Maavoimien tiedonsiirron kehittäminen verkostoavusteisuuden periaatteiden mukaisesti

Kirjoittajat

• Jarkko Karsikas

Abstrakti

The development of Finnish army communications architecture on the basis of network enabled defence The basic idea of a system architecture is to express the ideas of a planner for the executors. Properly documented architecture often consists of multiple levels, and it is meant to represent a system from the principles, operational, interaction and system point of view. This architectural documentation can then form a universal description of the system-of-systems. No battlefield system architecture is created from scratch, but it is based on timeline (history-present-future), war fighting (theory) and technology (common and military). So the picture of warfare, network centric warfare as a theory of warfare and technological development in military and common communications technology are considered to be basis for the Army Communications Architecture. Especially the US Army is considered to be an example of an attempt to create a networked force. Network Centric Warfare (NCW) is seen as a basis for our Network Enabled Defense (NED). Network Centric Warfare is based on effective use of modern communications technology. It relies on a system which connects all sensors, weapon systems and users to the same grid. Planning and C2 of operations force us to connect our information storages to this system so that anyone can use content as a basis for actions. The effective use of these poses a big challenge for the ability of the communication systems to reliably transmit information through the whole battlefield. Legacy communication systems created during past decades work as a practical starting point for the future architecture. But we must also consider requirements for the communications system based on network centric thinking and the modern picture of warfare. Those are the theoretical requirements and the practical basis for the architecture. The result is rather heterogeneous and it is creating a rather challenging starting point for the future. The US Army slowly began to move towards digital systems and created the concept of Tactical Internet in the late 1990´s. It is nowadays used as a basic system on the tactical level (ba"alion and below) even in the most modern units (e.g. Stryker Brigade). OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) resulted in big changes in this slow progress because of the urgent need for more capable communications systems. The result was JNN-N (Joint Network Node – Network). This System was fielded in 2006 and proved to be reliable and easy to use. It is based on wide use of COTS and satellite technology. WIN-T (Warfighter Information Network – Tactical) which started 1999 is a massive program which aims to renew the whole C4ISR architecture of the Army. It forms the LandWarNet, which is the US Army’s part of the Armed Forces Global Information Grid. Key factors in the system are a flexible technology platform and wide use of IP technology. These factors enable effective use of the most modern equipment. Present tactical communications solutions in the Finnish Army are based on Tactical Area Communications Systems called YVI’s, which came into service at the beginning of 1990’s. They form the legacy basis for the future. From their use the Finnish Army has gained some good experience about COTS based communication systems from Kosovo (KFOR) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR) operations. Legacy systems and the COTS experience are the starting points for the future and future requirements. Future requirements can be divided into two main categories. The first requirement is interoperability with other military and civilian systems. A System must provide an answer to all Army tasks, so it must interoperate with all similar systems. The second requirement is a flexible system structure which can be applied in all possible defense scenarios. That requirement can only be achieved through a modular multilayer system structure and applicable new communications technologies. Commercial broadband wireless and wired technologies will be the basis for many military communications systems in the future. Instead of concentrating on the evaluation of the features of technologies from a military perspective, we should concentrate on their commercial success and development. Commercial success usually speeds up evolution of the technology, lowers its price and guarantees long term support for it. The last one is mandatory in military systems, which usually have a very long life cycle. Still one thing must be considered. Commercial success for technology can never be foreseen. From the army’s perspective long range (several kilometers) broadband radio systems are the key element in communications systems. Such systems are actually quite rare in the commercial world. In Finland, the TETRA based VIRVE-network and FlashOFDM based @450-network can be seen as such. The main challenges in these kinds of networks are complex modulation, high power requirements, undeveloped antenna solutions and frequency limitations. In the future, so%ware defined radio (SDR) can provide us with solutions in this field. Microwave line-of-sight (LOS) radio links, optical cable systems, and satellite communications will play a very important role for the Army in the future. LOS radio links are widely used in several systems (YVI, ALVI), and it is very hard to find any technology that could replace them. Especially commercial technology is o%en relying on large capacity backbone systems, and that is where LOS microwave and optical cable systems are at their best. Satellite systems are already in a very important role in international missions, but they can also be used in national defense as a backup system. Thus following the development all around the world is very important. The operational idea of the Army communications architecture is to connect as many battlefield sensors (technical sensor, soldier, etc.), users and weapon systems as possible to the same shared communications grid with information storages. And this is also the basic idea for NED. This basic idea is done via connecting operational troops and their systems with trunk connections and through joint C4ISR system to each other. All connections are also secure. Ad hoc networks are widely used on the tactical level. This makes the situation challenging for the trunk connections, which are not normally very mobile. This is why light backup systems are used. These backup systems also have a very important role in deep and fast maneuvers, deep reconnaissance and deep fires. Air and space elements are used in long range communications. This is done with HF-radio systems, UAV’s and satellite communications. Along with ad hoc networking this enables high level of communication in a networked environment, which is also central requirement for the C2. Military programs of record and procurement are the final step in building communications architectures. The Architecture can be seen as a vision for those processes. The intent should be to build a basket of capabilities, which can be used on the basis of requirements or situation. Technology is not the main factor, but the result. Technological choices must be considered thoroughly. They have a significant effect on the system and also our logistical structures. Those kinds of choices are difficult to change once they are put into action. Architectures are actually not so hard to follow in practical work, if they are created in the right way. They can be seen as a systematic way to approach the development of our defense and its capabilities. The architechtures consider requirements, basis of the work and limits. The path is actually very logical. The challenges lay in the new approach towards system planning and in limited human resources compared to the amount of work. Surprisingly, the main challenge seems to be the requirement for interoperability. It has always existed in some form, but now it is the clear number one. Only now we have discovered that only through interoperability we can create a system-of-system in the future networked battlespace. Artikkeli on suomeksi.