine, is culturally contraindicated, so active retina or iris capture and read technol-ogy is untenable at best. In those instances, implementation of passive collection and scanning units is sensible. One can expect to see far more of this type of tuning: matching biometric capture and read technologies to specific situational requirements.”

But even higher on the list of needs, she added, is enhanced, automated data collection and intuitive data mining to assure that Amer-ica’s warfighters have reliable information,

gleaned from credible sources, immediately available to enable instantaneous, trusted decision-making.

Meanwhile, the goals of mobility and limiting size, weight and power continue to drive biometric initiatives within the mili-tary, as is true across much of the technol-ogy sector.  “This is particularly poignant in the defense and security sectors as mission-centric technology has proliferated,” Hinmon reported. 

The military also requires interoperability from devices and utilization of existing soft-ware investments. “We expect this to con-tinue as budgets tighten and agencies seek to stretch available funds,” he added.

Addressing this trend, this year Cross Match will be launching the SEEK Avenger, the next mobile multimodal handheld in the SEEK family. With reduced volume and weight, the latest in stand-off iris and fin-gerprint capture technologies, and a 1.6GHz Atom processor, the SEEK Avenger offers a lighter, smarter, faster multimodal device capable of running existing military software applications.

Cross Match also recently launched its Mobile Essentials SDK, expanding  integra-tion of its wireless Rapid ID fingerprint solu-tion to Android and BlackBerry smartphone platforms. O

For more information, contact MIT editor Harrison Donnelly at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.

the Secure electronic enrollment Kit (SeeK II) handheld combines fingerprint capture, rapid dual iris scan capability and innovative facial capture technology. [Photo courtesy of Cross match technologies]

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By Harrison donnelly

mit editor

Responding to a surge in usage, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has moved to increase the capacity of Defense Collabo-ration Online (DCO), its popular enterprise service for web meetings and other communication tools.

DCO use has soared in the past two to three months, DISA officials say, as budget restrictions on travel have led many users to opt for web meetings on DCO rather than face-to-face encounters. As a result, small but noticeable numbers of users—about 4 percent—have not been able to access the service during peak periods.

“The current budget restrictions within the department have really impacted all the agencies and services, including the combatant commanders. So our enterprise services, and particularly DCO, have been critical to them to continuing their missions. As such, it has experienced unprecedented growth in the past 90 days. The demand has exceeded the current capacity, and we have made multiple efforts to alleviate that. The bottom line is that our commitment to mission partners has never wavered as we’ve gone through this challenge,” said Alfred Rivera, DISA director of enterprise services.

DISA planned to double the capacity of the system—from 4,000 to 8,000 simultaneous users—by mid-February, according to Jen-nifer Carter, DISA component acquisition executive. “The intent is to double system capacity within the next few weeks, which will alle-viate the near-term load. We also have plans to adapt the approach we’re using for a longer-term acquisition strategy to make sure we can stay ahead of projections, with more of a risk margin, and to be able to more dynamically adapt to changes in the scope and capacity of requirements,” she said.

The expansion comes at a time when the growth of DCO use, even before the recent upswing, had made the service into a major element of Department of Defense operations. DCO offers services such as screen sharing, mobile device support, VoIP audio, whiteboarding, video conferencing, PowerPoint, chat and file shar-ing.

In calendar year 2012, for example, DCO users totaled 562 million minutes of web conferencing, with more than 150 million minutes in the last three months of the year. As Mark Mills, vice

disa expands serVice capacity as Budget-limited military users sWitcH from

traVeling to meetings to accessing tHem online.

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president of Carahsoft and DCO program manager, noted, that equals more than 1,000 years of meetings.

DCO is managed by DISA’s Program Executive Offices Enter-prise Services in conjunction with a team from Carahsoft and Adobe. The system leverages Adobe Connect web conferencing and Cisco Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol solutions.

capacity issues

DISA officials acknowledged during a recent press conference that they had not fully anticipated and prepared for DCO’s explosive growth throughout its six years of existence. But they vowed to ensure that the recent capacity issues would not recur.

“When we launched the service in 2007, we had the ability to handle an unlimited number of users on the system, but we also had a limit on the number of users who can be on the system at any one time. In 2007, the limit was set to 2,000, simply because we didn’t understand the demand within the department,” said John Hale, chief of enterprise applications.

“Over the years, as we’ve monitored usage of the system, and as demand reaches a threshold, we’ve added more concurrent user capacity onto the system,” he said. “We had been doing that for years, staying one step ahead of user demand. We had planned on expanding the capacity of the current system this summer. But because of budget and travel restrictions, the usage of the system skyrocketed over the past 60 to 90 days.

“Right now, we have the ability to handle 4,000 concurrent users at any one time, even as we have more than 800,000 users.

That’s a hard limit at this point, so the 4,001st user is getting denied the ability to use the service. Our plan is to resolve that shortly, as well as moving toward long-term resolution,” Hale explained.

The recent service problems have affected perhaps 150 potential users during peak periods, which have tended to occur on Wednes-days and Thursdays, when many commanders hold key operational meetings.

Another factor in the usage surge has been the growth of mobile users, who have been able to access the system with Android devices, and more recently via iOS products. The bulk of usage is still on traditional platforms, however.

In addition, Rivera noted, “It’s not just meetings, but also a lot of use by the operations community as part of their troubleshoot-ing for systems, across the whole enterprise. You see a lot of people exercising this from a ‘triage’ perspective, working out problems across multiple communities. That has been adopted by a lot of people.

“We’ve been working this hard, and our plan is to get to a level of capability that will assure that we can minimize limitations. We’re also moving forward in working to expand the capability so that we have a scalable model, so that we don’t run into this as use continues to grow,” Rivera vowed. O

For more information, contact MIT editor Harrison Donnelly at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.

www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 17.2 | 11

Apples for Access

After enabling access to Android mobile devices begin-ning last spring, the Defense Collaboration Online (DCO)

team of Carahsoft and Adobe recently announced that the newest release of the DCO Connect Mobile app is available

for iOS devices.The announcement followed the team’s recent release of a

major update to its DCO Connect Mobile app for Android devices, enabling anywhere, anytime mobile collaboration leveraging Adobe

Connect web conferencing across the more than 800,000 Department of Defense users. The DCO Connect Mobile app for iOS delivers hosting,

presenting and sharing controls to fully drive collaboration and fulfill the many different use cases DoD personnel have for collaboration while operat-

ing in a mobile environment. Indeed, the expansion to iOS was in response to the popularity of Apple

devices among DoD users and other consumers. “DCO is being used by more and more DoD employ-

ees, both military and civilian, as well as contractors. What we’ve seen is that as folks use this capability, particularly for

the web conferencing aspect, they are using different devices to connect, including mobile devices. A lot of people are using Apple

and iOS products, so based on user feedback, this was one of the things we were asked to do,” said Mark Mills, Carahsoft vice president and DCO

manager.The app offers smartphone and tablet capabilities that include starting and end-

ing meetings, managing participants, presenting content and enabling video conferenc-ing. Additional functionality is available for tablet devices.

Mark Mills

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The intelligence community will roll out the first version of its transformed information infrastructure this spring, according to officials at a February panel session focused on the developing intelligence community information technology enterprise (IC ITE) initiative.

Initial operating capability for the IC ITE will comprise a standard desktop supporting the Defense Intelligence Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, a government cloud service provided by the National Security Agency, and an applica-tion “mall” offering access to specific capabilities, Jill Singer, chief information officer of the National Reconnaissance Office, said at a panel discussion sponsored by the Intelligence and National Secu-rity Alliance (INSA) and Nextgov.

The session highlighted release of the first installment of a report on the IC ITE put together by an INSA task force chaired by Paige Atkins, a former Defense Information Systems Agency official who currently serves as vice president for cyber and IT research at the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corp.

Also appearing at the workshop along with Singer and Atkins was Gus Hunt, chief technology officer for the CIA.

The report, entitled “IC ITE: Doing in Common What is Com-monly Done,” incorporates interviews with senior IC officials on their efforts to develop and implement the initiative, which calls for changing from the historically agency-centric IT approach to

a new model for a common architecture and operations as a com-munitywide enterprise.

While the initial impetus for the initiative, which seeks to reduce the intelligence community’s IT costs by 20 percent by 2018, has been the current and looming budget restraints, officials emphasized that the changes will help agencies better achieve their missions.

“We are unable to do our jobs, individually and collectively, without a strong IT footprint and foundation,” said Singer. “So IC ITE will have a positive impact on our mission and business areas and [on our] enterprise-like services. The intention is to approach things from a shared-services perspective. We are all doing our own things, but our goal is to use game-changing technologies to help us apply those for better integration across the IC.”

money and mission

Getting to the goal of a 20-percent savings in IT will take some initial investments and a willingness to compromise, participants acknowledged.

“We have talked from the beginning about a goal of a 20-percent savings in real IT dollars,” said Singer. “But achieving a 20-percent target means that you’re going to need some investments in the early years. So the ramp-up for savings will go through the end of the program in 2018.

www.MIT-kmi.com12 | MIT 17.2

report explores neW model for a common information arcHitecture and operations asan enterprise across tHe intelligence community.By Harrison donnelly, mit editor

O

O

O

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“We need to spend some money to make sure that the cloud infrastructure that we need is at the level that we need it and has the capacity we require, and that the desktop we create can support not just the big intelligence agencies, but the others as well. That will mean that no one’s desktop now is perfect for all of us. We’re not going to get a perfect desktop, but it will take a bit of invest-ment to ensure we have the opportunity to make a leap in technol-ogy where it makes sense,” she added.

But along with achieving savings through shared services and greater efficiencies, panelists said, the focus of IC ITE is on strengthening support for intelligence agencies’ missions.

“The business of intelligence is not IT, although IT is the enabler, because everything we do comes down to digital bits of information,” said Hunt. “The role of IC ITE is to enable us to conduct our business with ever-greater capabilities, efficiencies and security.”

The three fundamental tenets of the initiative are finding efficiencies in the system, ensuring security and enabling organi-

zations to conduct business more effectively in the future, he said, adding, “We have to keep in mind that

it is always about the mission.”Hunt pointed in particular to the benefits of estab-

lishing a secure government computing cloud, which will enable agencies to get quick access to computing capabili-

ties without having to create their own infrastructures.“In the past, whenever we wanted to do something new, it

would take us weeks or months to be able to bring in the nec-essary information technology in order to get the job done. In

the meantime, all the work is languishing because of the fact that it takes so long to get the infrastructure in place,” Hunt observed.

“What’s happening in the cloud world is that we’re going to get rid of all the friction,” he said. “When we have the cloud, our expec-tation is that when we have the cloud up and running, you can have all your capacity and provisioning available within minutes. That means that there will be no wait to get things accomplished. The capability and resources are instantaneously there, and there is no lag time and overhead. The mission can get stuff faster from the enterprise than people can build their own systems.”

common serVices

The report by the task force of INSA, which has close ties to the intelligence community, was especially valuable because it was based on interviews with a number of intelligence agency CIOs and other leaders, who have been working on the IC ITE over the past year with a minimum of public fanfare.

Task force members also spoke with Department of Defense officials, who have been developing a similar shared-infrastructure framework known as the Joint Information Environment (JIE). Noting that more than 70 percent of the IC actually resides within DoD, the report underscores the importance of having IC ITE at least “directionally synchronized” with JIE.

“To be mutually successful, efforts must be supported to improve existing intersecting governance—where multiple parties with vastly different missions, functions and challenges must be aligned on critical issues,” the report urges.

Turning to the specific challenges and opportunities of defining a common IT approach for the IC, the report addresses a number of issues, including:

• IT shared service model. Agencies have to decide what IT services it makes sense to share, and those that address unique or specialized needs, which are better handled by each organization separately. “Ideal IT functions for shared services should have low strategic impact on the organizations involved while achieving significant economies of scale,” the report says.

• Common IT service-level agreements. To share services efficiently, agencies will have to jointly create standardized service definitions, especially in cloud computing.

• Culture. As is often the case with far-reaching IT initiatives, cultural changes within organizations will be key to the shift to a shared architecture and services model, as the report says, which is “driven by the overarching need to share mission-related data.”

• Governance. Current IT governance models within the IC—which focus on controlling access to limited resources rather than taking advantage of less expensive options—may be blocking implementation of effective new technologies, the report warns. In thinking about new models, officials need to address issues such as how customer requirements can be incorporated in the cycle, and how commercial technology can be fairly and fully leveraged by all.

• Security. Since traditional methods of securing data will not be enough once data is more easily shared, the IC needs to develop new standards that protect data as individual elements rather than at the system level.

• Workforce development. Some of the savings from shared services will need to be invested in retraining employees previously focused on system administration and narrow subject areas. What is needed, the report argues, is “a government IT workforce comprised of generalists who have a greater blend of skills to manage the increasingly complex systems and an agile contractor workforce that has the expertise to fully implement the program.”

The report concludes with a quote from Al Tarasiuk, the IC CIO who has been leading the transformation initiative: “We have no choice but to move in this direction. The budget situation was the impetus that put us over the top to move in this direction. This has been tried before, but the culture has already resisted and the budget has been growing for many years.

“But the reality now is that none of our agencies are going to have enough money to deal with the kind of requirements we have, especially when you look at big data, mass analytics and things like that. No agency will be able to handle the volumes and the intensity of the data that’s coming in. The only way we can do this and be effective is to do this together,” Tarasiuk said. O

For more information, contact MIT editor Harrison Donnelly at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.

www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 17.2 | 13

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Data ByteS

Network Management System Adds Anomaly AnalysisKratos Networks has announced a new release of its

flagship network management and situational aware-ness product, NeuralStar, that adds anomaly analysis and event pattern recognition capabilities. The new release also provides real-time intelligence for ensuring optimal performance, increased availability, enhanced cybersecurity protection and informed decision-making. Unlike the time-consuming manual threshold approach used by many enterprises today, NeuralStar enables network operators to rapidly isolate and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks and suspicious activity on

the network. Using a wizard-driven interface, network managers can automatically create dynamic activity-baselines across the IT infrastructure. Dynamic thresh-olds can also be set above and below baseline values so that alerts are received if network traffic levels spike or drop dramatically, so performance and security issues can be rapidly detected and resolved before any impact occurs. With the new release, enterprise management capabilities have been enhanced to enable operators to quickly adapt to security threats and performance issues across distributed sites.

Security Platform Gains Common Criteria Certification

The LogRhythm 6 Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform has been awarded Common Criteria Certification at Evaluation Assurance Level 2+. As a result, it meets the strict security require-ments of all government agencies, which can now deploy LogRhythm to detect, defend against and respond to increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats. Government agencies and other organizations rely on the inter-nationally recognized set of security standards for evaluation of computer security products. Common Criteria certified products carry an unbiased, third-party validation of their functional capabilities that is

recognized worldwide. LogRhythm 6 is the only SIEM platform with Common Criteria assurance, FIPS 140-2 certification and a Certificate of Networthiness from the Army. LogRhythm’s SIEM platform delivers advanced threat detection and response capabilities to meet the needs of any government agency or commercial orga-nization. It combines log and event management, file integrity monitoring and host activity monitoring into a single integrated solution, enabling organizations to improve the visibility, response and security of critical environments, while remaining compliant with strict U.S. military standards.

Mobile Solution Provides Encrypted Communications

The AME 2000 Secure Mobile Solution from Motorola Solutions is based on Motorola’s Assured Mobile Environment (AME) solution, which combines a COTS device with hardware and software to provide end-to-end encrypted voice and data communications through private or public wireless networks to support the missions of federal agencies. The AME 2000 features a smartphone with an Android-based operating system. End-to-end AES 256/NSA Suite B encrypted voice services and messaging are capable between AME-equipped devices, and a Suite B IPSec virtual private network provides secure data-in-transit between a mobile device and a customer enterprise through private and public broadband networks. The AME 2000 implements government-sponsored security recommenda-tions from Security Enhanced Android to provide enhanced security policy controls through assured pipelines so processes cannot be bypassed or hijacked by flawed or malicious applications. In addition, the Motorola CRYPTR micro, a hardware security module in a microSD form factor that meets FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and Suite B standards, provides the AME 2000 with tamper protection for keys, tokens and certificates, and performs high-assurance cryptographic operations.

Army Links Manpack Radios

to Mobile SATCOM System

The Army has ordered kits to upgrade 100 General Dynamics-built Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit AN/PRC-155 two-channel Manpack radios to enable them to communicate with the military’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satel-lite communications system. This MUOS channel upgrade, comprising a field-replaceable power amplifier and supporting software, will allow secure voice and data communication with the MUOS system. The order is valued at $5 million, and the kits will be delivered in the fall. The two-channel PRC-155 Manpack radio also runs the essential waveforms from the Department of Defense library. They include the Soldier Radio Waveform that connects dismounted soldiers to the network, the Wideband Networking Waveform that seam-lessly transports large amounts of data, and the legacy SINCGARS waveform for communication with existing radios. Using the PRC-155’s two-channel capa-bility, soldiers operating on any one of these waveforms on one channel, can interconnect with soldiers using another wave-form on the second channel. With the MUOS capability in the PRC-155, a network of soldiers can be interconnected with others in a distant location. The MUOS waveform, based on the communications interface found in commercial cellular networks, will deliver high-speed voice and data communications and 10-times greater capacity than the military’s current Ultra High Frequency satellite communica-tions system.

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Compiled by Kmi media Group staff

End-to-End Communications

Support Intelligence Customer

Harris CapRock Communications, a global provider of fully managed communications for remote and harsh environments, has teamed with AIS Engineering to provide end-to-end solutions to an intel-ligence community customer under a Custom Satellite Solutions (CS2) Small Business task order. The order includes one base year and four option years, valued at a minimum of $10 million if all option years are exercised. Under the agreement, the companies will provide the customer with U.S. satellite, teleport, terres-trial and engineering services. The solution also enables the customer with multiple options to procure these same custom end-to-end communications solutions globally. CS2 is part of the Future Commercial SATCOM Acquisition (FCSA) program, which is managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) in partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency. Harris CapRock is an approved vendor on other elements of the FCSA program, transponded capacity and subscription services, which are managed through the GSA Federal Supply Schedule 70 vehicle.

Cryptographic Module Sought for Multifunctional Terminals

On behalf of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Program Office, SPAWAR has awarded a $34 million firm fixed-price contract to ViaSat for the design, development and production of a cryptographic module (LCM) for the MIDS Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) Block Upgrade 2. The contract encompasses the development, proto-type delivery, testing and integration of a cryptographic module that is designed to be inte-grated into a variety of MIDS-LVT hardware variants. The award also calls for production of approximately 10,000 LCMs for retrofit of all MIDS-LVT hardware in service at the conclusion of the development. MIDS-LVT terminals provide secure, high-capacity, jam-resistant digital data and voice communications for Navy, Marine Corps, Army and foreign tactical aircraft, and also for shipboard and ground-based air control personnel.

Upgrades Ease Use of Fly-Away Satellite TerminalNorsat International has announced the launch of GlobeTrekker 2.0, an

upgraded and more feature-rich model of their popular fly-away satel-lite terminal. Upgrades to the auto-acquisition terminal are the result of feedback from key military and enterprise customers, including the NATO Communications and Information Agency, with which the company worked to produce the DART+ line of fly-away terminals. The re-engi-neered GlobeTrekker is now lighter, more field serviceable and faster to deploy while maintaining its rugged design. Important feature additions to GlobeTrekker make the terminal easier and more intuitive to use for operators of all skill levels. The GlobeTrekker now includes a one-touch user interface and maintains its easy tool-free assembly process, enabling rapid deployment in less than 15 minutes. Auto-acquire technology is provided by Norsat’s LinkControl software. The GlobeTrekker is undergoing Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) certification to allow for operation on the 10-satellite WGS constellation for use by U.S. and other WGS-enabled military forces.

Low Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation Supports Mobile Services

Six new second-generation Globalstar satellites have been successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch services provider Arianespace confirmed that the upper stage accurately injected the six second-generation satellites into their targeted low earth orbit of approximately 920 km. Globalstar reported that all six satel-lites have been successfully acquired following separation from the Dispenser and Fregat Upper Stage. Globalstar has begun initial satellite in-orbit testing, and all six spacecraft were operating normally. The launch represents a major milestone for the mobile satellite services industry, the company said, as Globalstar is the first to successfully deploy a second-generation constellation of low earth orbit satellites. Globalstar expects to place these final six second-generation satellites into commercial service by this summer, with the first two being raised and placed into service by the end of February. These new satellites are designed to last for 15 years, twice the lifespan of Globalstar’s first-generation satellites. The Globalstar second-generation satellite constellation is designed to support the company’s current lineup of voice, duplex and simplex data products and services, including its SPOT-branded consumer products, which have initiated over 2,000 rescues worldwide.

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Innovation DelivererProviding Systems That Touch Every Soldier Every Day

Q&AQ&A

Douglas K. Wiltsie assumed command of the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) on October 5, 2011. His responsibilities include program manage-ment of more than 60 Department of Defense and Army acquisi-tion programs across the business, war fighting and enterprise information environment mission areas. These systems sup-port Army- and DoD-wide communications, logistics, medi-cal, finance, personnel, biometrics, training and procurement operations. He also has responsibility for five major enterprise resource-planning efforts representing a projected Army invest-ment of $8 billion over their life cycles. The PEO EIS organi-zation consists of approximately 2,650 military, civilian and contractor staff around the world, and executes approximately $4 billion per year.

Prior to his assignment as PEO EIS, Wiltsie was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in June 2008 and served as the deputy program executive officer for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors until October 2011. In this position, he was responsible for the development, acquisition, fielding and life cycle support of the Army’s portfolio of intelligence, electronic warfare and target acquisition programs.

Previously, Wiltsie served as the assistant deputy for acqui-sition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology from 2004 to 2008. He also has held a wide range of acquisition and technology positions in ISR and other fields.

Wiltsie holds an M.S. in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech.

Wiltsie was interviewed by MIT Editor Harrison Donnelly.

Q: Recognizing that the situation is fluid and may even change before this interview goes into print, how would you describe your strategy for preparing for the possibility of sequestration and other fiscal restrictions?

A: Obviously, sequestration and the continuing resolution have an impact on what we do. We’re trying to minimize the impact on the users, the systems and the team, because the services we provide are critical to the business of the Army. The major thing

that gets affected is velocity—how fast we can move in both development and deployment of our critical capabilities. The performance shouldn’t change right now, but it’s just how fast we can go.

My biggest concern is the effect that the combination of sequestration and the continuing resolution have on our ability for the enterprise resource planning [ERP] systems to meet audit-ability. There is some risk now, because we can’t move as fast as we had planned. So we’re watching that impact almost on a daily basis to make sure we’re OK in order to meet the congressionally mandated 2017 audit readiness timeline.

The announcement from Secretary Panetta regarding fur-loughs is going to put a lot of pressure on us. It’s a big impact on the people here—a really heavy thing for all of us to deal with. We’re trying to make it as manageable as possible, understanding that the restrictions are what the restrictions are and that we are all in this together. The manpower issue, though, is also a factor in our abilities. As the fiscal landscape changes, these are really the constraints that I’m trying to balance as we go forward.

Q: Budgetary concerns aside, what are your key priorities for 2013?

A: I’d put them in four groups. The first is to continue to deliver innovative capabilities to the field. I made a statement a few

Douglas K. WiltsieProgram Executive Officer

Enterprise Information Systems U.S. Army

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months ago, which finally hit me, that our systems touch every soldier, everywhere, every day. We have to continue to push both the capabilities we provide to build the IT infrastructure and the network, and the ERPs, because they are critical to the Army’s overall strategy.

The second is to be proactive in our ability to adapt to the new budget realities. We need to be able to set the priorities for both programs and systems, within and across programs, so that we can instantly adjust as the budget changes. We need to be, as best we can, proactive.

We also need to ensure that the network modernization effort maintains forward momentum. Within PEO EIS, I have the responsibility to be the system architect for the evolving network that deals with the Generating Force—the posts, camps and sta-tions around the world. The network modernization is one of the top priorities for the Army and Department of Defense, so we’re working with the Army CIO/G-6, Army Cyber Command and NETCOM to establish the capability set that we need to develop, procure and field over the next several years.

The last piece is to continue the effort to streamline the IT acquisition process. This year we’re focused on two things: partnering with our Contract Command teammates to minimize the time it takes to get things awarded, and understanding their processes. They have a lot of responsibilities unique to their role that they need to meet—both statutory and regulatory require-ments that we need to understand—so we can build schedules accordingly, allowing everyone to move as fast as possible while meeting all the requirements. Part of that is also dealing with our partners in industry to make sure that they understand our timelines, and the requirements of what we are trying to either procure or develop, enabling quick responses with the right tech-nology. The other big effort that we’re focusing on is to develop a sustainment management construct for the ERPs, and how we transfer systems from production and fielding into sustainment, and the responsibilities that we have as lifecycle managers for those systems.

Q: One of your goals for last year was to improve the system of systems portfolio management structure. What did you do, and what results have you seen?

A: I also see four areas here. First, we organized the Colonel Project Managers by capability. What I mean by that is within a colonel’s organizations—for example, there is one for logistics led by Colonel Pat Flanders—he or she has everything inside the PEO EIS that deals with logistics. So the colonel can look across those programs and synchronize them, and owns everything on the logistics side. Colonel Pat Burden has the financial respon-sibility, and Colonel Robert McVay has the human resources responsibility. Colonel Clyde Richards has defense communica-tions, including big SATCOM and terrestrial communications. Colonel Debora Theall has the IT infrastructure, while Colonel Sandy Vann-Olejasz has the responsibility for biometrics, both collection and the database.

The second, as I mentioned before, is sustainment for the ERPs, to develop and establish an organic capability, where we can move ERPs that go into sustainment into one management construct, which will be part government and part contractor. The organization will allow us to maintain the configuration and

put in the fixes, enhancements that optimize its performance, and security patches. We’re developing that concept and working with our partners in Army Materiel Command, and have come to an agreement on how we’re going to execute.

We’re working with the CIO/G-6, NETCOM and Army Cyber Command on the network for the Generating Force, which goes to every post, camp and station. The CIO/G-6 has developed a concept called Capability Sets. That will allow us to plan capabili-ties that will be developed and fielded to the Army over a period of time. Right now we’re looking at four lines of effort—increased bandwidth, security, enterprise services and network operations. Together, we’re looking strategically across the entire network portfolio on what capabilities we need to provide, and when we need to provide them. We’re working with our partners in DISA to be able to leverage the enterprise work they have, and get ourselves aligned to ensure success for the Army, make it cost- efficient and also keep an eye on meeting the Joint Information Environment, which is the requirement for the network of the future. Our role in this effort is as the system architect for the Generating Force network. Within the PEO, we have Mr. Hari Bezwada, who is the system architect. He is architecting the Gen-erating Force network for CONUS, the Pacific, Europe and the Southwest Asia theaters.

Q: PEO EIS plays an important role in ERP programs. What are you doing to meet the new mandates to implement these systems?

A: The requirement is being led by the assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller. They are looking at auditability from an end-to-end process. We have sys-tems that are major players there. The General Fund Enterprise Business System [GFEBS] is the big general fund system that everyone is leveraging. We also have the Ground Combat Support System-Army [GCSS-A], which tracks the retail side of logistics and includes the financials. The Logistics Modernization Program [LMP] has the wholesale side of logistics, and will be the system that works with the Army Working Capital Fund for audit readi-ness.

There are two dates that we need to be able to hit—the state-ment of budgetary resources by FY14 and Armywide audit readi-ness by FY17. GFEBS plays heavily in the 2014 SBR goal, with LMP to a smaller degree, while GCSS-A is on pace to support the 2017 goals as of right now. GFEBS has been fully deployed, and is really one of the foundational elements of the Army’s auditability. LMP has one increment fielded, but it has another increment that goes to start next year. GCSS-A has just started to field, and is anticipated to complete fielding by early 2017.

Q: You head the Army’s center for ERPs, and the Government Accountability Office [GAO] has paid a lot of attention to the ERPs over the past few years. What are your thoughts on GAO's findings related to cost and schedule overruns, and what mea-sures have been taken to maintain cost/schedule controls?

A: The first thing I would say is that the GAO has a hard job in coming in and looking at these very complex programs, and for the most part the reports are fairly accurate. My primary concern about the audit reports is the time lapse between the fact-finding

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phase of the audit and the publishing of the final report. What has happened since the audit team engagement is that the programs have gotten bet-ter and continued to develop. You have to take into consideration the difference between the state of the program when the audit report comes out versus when they actually did the audit field work. If you look at the data as a snapshot in time, they’re absolutely right. But I think the programs have taken a lot of those comments and either had a plan to fix those issues, or taken the results that were coming from the audits and fixed them.

For the most part, the Army programs today are significantly better than what is reflected in the GAO reports. The other thing is that there are lessons learned that have been implemented, which either came from the GAO or other audits and inspections that have gone on. One lesson learned that has been implemented is a limitation of funds that can be expended before we get to Milestone B. We’ve incor-porated that into the LMP as its second increment comes into Milestone B. We’re happy to do that, and we agree that we need to bound how much money is expended. Everyone has insights into what we’re doing, and how much it costs, so that they can do the proper due diligence and oversight as we go forward. Those kinds of things have been incorporated from lessons learned, and we continue to get better.

Q: Could you highlight some of your major program successes, including GCSS-A, GFEBS and DoD Biometrics?

A: I’ll start with GFEBS, because this past summer it achieved full deployment. It is fully deployed across the Army, with limited exceptions. The system is operational across the Army, with 53,000 users in 227 locations across 71 countries. It is one of the founda-tional elements of the Army’s ability to manage its finances. The really important piece is not just auditability, but also the insights that it’s going to give the Army leadership at every echelon, from battalion to brigade to division to the general staff. It gives insights into what money is where and what it’s being spent on, and allows us to have a lot more insight into how money is being spent and what it’s purchasing in both services and products. That’s a very important thing.

The other great thing about GFEBS is that it subsumed, or retired, 68 legacy systems in total, and partially subsumed 49 sys-tems, which makes a very cost-effective program that also gives us the same common picture across the enterprise. There is one part of GFEBS that is still to go—the Sensitive Activities program, which will bring general fund auditability and accountability to special units and programs.

GCSS-A is another great ERP success story for the Army. It received its full deployment decision this past December, and we’re fielding it now. It’s going to field in two parts—wave one, which we’re fielding today, and wave two, which will start field-ing in FY15. The full system was tested in an operational test as Fort Bliss, Texas, and, while there is a small part that needs to be finished, for the most part, 95 percent of the system is complete. The system does three things. It allows logisticians to do property book, to track repairs and to control the supply system at the retail

level—the supplies that go from brigade on down. The first thing we’re going to field is the supply system, followed by the property book and the maintenance system. That’s going to go out to about 160,000 users across the globe—40,000 local instances of supply and logistic databases will be collapsed into one. This is a very important system for Army logistics and sustainment as we move into the future.

Biometrics is a phenomenal capability, and my hat goes off to the folks in PM Biometrics, and those that are working biometrics within the Office of the Provost Marshall. Biometrics is one of the game-changers in theater today. Biometrics and ISR have been the two game-changers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Biometrics has been instrumental in capturing more than 70 percent of all known or suspected terrorists caught on the battlefield. This system is critical to our ability to catch insurgents in the area of operation in Afghanistan.

The program has two parts. We have the handheld collectors, with which soldiers out in the field take biometric information from people from villages, checkpoints and entry points to forward operating bases in Afghanistan. They are collecting every day. The system houses a watch list of people who are either known terror-ists or suspected of terroristic activities. We’ll take the biometrics and compare with the watch list to determine if the person is someone we need to detain, or allow to proceed. That system is coupled with the Biometrics Enabling Capability, which is a data-base in West Virginia. That system is going through an upgrade now to improve its capability and capacity, and take us into the future. Starting about 18 months ago, we began fielding a new ver-sion of the handheld collector in the field, which gave us greater capability to collect. It is much faster than the old system and increases the size of the watch list, so we can put more suspected names and profiles into the system to improve our capability to catch suspected and known terrorists.

Q: PEO EIS is involved in a major project in South Korea. What are its goals?

Douglas Wiltsie and members of the General Fund enterprise Business System team met with Lt. Gen. William N. Phillips, principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the army for acquisitions, logistics and technology, during a recent visit. [Photo courtesy of PeO eIS]

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A: As the Army and DoD shift the focus to the Asia-Pacific region, one of the ongoing efforts at the strategic level between the U.S. and Republic of Korea has been an agreement called Strategic Alli-ance 2015. That agreement established a new alliance war fighting command structure between the two countries. Part of that agree-ment moves the U.S. down the Korean Peninsula, and relocates a large number of forces from the region around Seoul to an area known as Camp Humphreys, located near the Korean city of Pyeongtaek. Camp Humphreys has been there for a long time, and now is expanding. Our responsibility as part of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Strategic Alliance is to do all the C4I for the build-out of buildings at Camp Humphreys, which is a massive effort. There will be 600 new buildings, in an area that will be between one-third and one-half of the area of the District of Columbia when it’s done. It will be one of the largest U.S. posts in the world.

We are responsible for all the IT infrastructure and commu-nications pieces. We are supporting the Yongsan Relocation Plan and Land Partnership Plan, a collaborative agreement between the U.S. and Korea that will be executed it in three parts. Increment 1, awarded last summer, lays out the system engineering, system integration and some of the core infrastructure implementation, as well as a lot of the temporary communications. Increment 2, which should be awarded in July, will do the C4I capabilities across 550 new buildings at Camp Humphreys. Increment 3, to be awarded in February 2014, will take care of the C4I requirements for the new U.S. Forces Korea Command Center, and other new

C4I-intensive facilities at Camp Humphreys. As we build that out, it allows us to bring a lot of the data center consolidation into this construct, and also to modernize our capability in Korea. We continue to work the Pacific region, and pave the way for the Army to provide capability to every soldier, every day and everywhere.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: During these uncertain times, I’m proud to be part of this outstanding organization. As I said, I recently realized that our systems touch every soldier, every day and everywhere. That brings a tremendous responsibility, and we have the right team here at PEO EIS to execute that mission.

We continue to be committed to working with our industry partners to share as much information as we can about what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it. We need to continue to communicate and work together to continue to shape how we’re going to develop two of the critical capabilities for the Army—net-work modernization and the business systems needed to improve our efficiency and give the leadership more insight into what’s going on in regard to human resources, logistics and finance.

As we move through this time of budget uncertainty, I truly believe that we will continue to field what we have, and velocity is going to be the thing that we trade. As long as we are proactive in understanding what our priorities are, we can still accomplish the mission. O

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The U.S. military’s increasing reliance on satellite imagery and video feeds has challenged the Department of Defense to provide sufficient bandwidth to keep up with these information demands. The rich array of information being demanded by today’s warfighters requires a robust com-munications infrastructure to transport vast volumes of voice, data and video to enable decision-makers to gain situational awareness in real time.

To achieve these ends, DoD is increas-ingly relying on optical networking. The Defense Information System Network core, a key component of the Global Information Grid, represents a major DoD investment in optical technologies.

Optical bandwidth is also being incor-porated in various other levels of the DoD terrestrial infrastructure. A 2010 Depart-ment of the Army directive indicated that all camps, posts and stations undergoing modernization should adopt Gigabit Pas-sive Optical Networking (GPON)—a high-bandwidth point-to-multipoint network architecture—where feasible.

In some cases, optical fiber is being deployed all the way to end-users in instal-lations and offices. While that is cur-rently not the case at the network edge, technologies exist that could be adapted

to tactical wireless communications on the battlefield. Both DoD and commercial industry are looking at these technologies and discussing the possibilities.

“Optical networks provide physical layer, high-bandwidth pipes for transmitting digi-tal information across the globe,” said Matt Goodman, a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). “Dense wavelength divi-sion multiplexing, explored by DARPA two decades ago, enables a thin strand of glass optical fiber, as thin as a human hair, to carry nearly 100 different wavelengths, or channels of light. All chan-nels are transmitted simul-taneously and each channel can support 10 to 40 gigabits of data per second.”

Goodman’s program, known as Next Generation Core Optical Networks, or CORONET, seeks to advance optical networking by devel-oping a structure for the dynamic provisioning of net-working resources.

That’s how optical networks offer per-formance advantages, noted Charlie Stone, vice president of the enterprise team at Tellabs. “Optical networking devices can divide the light path in 88 different fre-quencies or colors, each one of which can

handle 100 gigabits per sec-ond,” he said.

“Optical networking increases capacity,” said Scott Wilkinson, vice president for product management and systems engineering at Hitachi Communication Technologies America. “You can get more data onto opti-cal cables than on copper wire. The physical infrastruc-ture can transport data over much longer distances. The networks don’t need repeat-ers, which means they are less expensive to build.”

Optical networks are also more secure than their elec-trical counterparts. “Copper wire emits radio frequency signals that can be tapped into without destroying the cable,” said Wilkinson. “That is not possible with optics.

currently deployed to end-users in installations and offices, optical tecHnologies could proVide tactical Wireless communications in tHe field.

Charlie stone

Matt Goodman

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[email protected]

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With optics you actually have to break the cable to hack the signal.”

BandWidtH capacity

Increases in the bandwidth capacity of optical channels have represented a key technology development over the last few years. “Optical networking, in terms of network architectures, control and man-agement, has not changed much techno-logically in over a decade,” said Goodman. “What have incrementally improved over time are wavelength modulation schemes, which increase the bandwidth capacity of optical channels, and the fidelity and sen-sitivity of transponders, which enable more wavelengths and channels per fiber. Cur-rently, 10- and 40- gigabit per second tran-sponders are commonplace, but 100-gigabit transponders are beginning to enter com-mercial telecommunications networks.”

“One of the biggest migrations that has occurred in recent years in the government space has been to passive optical network technology,” said Dennis Mooney, vice pres-ident for engineering and implementation services at Telos.

“Passive optical network using single-mode fiber eliminates 80 percent of the electronic components from a network,”

Mooney explained. “Traditional networks have a distance limitation of 100 meters before you need an electronic device like a switch or a hub to extend the network footprint another 100 meters. Single-mode fiber allows that distance to be extended to 20 kilometers. That way you can support an entire campus or military base with a single end-user device. Not only does the technology reduce overall costs by eliminating switches, but it also elimi-nates maintenance and envi-ronmental costs because you no longer have to have many communications closets.”

Extending the reach of fiber to and within com-mercial and government buildings, much as has been available for home technology use, has been another recent innovation. In the past, all GPON solutions were created for the residential market. But the Joint Interoperability Test Command recently certi-fied the Tellabs Optical LAN solution as government and enterprise ready.

The question remains as to whether and how optical networking might be extended to the network edge, specifi-cally for wireless tactical communications. “To date, no optical technology has been deployed to help the warfighter in that sort

of environment,” said Steve Richeson, director of busi-ness development at Harris RF.

“Some characteristics of optical networking could be beneficial in a tactical envi-ronment. For example, opti-cal signals are very difficult to jam. Also, the application of optics would free up some radio channels and would benefit spectrum manage-ment,” Richeson said, add-ing that Harris RF has not developed optical network-ing products for tactical communications but is con-sidering doing so.

Some of the latest optical networking com-ponents can extend the capacity of older, existing fiber. For example, Hitachi has introduced its AM6200

Dennis Mooney

scott Wilkinson

By peter BuxBaum

mit correspondent

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[email protected]

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wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) to various Army, Navy and Air Force instal-lations, including an Air Force base seek-ing to increase the data transfer capacity among the three buildings that house its data center.

Wavelength-division multiplexing allows multiple optical signals to be car-ried on a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths, or colors, of laser light to carry different signals. This allows for a multiplication in capacity, as well as bidirectional communications over one strand of fiber.

“The WDM combines 16 different sig-nals on one fiber,” said Wilkinson. “As a result, the old optical connections, which were running at 155 megabits per second, are now running at 100 gigabits per sec-ond, an increase of almost 1,000 times.”

lans and coronets

Tellabs’ optical LAN has been installed at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and at the Sandia National Laboratory, among other places. It is innovative in that it is being used to deploy optics not only between buildings, but also to individual end-users.

“The solution delivers a set of benefits,” said Jeff van Horne, Tellabs optical LAN product manager. “It reduces capital costs by up to 70 per-cent, trims power consump-tion by up to 80 percent, and shrinks the required floor, rack and closet space by up to 90 percent.”

At Sandia, officials estimate that the Tel-labs solution will reduce its power expendi-tures by 65 percent and will save 1 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

“We place a single aggregation device in a building, run single-mode fibers up the risers and then drop the fiber down to individual boxes in cubicles,” said van Horne.

As is the case with any optical data net-work, the optical signal must be converted to an electrical signal, which is transmitted to computers with a standard Ethernet con-nection before it can be used to process or store data. That is why, in the case of the Tellabs optical LAN, it is sometimes deployed by installing an optical network terminal in a communications closet on each floor, so that existing cabling can be used to connect the optics to individual users.

“The point, in either case,” explained van Horne, “is to get the optical signal as close to the end-user as possible.”

DARPA’s CORONET project seeks to bring dynamic optical networking to telecommu-nications. “It’s the next major advancement in optical network architectures, control and management,” said Goodman. “It will make big improvements in the operation of DoD optical networks.”

Current optical networks have relatively static point-to-point light circuits between nodes. “Changes to the circuit topology or the wavelengths employed are accomplished mostly manually over a period of hours or days,” said Goodman. “If successful, CORO-NET would provide the hardware specifi-cations, network control and management software, and algorithms and protocols to enable optical networks to become dynamic. That means they will be able to provision or switch optical circuits on the order of hun-dreds of milliseconds.”

Efficiencies under such a scheme could be achieved in multiple ways. “Much of the

packet routing on the optical network requires that opti-cal signals be converted to electronic signals to read the destination IP address,” Good-man explained. “This optical-to-electrical-back-to-optical translation is inefficient. Opti-cal switching is far cheaper per bit, in terms of power and equipment costs, than electri-cal IP routing.

“CORONET algorithms and control and management

Optical Networking Solution Offers Security and Reliability

Fujitsu and motorola mobility have announced the successful testing of an interoperable Giga-bit Passive optical networking-Wavelength Divi-sion multiplexing solution for the Department of Defense. The solution features Fujitsu’s Flashwave 9500 Packet optical networking Platform and motorola’s Passive optical lan (Pol) solution.

The two Joint interoperability Test Command-certified platforms demonstrated seamless inte-gration, providing DoD and other federal agencies with a new optical network solution that meets the government’s high standards of security, reliability, performance and efficiency.

Fujitsu’s Flashwave 9500 Packet onP is a standards-based solution that integrates key advanced networking technologies including cen-tralized l2 switching, roaDm and transmission up to 100G. The Fujitsu and motorola platforms demonstrate data sharing with minimal latency or jitter effects.

motorola’s Pol greatly simplifies enterprise network deployment, operation and management. Pol is based on proven GPon technology that delivers enhanced security, carrier-class reliability and significant power savings. motorola’s Pol solution also delivers tremendous cost savings.

“This collaboration with motorola is the latest example of Fujitsu’s commitment to meeting the communications needs of the federal government,” said Jeana Cunningham, vice president of federal sales, Fujitsu network Communications. “over the years, we’ve worked to attain u.s. government certifications and have placed many Fujitsu tech-nologies on DoD’s unified Capabilities approved

Products list. We will continue to work to meet the government’s need for ultra-reliable and secure bandwidth.”

“motorola is committed to developing high-performing solutions for government custom-ers that address the evolving demands on their telecommunications networks,” said Joe Coz-zolino, senior vice president and general manager of network infrastructure solutions for motorola. “We’re bringing DoD a solution that will greatly improve security and reliability as well as simplify network deployment, operation and management. in addition, our Pol technology delivers impressive cost savings, freeing up the budget for additional investments.”

The Flashwave 9500 Packet onP supports Connection-oriented ethernet, roaDm and soneT/sDh. By combining circuit- and packet-based switching into a single platform, govern-ment organizations can transition from a legacy infrastructure to a converged core that transports TDm alongside new GPon traffic. The simultane-ous support for multiple traffic types allows gov-ernment agencies to leverage existing technology investments while migrating to a next-generation network infrastructure.

With the addition of Fujitsu’s 100G Transpon-der and 100G muxponder cards, the Flashwave 9500 Packet onP further expands network capac-ity, improves spectral efficiency and lowers the cost per bit of optical transport. With up to 88 channels, the Flashwave 9500 Packet onP is capable of providing up to 8.8 Terabits of network capacity.

Jeff Van horne

[email protected]

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software would enable packets to stay in the optical domain through multiple nodes and amplifiers until they reach their destination node. Dramatically decreasing the amount of conversions at each node would sharply reduce the capacity required for relatively costly IP routers.”

Fewer optical-to-electrical conversions and IP router capacity requirements also means less equipment cost and power con-sumption.

CORONET also aims to enable bandwidth on demand. “Customers requiring high band-width, such as wavelength services on the order of one to 100 gigabits per second, typi-cally pay for a static, full-bandwidth connec-tion whether or not it is fully utilized,” said Goodman. “Bandwidth on demand would enable high-bandwidth connections to be set up and regulated as needed. This would be a cost savings to the customer, and would free up capacity for the carrier.

“This scenario would be particularly ben-eficial in connecting large data and high-performance computing centers which have high bandwidth requirements for short peri-ods of time. DARPA is exploring the advan-tages that a dynamic reconfigurable optical physical layer might provide to cloud com-puting,” he added.

CORONET also seeks to enable the opti-cal network as a whole to operate more efficiently by allowing a telecommunications operator to collapse and aggregate optical transmissions to fewer wavelengths and tran-sponders during periods of low demand, and then seamlessly expand capacity as needed.

“The dynamic networking and band-width-on-demand capabilities could be used to reconfigure a network to make it resilient to failures,” said Goodman. “The intent of the CORONET program is to enable networks to recover from multiple simultaneous failures like those that could result from a natural disaster or a hostile act. If successful, CORO-NET would enable a fast and efficient restora-tion scheme that rapidly adjusts the network topology and link capacities to obviate the effects of failures to the maximum extent possible. Rapid and efficient restoration is a low-cost benefit of dynamic networking.”

CORONET is not developing any hard-ware, however. “It will be up to industry to make the necessary changes and adaptations to optical nodes to fully enable the CORO-NET vision,” said Goodman.

Goodman foresees future advancements in transponder technology and wavelength modulation schemes that hold the promise

of greater network bandwidth capacities in the future. “Fortunately, CORONET is com-patible with many modulations schemes and will not likely to be overtaken by new transponder technologies,” he said. “Optical communications technologies are continu-ing to make inroads in the information infrastructure all the way down to the circuit boards and processor chips.”

Wireless eVolution

Optical networking will likely play an increasingly important future role in wire-less communications, both for local area networking within installations, allowing personnel not to be tethered to their desks, as well as in tactical communications in the-aters of operations and on battlefields.

“We see wireless as a continued evolution of the optical technology,” said Mooney. “As the technology continues to evolve, wireless support has become part of the mission. As more personnel use tablets and other mobile devices, wireless support is becoming more than a convenience. It is becoming part of mission capabilities.”

Telos has integrated wireless capabili-ties as part of its optical and traditional network capabilities. “Most wireless devices today support power over Ethernet,” which combines data transmission and electricity to wireless access points in a single cable, said Mooney. “Some people think that power over Ethernet can’t be combined with pas-sive optical networks. Telos and others have developed power-over-Ethernet devices that can be located at user locations or at interim locations to provide a combination of wired and wireless support for the customer.”

Optical networking could also be adapted to tactical communications on the battlefield. This would involve the deployment of free-space optical communications, which allow the transmission of optical signals over the air.

“Free-space optical communications was first looked at as a point-to-point wire replace-ment alternative,” said Richeson. “That turned out not to be practical or of a great benefit, so we took a different approach.”

Harris RF set out to apply wireless optics in a one-to-many configuration, the way tac-tical radios are used, so that optics could be used as just another band of wireless commu-nications. The military could derive at least two benefits from a wireless optics tactical network, by freeing up frequencies on radio bands and being resistant to jamming.

“The eyes of our customers responsible for frequency coordination on the battlefield lit up when we described this,” said Richeson. “Wireless optics would comprise small robust cells of network communications that don’t take up any frequency. It’s not unusual when people are constantly moving around in a tac-tical environment that more than one ends up in the same place at the same time using the same frequency.”

Spectrum dominance is another benefit that could be afforded by wireless optics. “We’ve seen in recent conflicts that our adversaries like to jam radio communica-tions,” said Richeson. “But it is very hard to jam optics.”

Richeson views the eventual use of optics in a tactical environment as a complement rather than replacement for radio frequency communication. In the short-to-medium time period, he sees optics as potentially playing some niche roles in battlefield com-munications, while the potential applica-tions are much greater in the long run.

For example, optics could be used for communications within vehicles or between vehicles in a convoy. “Optical signals don’t go through walls,” said Richeson. “They bounce off them. So we can do some interesting things for communications inside a vehicle without using up radio frequency spectrum.”

Another potential niche application would be to use optics to replace wires that are often used to connect stationary equip-ment such as artillery batteries that are close to one another.

“Optics could play a broader role in the future,” said Richeson. “There is no reason to believe bandwidth requirements will not grow. Optical networking will be able to pro-vide another high-speed alternative to work with and to interoperate with the military’s other networking assets. There is a great opportunity for optical networking in the future in the tactical environment.”

But it’s going to take a while to make that dream a reality. “Optics for tactical communications are a long way from becoming a military requirement or being adopted into doctrine or training regimes,” said Richeson. “The military is aware of what optics can do but is a long way from actually deploying it.” O

For more information, contact MIT editor Harrison Donnelly at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.mit-kmi.com.

Page 26: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

www.MIT-kmi.com24 | MIT 17.2

Portfolio ManagerMr. Reginald Bagby

PM AESIPCol. T. Patrick Flanders

PdM GCSS-Army Lt. Col.

Timothy Domke

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PD LMPMr. Gabe Saliba

PD CHESSMr. Brendan Burke

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PD FMSDr. David Powers

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Mr. John Howell

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PdM AcqBusinessLt. Col. Delisa

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Page 27: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 17.2 | 25

Program Executive OfficerMr. Douglas Wiltsie

PM DCATSCol. Clyde Richards

PM 13C2Col. Debora Theall

PdM 13MPLt. Col.

Robert Mikesh

PD DWTSLt. Col.

Jeff Etienne

Pd KoreaTransformationMr. Joel Phillips

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Lt. Col. Ossie Peacock

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Lt. Col. Kevin Vanyo

PD AHRSDr. Leslie Sofocleous

PD IMS-AMs. Guri Glass

Page 28: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

www.MIT-kmi.com26 | MIT 17.2

New Amplifier Extends Wideband Tactical Networking

Harris has introduced a new power amplifier that provides greater capacity, efficiency and range to wideband tactical networking. Harris’ new UL-Band power amplifier combines with the Falcon III AN/PRC-117G to provide continuous UHF and L-Band frequency coverage from 225 MHz to 2 GHz. The Department of Defense concentrates data transmission in the 225 to 450 MHz range, reducing the spectrum amount available in this frequency band. The extended frequency coverage provided by the new power amplifier allows users operating in vehicles to take advantage of the additional spectrum available up to 2 GHz to send and receive large data files, including video. The power amplifier is compatible with legacy narrowband waveforms as well as various wideband waveforms such as the Wideband Networking Waveform, Soldier Radio Waveform, Mobile User Objective System and Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform.

The UL-Band amplifier will serve as an accessory to the Falcon III AN/PRC-117G and offers the same size, weight and power profile as the existing VHF/UHF amplifier. Harris successfully oper-ated the new power amplifier on military vehicles at the recently completed Army Network Integration Evaluation.

New Monitor Line Meets Varied Needs

Samsung Electronics America has released three new lines of monitors designed to serve virtually any business need. Featuring the latest in LED tech-nology, the new SC200, SC450 and SC650 Series monitors offer a better viewing experience and more functionality, while reducing the total cost of ownership. The new lineup features a range of display products that deliver a perfect balance between an excellent user experience and lower cost of ownership. The image quality, coupled with Samsung’s legacy of success in the display industry, make the SC200, SC450 and SC650 Series ideal options for IT decision-makers

in technology depart-ments in businesses of all sizes and vertical markets. For example, the SC450 Series focuses on productivity, comfort and flexibility thanks to its ergonomic features and connec-tivity options. With eight different screen sizes, the SC450 Series focuses on a user’s particular application and enables them to configure the display to best suit their needs.

Radio Integrates Wideband and Legacy Narrowband Channels

The MBITR2, the next-generation Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio from Thales Communications, builds on the legacy of the smallest, lightest, most power-efficient multiband tactical handheld radio in use today. By leveraging technologies based on the narrowband AN/PRC-148 tactical hand-held radio and the wideband AN/PRC-154 tactical handheld radio, the MBITR2 provides the dismounted warfighter with the ability to integrate into the wideband tactical IP and voice network via the Soldier Radio Waveform wideband channel while simul-taneously maintaining legacy reach back via the narrowband channel. The MBITR2 retains interoperability with existing fielded radios and addresses tomorrow’s require-ments for a next-generation, wideband, networking handheld radio.

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffcotSacoPia commercial off-the-Shelf technology

Convertible Laptop-Tablet Features “Rip and Flip” Design

Lenovo has announced two new additions to its family of convert-ible laptop-tablet devices: ThinkPad Helix, a premium convertible for business professionals featuring a “rip and flip” design, and a more powerful and productive IdeaPad Yoga 11S, the first multimode mini Ultrabook equipped with powerful Intel processors and featuring Windows 8. ThinkPad Helix defines the next generation of mobile computing through its groundbreaking “rip and flip” design. This special design gives users absolute mobile freedom and versa-tility with four unique ways to use it.

It first functions as a high-performance Ultrabook. For added mobility, the 11.6-inch tablet can separate from its base to become the thinnest full-function Intel 3rd generation Core tablet with vPro. Unlike other convertibles, the screen design lets users flip the tablet 180 degrees and snap it back into the base. This mode transforms Helix into a mini-movie theater or busi-ness presentation central. From here, users can also fold the screen down to use it as a tablet while keeping the base connected for added ports and connectivity.

Page 29: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

www.MIT-kmi.com MIT 17.2 | 27

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Page 30: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

www.MIT-kmi.com28 | MIT 17.2

Q: What types of products and services are you offering to military and other govern-ment customers?

A: TCS provides secure, reliable, end-to-end communications solutions to military, federal civilian and commercial organi-zations around the world. Our TotalCom portfolio offers deployable, battle-proven, highly secure communication products and complete, managed services for converged [IP-based] voice, video and data solutions to organizations requiring seamless and secure connectivity between fixed sites and remote operations. We also have a division making highly ruggedized solid-state drives for military, aerospace and industrial appli-cations.

Q: What specific types of products and ser-vices does TCS offer under TotalCom, and how do you differ from your competitors?

A: TotalCom allows for the extension of LAN to remote locations via secure line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight RF communica-tions, next-generation Tactical Transport-able TROPO [3T], Wireless Point-to-Point Link [WPPL], point-to-point and point-to-multipoint. TotalCom’s professional and technical services incorporate field engi-neering services to support communica-tions systems around the world, including in some of the most harsh and hostile environments.

When faced with an end-to-end commu-nication solution requirement, many TCS competitors require third-party solutions to fulfill critical elements. TCS is a “one-stop shop” with our in-house TotalCom solu-tions. The trend toward large contracts such as CS2 and GTACS demonstrates that gov-ernment purchasing is following the same model as TCS’ end-to-end TotalCom offer-ings. We accomplished strategic victories by being selected as a prime contractor on each of these contracts, and we are working on securing additional contracts.

Q: What additional trends are you seeing in the industry?

A: In the SATCOM world, issues of satellite bandwidth cost and availability have led to the exploration of alternative options. Our 3T and WPPL systems can serve as reli-able, cost-effective alternatives to SATCOM in many situations. 3T provides long-haul communications where there is an absence of bandwidth, and over-the-horizon commu-nications where line of sight is obstructed. WPPL provides secure line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight RF communications over terrestrial microwave radio links at distances extending up to 35 miles. An additional trend is the fact that while the military has become highly reliant on commercial SATCOM, security/jamming threats are more and more chal-lenging this reliance. This will only increase as adversaries become more sophisticated.

Q: What are the current and anticipated trends when it comes to military commu-nications?

A: Sequestration is clearly an immediate issue. However, we believe that the military will continue to make C4ISR and cybersecu-rity priority areas, and these are both areas in which we have a strong level of expertise. Regardless of the eventual outcome of seques-tration, cost will continue to be an overriding factor for the military moving forward, so “do more with less” is the new normal. With the war in Iraq in the rearview mirror, and with the war in Afghanistan winding down, another trend is the fact that there will be leftover equipment from these actions that can still be used by simply refurbishing, or resetting it, instead of purchasing brand-new

equipment. We have expanded our facilities in anticipation of this trend.

Another important trend is making secure communications available at the war-fighter level. With our Company Command Post award this past fall, our TotalCom prod-ucts are now available to decision makers at the company echelon and below, empowering commanders to get the very best communi-cation tools for their units.

Q: How do TCS’s offerings address these trends?

A: We have several offerings that are extremely relevant to the military’s current mission. This includes our latest offering, Total Mobil-ity Management [TMM]. TMM provides a comprehensive solution of device manage-ment, application management, security ser-vices, cost control, and infrastructure for enterprise mobility management, ensuring the mobile workforce remains as productive and secure while mobile as when working within the traditional IT infrastructure of an organization. Our In-Building Wireless [IBW] and SwiftCell solutions are part of the TMM offering. IBW enables flexible, secure communications inside structures where radio and cellular signals do not penetrate or are interrupted. SwiftCell is a completely self-contained cellular network or network extension that allows cellular users to com-municate privately on their own cellular network, regardless of the terrain or environ-ment they are in. We offer a 3G version today and expect to have an LTE version by the end of the second quarter this year.

To address the emerging need for more widely deployed, assured satellite commu-nications, TCS has entered a collaborative agreement with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to offer the Low Cost Ter-minal [LCT] solution for protected com-munications. TCS, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin developed the LCT to address the military’s need for lower-cost technologies and systems to enable protected and secure communications for tactical war-fighters in contested environments and areas of denied communications. O

Michael Bristol Senior Vice President and General Manager

Government Solutions GroupTeleCommunication Systems Inc.

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Page 31: MIT 17-2 (Mar. 2013)

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