A Look into the Future of Warfare: The Joint Battlespace Infosphere Harold W. Carter University of Cincinnati hcarter

A Look into the Future of Warfare:The Joint Battlespace Infosphere

Harold W. CarterUniversity of Cincinnati

http://www.ececs.uc.edu/~hcarter

2

"The Internet is like a weapon sitting on a table ready to be picked up by either you or your competitors.” (Michael Dell)

“Similar web-based systems will be cheaply available to U.S. adversaries from global vendors.… if the U.S. goal is information superiority, there is no option but to plunge into the issues of web-oriented C2.” (1999 AF SAB, “Building the Joint Battlespace Infosphere”)

3

Commander’s Perspective

Leverage Information for the Warfighter

1999 SAB Study: “Building the Joint Battlespace Infosphere”

Global Grid

Facilitate post crisis reshaping

Collaborative planning and

execution

Right forces at the right time

Total situational awarenessThe World Has Changed…To Meet The World Has Changed…To Meet

Our Responsibilities we must:Our Responsibilities we must:

Assemble disparate forces and Assemble disparate forces and resources into one joint resources into one joint

tailored force rapidly and tailored force rapidly and effectively to employ anywhere effectively to employ anywhere

in the worldin the world

4

Information Management Problem

Current C2ISR tools only get uspart way there

– Large, monolithic, rigid enterprises

– Unique information infrastructures

– Interoperability issues

– System admin & configuration overhead

Decision-maker must filter & aggregate

Kosovo Lessons: – “Info fatigue”

– “Cyber-rubbernecking”

Brand new enterprise systemscost-prohibitive (time & $$)

DCGSGCCS

TBMCS GDSS

?

DecisionMaker

!!

AOC

http://www.sab.hq.af.mil/Archives/index.htm

6

JBI Basics

Information exchange

– Publish/Subscribe/Query

Transforming datato knowledge

– Fuselets

The JBI is a system of systems that integrates, aggregates, & distributes information to users at all echelons, from the command center to the battlefield.

The JBI is built on four key technologies:

Distributed collaboration

– Shared, updateable knowledge objects

Force/Unit interfaces

– Templates

» Operational capability

» Information inputs

» Information requirements

7

Publish & Subscribe

JBIClient

Publish

Publish

Object

Subscribe

PublicationService

• Publish: Installation of Objects in “Catalog of Published Objects” maintained by specialized Publication Services. Services also maintain lists of pending Subscriptions

• Subscribe: Subscriptions specify metadata values that must match corresponding values in newly Published Objects - forward looking in time

• Query: Like Subscription, but without automatic triggering - backward looking in time

• Publication Service Processing:- Test each new Published Object against all pending Subscriptions- Test each new Query against all previously Published Objects

• Search: Trade-off Timeliness against Accuracy in Information Delivery

8

JBI Fuselets

• JBI Clients that create new knowledge derived from JBI information objects

• Small programs that publish JBI objects by refining or fusing information in a relatively simple way

• Capture simple decision logic which can be expressed in a natural way (e.g. rules)

• Created using scripting languages (e.g. JavaScript) or simple programming tools to adapt JBI information flows to dynamic mission needs

• Obtained from a library, configured, and placed in service to accomplish particular job in a JBI

• Not currently viewed as either mobile or intelligent

9

Example: fuselets that aggregate

• Each air base publishes a “base status” object to the JBI. A fuselet that has subscribed to this type of object is triggered and publishes an aggregate “mission base status” object.

• Complex aggregation is achieved by cascading fuselets, forming higher-level knowledge.

• Represents challenges in control.

Fuselet

Subscribe

Mission base status

Ramstein status

Aviano status

Taszar status

Publish

10

Objects and Metadata

OBJECT

• Set of attribute/value pairs• Standardized metadata• Mission-standard object

type definitions

METADATAOBJ-ID: TBMCS-59

JBI-CLIENT FLEX-1765A

OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG

Time-stamp: 06222001

SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N

ATTRIBUTESAND VALUES

<CAMPAIGN-ID DECISIVE-HALT-2001>

<MSGID ATO/TACC>

<AIRTASK RECONNAISSANCE>

<TASKUNIT 63-TRS/KXXQ/DET-1-FOL>

<MSNDAT AF0025/-/PHICO-10/1RF4C/REC>

<RECDATA 8AA001/PRY:2/301500Z/-/SLAR>

<TRCPLOT 420035N0153545E/RAD:50NM>

<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

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Force Template

Information handshake between the JBI and the combat unit (defines subscribe and publish data to JBI).

Information interface requirements:• Information required to accomplish mission

• Example: Required accuracy of targeting information

C2 and ISR capabilities:• ISR inputs to JBI

• Example: weapons pod camera

Force capabilities:• Sortie rates (steady state and surge)• Employment restrictions• Munitions (TLAMs)• Current readiness state• Logistics requirements

Force Template

12

Force / Unit Templates

•Information requirements •Information products/outputs•Communications requirements•Computing systems•Force employment capability•Ammunition inventory•Fuel requirements•Personnel requirements

•Information requirements •Information products/outputs •Communications requirements•Computing systems

Combat Unit

Support Unit

JBI

•Mandatory unit subscriptions•Mandatory unit publications•Network routing information

units and their native IM systems

Comprehensive Information “handshake”

Software descriptions of military units that are to be integrated into the JBI

Describes pub/sub exchange; based on IERsDrives JBI reconfiguration to incorporate

new

13

C4ISR and the JBI

Command

BattlespaceInfoSphere

Execution

CombatSupport

Info Support

Planning

Planning/ExecutionProducts

Command Guidance

UserInformation

Products & DBs

FusionProducts

Combat SupportProducts

Publish

Subscribe

Transform

Query

Control

RepresentationTask CentricPresentations

CollaborativeProblemSolving

AutomaticFormatting &

Filtering

AutomaticData Capture

Common

Architectural ConceptSENSORS

Coalition partners

ABCS

TBMCS

GCCS-M

AFATDS

GCSS

SYSTEMS

Subscribe

Publish

Global Grid, Web, Internet,….

JBI Repository

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

JBI Platform

JBI SubscriptionBroker

Metadata

Metadata

Metadata

JBI QueryBroker

??

?

JBI Management

Services

ACCESS

Personnel

BDA

Orders of Battle

Weather

Targets

Etc....

BATTLESPACE

INFO

Intentions

Connectors

Query

15

JBI Operational Architecture

• Focuses on the tasks, information flows, and operational elements that meet the warfighter needs

• Defined through such products as:– operational concept documents– command relationship charts– activity models– information exchange requirements– required capabilities matrices

• Develops enterprise view and representation of operational processes

16

JBI Systems Architecture

• Identifies the information systems components and interconnections that make up the JBI development and execution environment.

• JBI platform, the run-time component that implements information exchange among C2ISR systems and fuselets • Systems needed to implement the entire JBI lifecycle – Unit Infospheres – Mission-specific JBIs.

• Includes tools and reuse repositories to support– Conceptual modeling– Object modeling– Allocation of object model component publication, subscription & query responsibilities – Performance modeling

17

JBI Technical Architecture

• Identifies applicable portions of existing standards – Joint Technical Architecture

• Establishes new standards where there are voids

– Standard template for stating JBI object models– Baseline common object models– Mission-specific JBI object models– Unit infosphere object models– Individual C2ISR system object models

– Standard template for stating publication, subscription, query, and query response responsibilities at the same levels as for the object model

– Interface protocols that define the service calls between the JBI platform and all systems that interface with the platform, including C2ISR systems and fuselets

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JBI RepositoryJBI Query

BrokerJBI Subscription

Broker

JBI Management

Services

JBIClients

JBI Platform

Metadata

Connector

ACCESS

AccessPolicy

Global Grid, Web, Internet,….

JBI Platform Architecture

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

?OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59


OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG


SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N


<MSGID ATO/TACC>






<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

Metadata

Metadata

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Advanced JBI Platform:Required JBI Infrastructure

JBI Infrastructure Services / Capabilities Layer– Publish / Subscribe / Query Mechanisms & Support Services

– Information Object Representation / Types / Schemas / Metadata / Ontologies

– Distributed Object Spaces / Virtual Repositories– White & Yellow Pages for Information & Service Location

– Transform– Fuselet Construction, Modification, Composition, and Control Services

– Control– JBI Stand Up/Down Services– JBI Client Protocols, Certification & Registration Services– Unit / Force Join & Depart Services– JBI Access, Performance, Control, and Maintenance Services– Information Flow Level QoS Management– Information Assurance / Pedigree Capture / Security & DIW

World Wide Web Layer Internet Layer Global Grid Communications Layer

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DESIGN:

– Concentrate design effort on ops functionality

– Integrate at information level -- focus on content vs. format; de-couple data & applications

ACQUIRE:

– Competitive market economy for info services & products within the JBI; no single-vendor solutions

– Rapid plug-n-play, standards-based insertion of innovative functionality and technology

DEPLOY:

– Build & evolve agile JTF info framework driven by campaign CONOPS & dynamics of ops environment -- just like force structure

EMPLOY:

– Timely decision-making from decision quality information

– Unity of effort through shared understanding

Bestof breed

JBI PayoffsThe JBI will revolutionize the way we…

Faster,cheaper

Customized,AdaptiveServices

InformationDominance

Enabled by Web Infrastructure

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JBI Impact

Design– JBI abstraction barrier isolates information layer from

delivery concerns– Designers focus on information needed for decision making– Enables designers to emphasize information availability, not

location & ownership– Emphasize information content, not data format

Acquire– “Plug & Play” integration at the information level– Open competition on basis of functionality & performance -

“best of breed” clients– C2ISR Product lines, not company store– Low cost of entry for innovators– High payoff through information-level synergy– Evolution of functionality through rapid new technology

insertion (e.g., MP3)

22

JBI Impact (Concluded) Deploy

– “Plug & Play” C2ISR component selection & assembly driven by current mission requirements

– Information system architecture (the “Information Plan”) co-designed with the CINC’s campaign plan, force structure plan, deployment plan

– “Designed” from the start to be responsive to CINC policy & goals

– Agility in the face of changing missions, roles, coalitions– Economy of functionality

Employ– See Gen McCarthy’s 1999 JBI summer study outbriefing !– The existence of a CINC-orchestrated “Information Plan” implies:

– Plan execution– Real-time execution assessment– Replanning

– Better decisions, faster

23

Current Status

AC2ISRC “Wright-Flyer” JBI

– “Integrated” Cat III for JEFX 00

– ISR Battle Management scenarioJBI Task Force

– Mapping technical/operational way ahead; securing acquisition funding

– Assembling joint partners

Concept Validation Prototypes(Y-JBIs)

– Explore design space

– Identify most viable components foroperational spirals

– Goal is relatively inexpensive evaluation & idea generation

wf-JBI

Design space

YJBI-1’s wfJBI

MOE/MOP

24

JBI Evolution

Provides an integrating substrate of information management services to link all C2 functionality

New solutions “plug-in” without rebuilding all service layers

• Supplants old infrastructures while providing migration path for existing C2 systems

• Significant acquisition, deployment, and employment gains

Dissolves Stovepipes & DeliversSeamless Access to Information

Infrastructure

TBMCS

TBMCSGCCS

GCCS GDSS

GDSSEmergingC2 tools

Y-JBIInfrastructure

BattlespaceInfoSphere

WEB ENABLED

JBI-1

Joint Campaign Planning

Mobility Planning

Battlespace Awareness

EffectsBasedOps

25

SAB RecommendedTechnology Investments

LEVERAGE E-BUSINESS SOLUTIONS WITH ROBUST DOD S&T INVESTMENTS

Commercial Tech:

YJBI-1

Today2001

• Web Technology:XML, XSL, XQL

• E-commerce Solutions

JBI-1

Near-Term2005

• Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Middleware

• Digital Libraries

DoD S&T:

Prototype & Dem

o

Evolve Rqmts

Prototype & Dem

o

Evolve Rqmts

JBI-2

• Data Warehousing

• Immersive Virtual Environments

Spiral Development

Process

Spiral Development

Process

Long-Term2010

• Information Assurance & Survivability

• Advanced Data/Sensor Fusion

• Intelligent Agents

• Distributed Storage, Indexing, & Retrieval

• Auto Data Capture & Info Extraction

• Warfighter Connectivity

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SAB Specific Recommendations

Immediate low-cost prototypes: AFRL/AC2ISRC JBI Platform technical architecture: ESC Evaluation of relevant COTS: ESC Military requirements for C2 Info Integration: AC2ISRC Common Representation/Templates: DISA/ESC Long term research:

– Advanced JBI Platform: DARPA with AFRL– Advanced fusion concepts: AFRL with DARPA– Information assurance: DARPA with AFRL– Agent-based technology: DARPA with AFRL– Advanced data survivable systems: DARPA/AFRL– Active networks: AFRL– Dynamic User Modeling: DARPA/AFRL

27

JBI High-Level Approach

COTS T&E

DoD R&D + GOTS T&E

Integration & Experimentation

Integrated Feasibility Demonstrations /

Experiments (IFD/E)

JBI = f(COTS + GOTS + DoD-specific R&D)

Adopt / Adapt / Develop to maintain low cost of entry; “Buy, don’t Build”

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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

JBI Roadmap

YJBI-1a

YJBI-1b

YJBI-1c

YJBI-1d

CONOPS CONOPS CONOPS

Technical Architecture Technical Architecture Technical Architecture

DARPADARPA

Target ($M) 14.0 14.5 20.5 23.0 24.0 23.0 21.0

COTS Insertion + Foundational DoD Science & Technology

wfJBI JBI-1 Block 10JBI-1 Block 20

JBI-1 Block 30

JBI-2

JBI Experimental Testbed

JEFX 00 JEFX 02 JEFX 04 JEFX 06

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Long-Term Research Areas Summary

• Advanced JBI Platform– Fundamental “core services” for Publish, Subscribe, Query,

Transform and Control

– Common Representation for information standardization

• Advanced Fusion Concepts– Integrate traditionally separate research communities for

fusion, planning, and IW for a new form of COP

• Information Assurance & Survivability– Novel approaches (e.g., NLP and semantic modeling) needed

to control exchange of information between classification and coalition domains: MLS/MSL remain critical requirements despite failures of traditional approaches

– Vulnerabilities/challenges introduced by JBI-related technologies; e.g., Shared-spaces (JavaSpaces/Jini); XML; Distributed components (CORBA, EJB, Agents, etc.)

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Long-Term Research Areas Summary (Continued)

• Agent-Based Technology– Agents with network awareness for bandwidth adaptation– Enhanced mobility, control & coordination, and inter-

agent communication– Scalability & agent security issues

• Information Acquisition and Storage– Automatic data capture & info extraction services– Advanced data storage & retrieval (e.g., geospatial-

temporal indexing)

• Effective Interfaces– Context Understanding– Multiple, simultaneous-user, interactive environments– Cross-language transformation for seamless coalition

collaboration, preferably in real-time– Near real-time, dynamically-composable simulations to

support visualization and decision-making

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JBI “SWAT Team”

Goal: Seize the JBI opportunity to provide the research, development and technical leadership necessary to formulate and execute a comprehensive program of research and development of the technical architecture for C2ISR by:

– Engaging in early experimental prototyping of JBI Platform services as a basis for idea generation, concept refinement, and evaluation.

– Performing in parallel systems studies and analysis of long term JBI Platform architecture focusing on downstream functionality for spiral development

– Providing the catalyst for the refocus of on-going AFRL/IF R&D activities, or the initiation of new AFRL/IF R&D activities, in partnership with others, in the long-term JBI technology areas recommended by the SAB

32

JBI “SWAT Team” Small cadre of full time senior S&Es

– Senior mentor– Large support group of part time S&Es from across directorate

Focus on experimental exploration of JBI Platform design space– JBI Core Services– JBI Technical Architecture

Build & maintain AFRL/IF node of JBI Testbed Serve as hub of AFRL IF Directorate JBI activities

– Bridges to each Division– Outreach to each Branch

– Long Term JBI Research and other JBI enabling R&D– Requirements pull for the JBI– Early access to evolving JBI concepts in the Testbed

Collaborate and support outside JBI activities– DARPA– AC2ISRC– ESC/MITRE– AFRL/HE– Other Service Labs

33

Testbed Purpose

Host and facilitate full evolution of the JBI

Support multiple prototypes (incl. wfJBI) for collaborative development and experimentation

Provide an integration environment for legacy and emerging C2ISR systems

Support industry IR&D efforts with access to C2 architectures & systems

Provide JBI component developers regular access to evolving JBI Services – mitigates risk for downstream insertion

Support operational assessment and evaluation

34

Distributed Testbed Nodes

OSC - Langley

ESC - Hanscom ARFL - Rome

C2B - Hurlburt DBCC - Nellis

Management / Assessment Center

– Requirement communities – Operational communities– Management communities

Experimentation / Demonstration Site

Science & Technology Developer

– R&D for enabling technologies

– DARPA agent & transition vehicleExperimentation & Evaluation Node

– COTS/GOTS ring-out and analysis

– Platform assessment & prototype development

• Integration Partner w/ ESC

– Emerging / legacy systems into JBI

– JBI component technologies

– Joint functional components onto JBI service layers

System Architects

– System and Technical architecture specifications

– Standards & Protocols

Experimentation/Evaluation Node– COTS/GOTS ring-out and analysis

– Metrics collection with operational systems Integration Partner with AFRLRequirements Analysis & Transition

– Translation of ops to technical reqts

– Support transition of JBI services/

components to operational

fielding

Operational Process Hub– Develop / refine new CONOPS to drive

JBI capabilities

Warfighter Assessment Center– Access to warfighter users on continuous basis– Full array of fielded systems and architectures– Established feedback and evaluation processes

Operational Assessment Center– Access to warfighter users on continuous basis– Full array of fielded systems and architectures– Established feedback and evaluation processes

Large-Force Employment Node– Robust, realistic scenarios– Operational ring-out

35

Summary: JBI Vision

Decision-Quality Information

Globally Interoperable Information “Space” that …

Aggregates, integrates, fuses, and

disseminates tailored

battlespace information

to all echelons of

a JTF

Links JTF sensors,

systems &users

together for unity of effort

Integrates legacy C2 resources

Focuses on Decision-Making

Enables Affordable Technology Refresh

Leverages Emerging Commercial Technologies

36

"Information superiority becomes a precondition for fighting to

achieve air and space superiority,"

Lt. Gen. Liu Shunyao,

Chief, China Peoples Liberation Army Air Force

28 Feb 2000, AW&ST

(“Chinese War Plans Emphasize Air Force's Offensive Role”)

Questions?

Documents

A Look into the Future of Warfare: The Joint Battlespace Infosphere Harold W. Carter University of Cincinnati hcarter