DoD's SBIRS Software Fix Questioned by GAO October 3, 2008 Pentagon estimates that the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) program will be delayed by 15 months and cost $414 million in funding to resolve the flight software problems appear optimistic, according to a GAO report issued this week. The GAO said that confidence levels, based on the program's ability to develop, integrate, and test software in time to meet the schedule goal, have been assessed as low. The report also concluded that the SBIRS program's aggressive schedule is a major challenge because it allows "little margin for error." Another area of vulnerability for the proposed fix to the SBIRS flight software problems is that DoD has introduced additional risk by granting waivers to streamline the software development processes to meet the aggressive schedule. “These allow the program to deviate from disciplined processes in order to compress the schedule and meet the goal,” said GAO. “In addition, some software elements are behind schedule, and thousands of software activities and deliverables remain to be integrated. Delay by these other programs could create unintended consequences for the SBIRS launch goal. If DoD should need additional time or encounter problems beyond what was planned for, more funds will be needed and launch of the first satellite in December 2009 could be jeopardized.” Troubles for the SBIRS program are nothing new. SBIRS was restructured several times to stem cost increases and schedule delays, including revising program goals in 2002, 2004, and 2005. In 2007, SBIRS had a major setback when flight software for the first satellite underwent testing and failed, a failure caused by design issues. To mitigate the SBIRS flight software problems, DoD assessed various alternatives and developed a way to implement the software redesign and oversee its development. In April 2008, DoD approved the redesign effort, which addressed problems with the original design that affected the timing of stored programs, distribution of control between processors, and failure at the hardware interface level. GAO: DoD Needs to Better Manage Biometric Activities September 30, 2008
Coordinating the development and implementation of biometrics and ensuring interoperability across DoD has been difficult to achieve, according to a GAO report issued yesterday. GAO examined the extent to which DoD has established biometrics goals and objectives, implementing guidance for managing biometrics activities, and a designated budget. DoD uses biometrics technologies that identify physical attributes, including fingerprints and iris scans. Biometrics also is an enabling technology for identity management, a concept that seeks to manage personally identifiable information to enable improved governmentwide sharing and analysis of identity information. However, as of August 2008, GAO found that DoD had not established management practices that include clearly defined goals and objectives, implementing guidance that clarifies decision-making procedures for the Executive Committee, and a designated biometrics budget. “While DoD has stated some general goals for biometrics, such as providing recognized leadership and comprehensive planning policy, it has not articulated specific program objectives, the steps needed to achieve those objectives, and the priorities, milestones, and performance measures needed to gauge results,” said GAO. “DoD issued a directive in 2008 to establish biometrics policy and assigned general responsibilities to the Executive Committee and the Principal Staff Assistant but has not issued implementing guidance that clarifies decision-making procedures.” The Executive Committee is chaired by the Principal Staff Assistant and includes a wide array of representatives from DoD communities such as intelligence, acquisitions, networks and information integration, personnel, and policy and the military services. The Executive Committee is responsible for resolving biometrics management issues, such as issues between the military services and joint interests resulting in duplications of effort. However, the committee does not have guidance for making decisions that can resolve management issues. GAO said that DoD also has not established a designated budget for biometrics that links resources to specific objectives and provides a consolidated view of the resources devoted to biometrics activities. Instead, it has relied on initiative-by-initiative requests for supplemental funding, which may not provide a predictable stream of funding for biometrics. House Approves Fiscal 2009 Defense Act; Army's FCS Procurement Cut $137 Million September 24, 2008
The House of Representatives today approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2009. The bill is based on an agreement reached by House and Senated Armed Services Committees authorizing $531.4 billion in budget authority for DoD and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The agreement also authorizes $68.6 billion to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during fiscal year 2009.
House-Senate authorizers included several provisions to improve oversight and transparency of the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, including new annual cost reporting requirements for FCS manned ground vehicles; additional conditions for the 2009 “go, no go” DoD review of FCS; an analysis of the FCS communications network’s vulnerabilities; a requirement for more detailed budget request data for FCS; and language restricting the Army’s ability to use the FCS Lead Systems Integrator for full-rate production contracts. The Army requested $3.7 billion for FCS in fiscal 2009. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 cut FCS procurement funding by $137.7 million, while increasing FCS R&D funding by $33 million, for a net reduction of $104.7 million. FCS wasn't the only major Army program to see its funding decreased. House-Senate authorizers reduced the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program's Increment 2 (Initial Networking On-The-Move) procurement funding by $42 million and decreased WIN-T's Increment 3 (Full Networking On-The-Move) R&D funding by $33.1 million. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 also withheld 50 percent of R&D funding for WIN-T Increment 3 pending delivery of updated program cost estimates and technology assessments. The good news for the Army is that the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 fully funded the service’s budget request for Army tactical radio procurement. However, a legislative provision withholds 25 percent of the requested funding pending a report to Congress on the Army’s plans for future radio procurement.
DISA Turns to 24/7 Cloud Computing for New Service
September 18, 2008
Starting in October, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) with the help of HP will be supplying DoD with a cloud computing infrastructure called the Rapid Access Computing Environment (RACE), designed to reduce costs, consolidate applications, shorten delivery times and simplify the user experience. RACE brings an unprecedented computing capability to DoD users by offering them processing capability, systems management, communications and storage via an easy-to-use web portal that DISA says will match the speed and agility with which these types of services are offered commercially. "This approach to computing service is new for DISA customers because it is an on-line self service capability that is available 365/24/7," Air Force Col. Joseph Means Jr., Deputy Director for DISA Computing Services Directorate, told MilitaryIT.net. "With RACE the customer can customize, purchase, and receive the platform needed within 24 hours of request."
According to Means, there are two types of operating environments offered initially by RACE: Microsoft Windows or Red Hat Linux. DoD customer access to RACE services is authorized via Public Key Infrastructure using a credit card or Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request. The fees and rates for usage is designed with a no capital investment requirement, the customer pays only for what is needed, there is help desk support 365/24/7 and the cost is $500 per month/image.
The contract with HP is one of the Computing Services Capacity Services Contracts, or Services for Processor Environments (SPE) Contracts. The Windows/Linux contract was awarded in October 2006, with a $225 million ceiling.
HP will provide DISA with a broad array of products, software and services to implement and support the cloud infrastructure. HP software featured in the solution includes HP Operations Orchestration, HP Server Automation, HP Service Manager, HP Operations Manager, HP Systems Insight Manager and HP ProLiant Essentials. HP will also provide ProLiant server blades, implementation services and on-site operations management. General Dynamics to Equip Army Stryker Brigade with New Land Warrior System
September 12, 2008
General Dynamics has won a $70 million contract to equip the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team (5/2 SBCT) with a new, lighter-weight version of the Land Warrior integrated fighting system. The slimmer Land Warrior system now weighs 7.2 pounds, down from approximately 17 pounds in 2006.
The Land Warrior system provides command-and-control, computing, communication and position-location technologies that will digitally link the Stryker brigade’s infantry soldiers to the battlefield network while they are on missions, improving their situational awareness, survivability, mission speed and effectiveness.
System improvements, including size, weight and power reductions, resulted from feedback received directly from soldiers equipped with a previous generation of Land Warrior in Iraq. Their suggestions helped guide a team working at the General Dynamics-sponsored EDGE Innovation Network to improve the ‘fightability’ of the Land Warrior system.
The 5/2 SBCT at Fort Lewis, Wash., will be equipped with advanced warfighting technologies that include built-in text messaging capabilities; maps and imagery that can be changed by leaders while on-the-move; virtual ‘chem-lights’ that identify known enemy locations; and acoustic sniper detection. Land Warrior was first deployed to Iraq with the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, based in Fort Lewis, in 2007. Navy Looks to NGEN to Replace Service's NMCI September 9, 2008
The Navy is gearing up for the $8.8 billion Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN), the follow-on to the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI). NGEN is being touted as the service-wide network that will provide net-centric capability that builds on and improves the information services currently provided by NMCI and, eventually, the OCONUS Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-Net). NGEN Block 1 is the follow-on to NMCI and replaces the services currently provided by NMCI, which was designed to deliver a basic seat management service enterprise-wide that is comparable to the commercial sector and based on performance. NMCI provides secure, universal access to integrated voice, video and data communications for about 650,000 Navy and Marine Corps user accounts on 340,000 seats at 3,000 locations across the continental U.S., Hawaii, Cuba, Guam, Japan and Puerto Rico. In October 2000, EDS was awarded the original NMCI contract. EDS partnered on the contract with Microsoft, Dell, and Cisco. NMCI is operated under a seven-year firm fixed price performance-based contract with a three-year option. In March 2006, the Navy exercised the option years early, extending the period of performance from September 2007 to September 2010. The end of the NMCI contract is the most critical near-term networking event for the Navy. NGEN must be ready at the expiration of the NMCI contract and minimize the transition risk for Navy users. The network will incorporate the NMCI lessons learned, address performance deficiencies as well as focus on improved reliability and security. The NGEN baseline will include at least the services currently offered by NMCI and will include all current NMCI and ONE-Net sites, including Guam. Unlike NMCI which is contractor owned and operated, ONE-Net is a government owned and operated network that provides roughly 41,000 users at shore installations overseas with a secure, single, integrated network with real-time access to mission critical information. The fiscal 2009 budget provides $60 million for the NGEN program. A request for proposals from industry is expected this fall and a contract award in early 2009. Future NGEN upgrades will transform NMCI, ONE-Net, the Navy’s shipboard IT for the 21st Century (IT-21) and the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) from four separate environments to a globally, integrated, net-centric Department of Navy enterprise to support network operations, leverage the DoD Global Information Grid and other available defense-wide services. DoD's NIPRNet is Certified IPv6 Capable; SIPRNet Will Take Until Q4 2010 for IPv6
September 4, 2008
The Defense Department's Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet) met the Office of Management and Budget’s Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) deadline by successfully demonstrating IPv6 capability by June 30. However, it will be another two years before DoD's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) is certified IPv6-capable.
Gerry Doyle, Chief of the Systems Engineering Center at DISA, told MilitaryIT.net that DISA Network Services and GIG Engineering "ensured that all NIPRNet core routers were IPv6-capable, and successfully loaded and configured the core routers to run IPv6 in dual stack mode (IPv4 and IPv6 both running on each router)." According to Doyle, on May 20, DISA Network Services successfully demonstrated that the NIPRNet operational core backbone network was IPv6-capable" and that "testing showed that IPv6 traffic was successfully transported (i.e. received, processed, forwarded) through all IPv6 devices in the DoD's core Network."
While DoD's NIPRNet met the OMB June 30 deadline for all federal agencies to have IPv6 capability, the DoD IPv6 Transition Plan has the SIPRNet scheduled to be IPv6-capable by the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010. SIPRNet will take longer due to the lack of High Assurance IP Encryptors (HAIPEs) capable of supporting IPv6. "Although some IPv6-capable HAIPEs may be currently or shortly available, the make/models used on SIPRNet are not expected for availability until mid-late FY2010," said a DISA statement. "Following availability, SIPRNet will need to conduct testing, certification, and authorization of the IPv6 HAIPEs pushing the schedule towards end of FY2010, and possibly later should IPv6 HAIPE availability be delayed."
The National Security Agency’s HAIPE program is the DoD standard for secure interoperable communications over IP networks of all types. NSA certifies IP encryption devices for the HAIPE label only after they are tested for compliance with the HAIPE interoperability standards.
HAIPE encryption products are tested to be compliant with HAIPE IS Version 1.3.5, which was released in May 2004. Nevertheless, HAIPE IS Version 1.3.5 has some limitations, including lack of support for routing protocols or open network management. HAIPE IS Version 3.0 supports IPv6, standardized over-the-network management and bandwidth efficient modes. HAIPE IS Version 3.0 products will be available in early 2009.
GAO: DoD Needs to Balance Tactical Radio Investments
August 21, 2008
At the same time as the Pentagon is developing the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), it is also trying to ensure that current U.S. forces are equipped with sufficient legacy radios. This balancing act of meeting DoD’s current and future radio needs is not being handled very well, according to a GAO report released last week.
The GAO report found that over the past five years DoD investments in key tactical radios have shifted dramatically, both in size and composition. The Defense Department has spent $12 billion on the development and production of tactical radios over the last five years (about as much as was spent producing Virginia Class submarines during that same period). In 2002, when JTRS first began system development, DoD planned to invest close to $3 billion in JTRS over fiscal years 2003-2007. Nevertheless, actual investments more than doubled and shifted to producing thousands more legacy radios. Compared with the $3.2 billion that was slated to be spent on JTRS and the Army and Marine Corps legacy radios, about $8.3 billion was actually spent. Of this, about $5.7 billion was spent on the legacy radios, while $2.5 billion was spent on JTRS development. According to GAO, the change in tactical radio investments was brought about by delays in the development and production of JTRS and urgent demands for more radios to equip current forces. "JTRS has encountered significant cost, schedule, and performance problems, causing some users to buy more legacy radios instead,” GAO said. “Moreover, the military services' demand for tactical radios soared because of combat operations, the need to equip Guard and Reserve forces with modern radios, and to add more radios per combat unit.” Over the next five years, DoD faces several challenges in providing needed tactical communications capabilities to the warfighter, including: overcoming technology hurdles, size and power constraints, and security architecture issues to complete JTRS development; managing investments within defined fiscal constraints (a legacy vehicle radio costs about $20,000, while JTRS is estimated to cost up to 10 times more); and phasing in JTRS without prematurely retiring a relatively young inventory of legacy radios. “DoD does not have a strategy to meet these challenges and thus runs the risk of having its future communications capabilities decided ad hoc,” the GAO report said. NRL Awards Boeing High Integrity GPS Contract
 August 5, 2008
Boeing announced today that a team led by the company has been awarded a $153.5 million contract by the Naval Research Laboratory to demonstrate High Integrity Global Positioning System (GPS) technology concepts.
The High Integrity GPS team includes Boeing Advanced Systems and Phantom Works, Iridium LLC, Rockwell Collins, Coherent Navigation and experts from academia. The High Integrity GPS effort combines satellite signals from the Iridium Low Earth Orbit telecommunications system and GPS Mid Earth Orbit navigational satellites to enhance navigation availability, integrity, accuracy and jam-resistant capabilities.
The House Armed Services Committee, however, in its Fiscal 2009 National Defense Authorization Act eliminated $61.2 million requested by the Pentagon for High Integrity GPS, a funding cut the Bush administration opposes.
“Termination of the [High Integrity GPS] program would eliminate a development that is a much needed capability for the Special Operations Command in the FY2010 timeframe,” stated the Office of Management and Budget in a May 22 statement. JTRS AMF Awarded to Northrop Grumman But Program Questions Remain July 31, 2008
Northrop Grumman announced this month that Lockheed Martin awarded the company a $240 million contract to provide critical technologies for the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station (AMF).
An initial $186.7 million subcontract has been awarded to Northrop Grumman focused on the software-defined radio development for JTRS AMF, a communications capability that includes two software-defined, multifunction radio form factors for the use by DoD. The AMF program will develop radios and associated equipment for integration into nearly 100 different types of aircraft, ships, and fixed stations for all of the military services.
However, according to a March 2008 GAO report, there are concerns about four critical technologies on which JTRS AMF is dependent, including waveforms and network management services. In addition, GAO said that JTRS AMF may experience cost, schedule, or performance problems if other related program capabilities are delivered late.
AMF JTRS is designed to enable operations of highly secure, high performance military tactical networks, connecting air, land and sea forces to communicate in a network-centric environment. The AMF system will interoperate with legacy data and voice circuits used by the U.S., allied or NATO military forces. System Integration Priority for TRANSCOM Commander
July 25, 2008
The next commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that if he is confirmed for the position he would make the integration of command and control systems “across boundaries and domains from one end of the distribution chain to the other” a priority.
“If confirmed, I will work with distribution partners and customers to make [command and control] improvements which will allow secure and unconstrained sharing of information across these domains,” said Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, the USTRANSCOM commander nominee. “This is a clear challenge, but necessary, if we are to maximize the combat multiplying effects of logistics for the warfighter.”
Commercial partners, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commanders, military services and coalition partners all have unique logistics systems, McNabb said. The challenge is to improve information exchanges across the various classification boundaries between services and Combatant Commanders, while simultaneously improving information sharing with DoD's commercial and coalition partners, he said. Reliance on Tech Makes U.S. Vulnerable to EMP Attack
July 17, 2008
The increased vulnerability of the United States to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack is a result of the country’s reliance on increasingly sophisticated commercial technologies and could be catastrophic, according to a new report introduced as testimony last week before the House Armed Services Committee.
“The risk of an EMP attack may be greater today than during the Cold War,” testified Dr. William Graham, chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP. “The electromagnetic fields produced by weapons deployed with the intent to produce EMP have a high likelihood of damaging electrical power systems, electronics, and information systems upon which American society depends. Their effects on critical infrastructures could be sufficient to qualify as catastrophic to the nation.”
A high-altitude electronic pulse results from the detonation of a nuclear warhead at 40 to 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. According to Dr. Graham, U.S. vulnerability to EMP attack is increasing daily as the nation’s dependence on electronics continues to grow in both the civil and military sectors.
However, it is not all bad news from the EMP Commission’s report which presents the results of the Commission’s assessment of an EMP attack on America’s critical national infrastructures, and provides recommendations for preparation, monitoring, protection, and recovery from such an attack. Dr. Graham testified that while an EMP attack on critical national infrastructures is a serious problem it is one that can be managed in an “orderly way at reasonable cost.” New DISA HQ at Fort Meade to Get Network Overhaul
July 8, 2008
General Dynamics announced last week that it had been awarded a delivery order by the Army to expand information technology infrastructure and network capabilities at Fort Meade, Md. to support the relocation of the Defense Information Systems Agency’s headquarters. The delivery order has a total potential value of $16.5 million over two years if all options are exercised.
DISA’s headquarters will relocate from Arlington, Va. to Fort Meade by September 2011 as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) legislation. The new complex will also house the Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations from Arlington; the Deployable Joint Command and Control Program Office from Panama City, Fla., and the Joint Tactical Radio System Program Office from Rosslyn, Va., and other tenants. When the DISA headquarters relocation is complete in 2011, the Army estimates that the Fort Meade base population will increase by approximately 4,300 people.
The General Dynamics delivery order at Fort Meade is part of the U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems’ Infrastructure Modernization (IMOD) program to expand bandwidth and network capabilities to address evolving Army communications requirements. Under the IMOD contract, General Dynamics will deploy a high-speed broadband network backbone to support enhanced base operations. Army Changes to FCS Fielding Plan Not Well Received by Lawmakers
June 27, 2008
The Army announced that it is changing the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program to allow fielding of selected FCS equipment to light infantry units. But, the announcement has not gone over well with the members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC).
HASC Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Air and Land Forces Subcommittee Chairman Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) released a statement yesterday about the Army’s changes to the FCS program.
“We have supported FCS 'spin out' efforts because they are the best way to quickly get FCS equipment to the Army. However, we are concerned that this new plan may not allow for adequate testing of the equipment due to its very tight schedule,” said Skelton and Abercrombie in a joint statement. “In addition, the overall FCS program remains far over budget, far behind schedule, and unaffordable in the long term given the many other pressing needs facing the United States Army," they said. Originally designed to be delivered first to Heavy Brigade Combat teams, FCS equipment will now be delivered first to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) by fiscal year 2011, which is three years earlier than previously planned. The changes are a result of Army studies that showed infantry units most needed the FCS capabilities.
"As a result of capability gaps found in these IBCTs, the Army is accelerating the FCS complementary programs to provide capability to infantry units first," said Lt. Gen. Michael A. Vane, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center. "These capabilities will increase their capability and survivability in offense, defense and stability operations."
The FCS equipment to be fielded to IBCTs will include the Tactical and Urban Unattended Ground Sensors, the Non Line of Sight-Launch System, the Class I Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle and network kits for the Humvee platform.
NCES Reaches Critical Acquisition Milestone June 20, 2008
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) announced yesterday that the Net-Centric Enterprise Services (NCES) program achieved a critical acquisition milestone. A June 13 Acquisition Decision Memorandum granted the authority to enter the production and deployment phase of Increment One of the NCES program.
The NCES Milestone C decision was based on the program meeting all required criteria, including early user testing and evaluation, as well as successful operational assessment of managed service providers. NCES will enable a secure, agile, robust, dependable, interoperable data-sharing environment for DoD where warfighter, business, and intelligence users can share knowledge on a global network.
According to DISA, NCES provides collaboration in real-time voice, text, and video sessions and provides the entire organization access to shared/stored data while using a service-oriented architecture, built primarily with network-available services such as Web Services. NCES services such as security applications can be distributed over a network and then combined and reused to create business applications that communicate and coordinate efficiently with each other. In July 2006, DISA selected IBM to provide the first commercial collaboration tool for NCES. In November 2007, DISA's NCES program unveiled a second collaboration tool called Defense Connect Online, a commercial product provided by a partnership of Carahsoft, Adobe Systems, and Jabber. Defense Connect Online provides collaboration services including instant messaging, low-bandwidth text chat, web conferencing, shared whiteboards, desktop/application/presentation sharing, and the ability to invite personnel outside of DoD into collaboration sessions. IG: DoD Lacks Robust Info Security and Privacy Program June 11, 2008
The Defense Department continues to be "severely challenged" by the need to provide a robust information security and privacy program for its data, systems, operations and initiatives, according to the DoD Inspector General's latest semi-annual report to Congress. This challenge is particularly difficult for DoD's data, systems, operations and initiatives that are in the hands of the Defense Industrial Base and other non-DoD mission partners, said the IG. "The twin imperatives of security and information sharing collide daily and little progress has been made toward resolution of these conflicting requirements," stated the IG report to Congress. "The DoD has not adopted National Institute of Standards and Technology standards or guidelines established in Special Publications." Making matters worse, DoD does not yet have a comprehensive, enterprise-wide inventory of information systems, including warfighting mission area systems and those containing DoD information operated by contractors. In fiscal 2007, the IG said that DoD reported a total of 78 contractor systems in two DoD Federal Information Security Management Act data repositories. However, the IG found that "low number of contractor systems" to be highly improbable given that there are literally tens of thousands of contractors with defense contracts. "Lack of progress in meeting these challenges severely hampers the ability of the DoD to protect operational information for the warfighter and privacy data for all employees, as well as perform basic fiduciary responsibilities and oversight for DoD information technology expenditures," stated the IG report. The IG also found that DoD mission-critical systems may not be able to sustain warfighter operations during a disruptive or catastrophic event. According to the IG, the Pentagon provided "erroneous" information to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget on whether DoD had contingency planning procedures in place and periodically tested the procedures necessary to recover the systems from an unforeseen, and possibly devastating event. Of 436 mission-critical information systems requiring information assurance certification and accreditation, the IG said that 264 systems or 61 percent lacked a contingency plan or their owners could not provide evidence of a plan. In addition, 358 systems or 82 percent had contingency plans that had not been tested for for which their owners could not provide evidence of testing. GAO Takes DoD to Task for Weapon System Cost Growth 
Under Secretary of Defense John Young June 3, 2008
Responding to a GAO report citing cost growth of $295 billion on 95 DoD programs, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics John Young testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee today criticizing the GAO for not differentiating between cost growth due to “wise and intentional choices” and cost growth from programs that are struggling.
GAO’s report to Congress stated that the total acquisition cost of major DoD programs under development or in production has grown by nearly $300 billion over initial estimates.
“We and GAO have some important work ahead of us to develop appropriate metrics to evaluate DoD’s acquisition system,” said Young in testimony. “Has there been cost growth in some DoD programs? Yes, and I am not here to condone it. Indeed, I am seeking to limit cost growth. Do all programs behave as it is implied in the GAO report? Absolutely not. Our acquisition system is not on a downward spiral. It is on a path to improvement.”
Yet, GAO found that DoD’s portfolio of weapon system programs has “grown at a pace that far exceeds available resources.” Between 1992 and 2007, the estimated acquisition costs needed to complete the major acquisition programs in DoD’s portfolio increased almost 120 percent, while funding provided for these programs only increased 57 percent, “creating a fiscal bow wave that may be unsustainable.”
In the next five years, DoD plans to invest about $900 billion to develop and procure weapon systems – the highest level of investment in two decades.
Defense Systems Make OMB's High Risk List
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued its High Risk List of federal agency information technology projects for the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Thirteen DoD IT projects made the list including the Defense Civilian Pay System (Navy and Defense-wide), Defense Civilian Personnel Data System, and the Defense Information System for Security.
In August 2005, OMB established its High Risk List to ensure agencies and programs were meeting their intended goals and producing results. Projects on the High Risk List are not necessarily “at risk,” but are those requiring “special attention” from the highest level of agency management, according to OMB.
“While these programs may be performing well, they are determined to be high risk due to different factors such as the high cost of the project or the level of importance the project plays in the overall mission of the agency or other organization,” stated OMB. White House Opposes Cut to High Integrity GPS Program
May 23, 2008
The Bush Administration is opposing the House Armed Services Committee’s elimination of $61.2 million requested by the Pentagon in fiscal 2009 for a program designed to overcome the jamming of Global Positioning System signals by America’s adversaries.
The Committee eliminated funding for the High Integrity Global Positioning System (iGPS) in its Fiscal 2009 National Defense Authorization Act.
“Termination of the iGPS program would eliminate a development that is a much needed capability for the Special Operations Command in the FY2010 timeframe,” stated the Office of Management and Budget in a May 22 statement.
iGPS will use the existing Iridium satellite constellation to enhance current GPS navigation and timing capabilities. Enhancements include improved anti-jam performance, improved accuracy of navigation and positioning, increased availability of satellite navigation signals, improved accuracy in time stability transfer, and faster acquisition times. In related news, the Air Force last week announced that a team lead by Lockheed Martin won a competition to build the next-generation GPS space system (called GPS III).
Lockheed Martin beat Boeing for the $1.4 billion GPS III program that will improve position, navigation, and timing services for the warfighter and civil users worldwide and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities to enhance system security, accuracy and reliability.
Depots at Risk in Implementing Logistics Modernization Program  May 18, 2008
The Army’s Logistics Modernization Program (LMP), designed to streamline supply chain business processes and practices, is supposed to significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service in supporting America’s warfighters. However, LMP is being implemented in ways that could disrupt crucial depot operations in a time of conflict, according to the House Armed Services Committee.
One of the Army's largest and most comprehensive business transformation and technological modernization efforts, LMP was created to provide the systems and processes to support all aspects of the service's national- and installation-level logistics faster and more efficiently than its legacy systems. Since 2003, Army users at about a dozen locations have used LMP to release, track, and deliver supplies to troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations around the world.
But, transforming the business practices of the depots from 1970s logistics technology and 30-year-old processes has not been easy. LMP users at the depots have had to overcome major obstacles such as learning how to use the complex enterprise resource planning system, introducing cultural changes to the general depot population and getting people to understand the level of data quality that's required.
Concerned about the learning curve the depots have endured in converting legacy systems over to LMP, the House Armed Services Committee in the Fiscal 2009 Defense Authorization Act directed the Secretary of the Army to report on the current and future LMP implementation process and to certify that each Army depot is prepared for implementing the LMP prior to the start of any new process.
This isn’t the first time that problems with LMP have been reported. For years, the General Accountability Office (GAO) has issued reports about the problems associated with LMP. Most recently, a July 2007 GAO report found that LMP “continues to be plagued by problems that have beset the system since its implementation in July 2003” including problems with accurately recognizing revenue and billing customers, which can, in part, be attributed to ineffective system testing. In particular, GAO cited Tobyhanna Army Depot for its continued LMP problems.
“We recommended, and the Army agreed, that the implementation of LMP should be delayed until the operational problems we identified were resolved” stated the GAO report. “While the Army is working to resolve LMP operational issues, we continue to have concerns about the adequacy of LMP's system testing given that the continuing problems with LMP can, in part, be attributed to ineffective and non-independent system testing. Until an effective LMP testing process is implemented, the Army will have little assurance that the corrective actions it takes are properly developed, and do not introduce additional defects into the system.”
When LMP is fully implemented, it is expected to include more than 17,000 users at 149 locations and it will be populated with 6 million Army-managed inventory items valued at about $40 billion. LMP is scheduled to reach full operational capability in fiscal 2010, yet many challenges remain to be overcome in the interim. Army in Iraq Seeks Knowledge for Yet Uncompleted Mission President Bush aboard USS Abraham Lincoln May 1, 2008 It’s been five years to the day that President Bush declared the “mission accomplished” in Iraq. The scene of the “Mission Accomplished” banner proudly displayed above Bush’s head on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln has become an indelible image serving as ammunition against an administration that has come under fire for missteps in Iraq.
That was May 1, 2003. Now, fast forward to May 1, 2008. I could sit here and debate whether the Bush Administration's "surge" strategy has been successful or not in Iraq. But, I think I'll leave that to the presidential candidates. For the purposes of this web site, what I find most interesting from a technology perspective are the networks (social networks, to be specific) that are operating in Iraq and are enabling U.S. soldiers on the ground to learn operational lessons about what works and doesn’t work in the Iraqi conflict. Through knowledge management (KM), American forces in Iraq are capturing and sharing relevant lessons learned that are being leveraged by soldiers enterprise-wide to positively impact future operations and outcomes against a deadly insurgency. It is the Army, in particular, operating at the tip of the spear in Iraq that has embraced KM in order to transform its forces into a knowledge-centric organization. Pursuit of Knowledge The goal of KM for the service is clear: to capture, integrate and use existing organizational knowledge that can be leveraged as competitive advantage over the insurgents, whose tactics are constantly changing creating shifting realities for urban warfare in Iraq’s cities and towns. At the epicenter of the service’s KM initiative in Iraq is the Army Combined Arms Center’s Battle Command Knowledge System (BCKS) which provides a forum for soldiers to participate in threaded discussions online to generate and apply lessons learned in near-real time to quickly adapt to the situation on the ground. The key for BCKS is to master the operational tempo in Iraq to the point where Army units can create actionable knowledge rapidly about what the enemy is doing and how U.S. troops are effectively neutralizing that threat, thereby subverting the insurgent decision cycle. Created in 2004, BCKS was developed as an online knowledge management system to create collaboration for the generation, storage and rapid retrieval of information.
But, operational forces on the ground in Iraq aren’t the only source of that information. Army units that are forward deployed in the field can "reach back" and have access to a wide range of experts and knowledge residing within specific units, staff organizations, education and training institutions like the U.S. Military Academy, TRADOC Army Schools, and professional communities of practice.
These communities of practice or CoPs are changing how knowledge has historicially flowed in the Army. Rather than flowing from the top down, CoPs are peer-driven and have a horizontal flow of knowledge, connecting people and conversations that are critical to an organization. Thanks to the Internet, social networking, content creation and online collaboration tools, CoPs driven largely by young junior officers are rapidly institutionalizing new knowledge across the Army in ways never before seen.
Two CoPs worth mentioning here are the websites CompanyCommand.com and PlatoonLeader.org which were the brainchilds of two Army majors. CompanyCommand.com was created in 2000 as a professional forum for Army captains, and PlatoonLeader.org was developed in 2001 for lieutenants. Since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, both CoP websites have seen heavy use for the purpose of peer-to-peer communication.
Another site for sharing combat information on Iraq is CAVNET, a user-driven knowledge transfer system for horizontally distributing emerging Tactics, Techniques and Procedures developed by company-level leaders. CAVNET gives commanders the ability to leverage the best practices of their peers and incorporate them into their decision-making in the field.
Ultimately, however, KM is not about information technology. IT is just a means to an end. The true test of whether KM succeeds in the Army will be whether or not the service can change culturally – not an easy task for a military service where old ways die hard. The Inspirational Story of Lt. Col. Greg Gadson Two Giants: LTC Greg Gadson and Eli Manning May 1, 2008 This website is about technology and in the days, weeks, and months that follow that is where the focus will be. But, for this, the inaugural posting, I decided to focus on humanity, not technology. Much has been written and said about the inspirational story of Army Lt. Col. Greg Gadson in numerous articles and TV interviews. By now, many of us know about Gadson’s amazing role leading to the New York Giants’ upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Just yesterday, the Giants along with Gadson were honored guests at a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House. “I’m proud to be on the stage with this man,” said President Bush at the White House ceremony. “He has got the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars, and now he’s got a Super Bowl ring minted for a true giant.” Gadson’s story is more than just about how a double-amputee inspired the Giants to a winning season. It’s about an injured Iraqi war veteran’s incredible rise above overwhelming adversity. I had the honor of meeting Gadson in person recently and hearing his story. What follows is based on that interview with him. Baghdad, May 2007
Gadson’s whirlwind story began in May 2007 in Baghdad when his vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device (IED) on his way back from memorial services for two soldiers in his battalion. The tremendous blast from the IED threw Gadson clear of his vehicle, leaving him on the side of the road bleeding heavily and going in and out of consciousness. The heroes, he insists, were the soldiers who saved his life.
“I was a battalion commander doing what I thought I needed to do, where I thought I needed to be and my vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb,” Gadson said. “It nearly killed me and, if it wasn’t for what my soldiers did to save my life on the scene and the actions of everyone involved, I could have easily died and almost did. I’m thankful to be here.”
When news of Gadson’s life-threatening injuries reached former Army football teammate Will Huff, he immediately jumped into action and took a helicopter flight to be there at the hospital in Baghdad for Gadson, who was unconscious. Within hours, Huff was at Gadson’s side.
Huff, who later accompanied Gadson on a flight from Baghdad to Landstuhl, Germany, reached out to another former Army football player - Chuck Schretzman, who was stationed in Canada (Schretzman, like Gadson, had also played outside linebacker at West Point). Huff informed Schretzman of the grave news about Gadson’s condition, enlisting his help and support. Schretzman dropped everything and made his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., arriving the same day that Gadson arrived at Walter Reed from Germany.
A few weeks after arriving at Walter Reed, Gadson would receive another visit from a former Army football teammate. In June 2007, Mike Sullivan, now wide receiver coach for the Giants football team, came to see Gadson, who ended up having both legs amputated above the knee due to complications from his injuries. Sullivan brought Gadson a Giants football helmet signed by the players, as well as a signed team jersey with Gadson’s number 98 on it from his West Point days.
Sullivan had gone to Walter Reed to lift the spirits of his former West Point teammate. In the end, however, it was Sullivan who left the hospital feeling overwhelmingly inspired by Gadson’s positive attitude and outlook, witnessing firsthand the amazing effect he was having on fellow patients and the medical staff at Walter Reed. In the months after his visit with Gadson, Sullivan recognized that Gadson’s inspirational story and infectious can-do attitude might benefit the struggling Giants football team.
Turning a Team Around
The Giants had not only lost the first two games of the 2007 season, but had given up 80 points to their opponents. It was then that Sullivan invited Gadson to speak to the Giants players and coaching staff – an unprecedented act. Never had an outsider been invited inside to address the team. Speaking from the heart and without any pre-written notes, Gadson spoke to the Giants players during a team meeting at their hotel in Washington the night before their game against the Washington Redskins in Week 3 of the season.
“I talked to them about life and their responsibilities as professional athletes, and their obligation, opportunity and blessing to go out there and do their best,” said Gadson. “I wanted them to know how important they were to soldiers in combat zones who look up to them and stay up after or get up before their shift just to watch them play. However, beyond the external, I told them the most important reasons for doing their best was right there in the room – the 53 players and coaches. You are playing for yourselves I said.”
“I told them there’s never going to be another 2007 Giants, so what are you guys going to do with this team?,” he said. “I challenged them: You’re either committed or you’re not. You guys can still achieve your goals but you’ve got to decide now.”
Gadson’s words of inspiration hit the mark. The Giants went on to defeat the Redskins and turned their season around. The night before their Super Bowl showdown with the Patriots, Sullivan and Giants coach Tom Coughlin again asked Gadson to speak to the players.
“I told them ‘the first time I spoke to you back in September I was as an outsider and you didn’t know me from Adam. Tonight, I speak to you as a teammate’,” said Gadson. “I talked with them about pride, poise and team. I talked to them about how we had grown as a team and how I wouldn’t hesitate to fight alongside them in combat. That’s how much I believed in all of them. I talked about the importance of believing. The Patriots know they can beat us. But, you believe that we can beat them and that’s the key difference. Belief comes from the heart and that’s why we’re going to win tomorrow.”
In the end, the Giants won 17-14, their first Super Bowl victory in more than a decade.
Looking Ahead
These days, Gadson continues on the road to rehabilitation. In total, he underwent 17 operations on both his legs and right arm as a result of his injuries, with no further surgery expected. Gadson lives outside of Washington at Fort Belvoir in American Disability Act-compliant quarters with his wife Kim, and their two children, daughter Gabriella (15) and son Jaelen (14). He commutes almost daily to Walter Reed for physical and occupational therapy which is going well.
As far as the future is concerned, Gadson is weighing his options. He has deferred the Army War College for a year and for now will pursue a graduate degree in public policy from Georgetown University. Gadson will also continue his public speaking as a motivational speaker, inspiring such audiences as school kids, associations, companies, and perhaps – the 2008 Giants football team. Regardless, things are looking up for Gadson a year after his near-death experience.
“When I look at the events of my life over the past year and all the incredible things that have happened, it’s certainly not anything that I would have imagined,” said Gadson. “I’m living proof that life can change in a minute. My life literally changed in a flash and a boom. Only through faith, family and friends did I persevere.” | General Dynamics HMS Radios Meeting JTRS Requirements October 6, 2008 General Dynamics' Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) radios demonstrated their critical networked-communications capabilities in recent government-run Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) field tests. A recent field experiment at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., for example, featured a 2-channel Manpack HMS radio exceeding a 20-kilometer range requirement test and transmitting voice and data over rugged terrain and rough conditions. The Manpack HMS radio is also part of an ongoing field experiment in Lakehurst, N.J. Using the new, highly-advanced Soldier Radio Waveform to uniquely format information, the Manpack HMS radio successfully has transmitted voice, video, data and messages to 25 nodes simulating soldiers operating within a single network.
The HMS radios also are achieving other key JTRS requirements, such as communicating with existing, widely used Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) radios, transmitting video while embedded in unmanned aerial vehicles and communicating with radios mounted in mobile ground vehicles. The small, light and power-efficient HMS radios work for close-combat tactical communication and are easier for soldiers to carry or wear compared to currently deployed legacy radios. They can also be embedded in new lightweight sensors, robots and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The JTRS HMS 1-channel radio for ground soldiers, the Small Form Fit Version 1, or “Rifleman Radio,” is scheduled for user evaluation by the Army’s Evaluation Task Force at Fort Bliss, Texas, next month. Boeing Leverages Hughes Commercial Satellite During TSAT Program Review September 30, 2008
Boeing announced that it has used an operational, commercial communications satellite to demonstrate the maturity of its Internet-like, space-based packet-switching technology during a program review of DoD’s Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT). The Boeing-built SPACEWAY 3 satellite was used for the review, which took place earlier this month at three locations across the United States with participants interacting through a videoconference and collaboration software. SPACEWAY 3, which is owned and operated by Hughes, is the only satellite of its type in orbit. Its unique packet-switching technology is directly applicable to Boeing's proposed TSAT system. "The SPACEWAY 3 satellite system provides an operational commercial broadband service that brings unique capabilities beyond that of any other space-based network," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "These capabilities are commercial versions of many of the capabilities TSAT will provide to DoD." Conventional satellites use circuit-switching technology that sets up a limited number of exclusive-use, defined-capacity connections between points to communicate. SPACEWAY 3 uses packet-switching technology that connects users in an adaptable network that dynamically forwards information to each person as needed, increasing flexibility by allowing communication with any other user. Packet switching provides for much more efficient use of available capacity. The most common use of packet switching is the Internet. Once launched, DoD hopes the TSAT system will provide survivable, protected, high-capacity Internet-like connections for the DoD. TSAT will be the communications backbone and a large part of the DoD's secure, global communications network. DTRA Awards Lockheed Martin Contract to Provide IT Modernization Services September 24, 2008
Lockheed Martin has been selected by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) for a single award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to provide IT modernization services. Three initial task orders were awarded and valued at $62 million. The company will migrate the Agency’s multiple legacy Information Technology architectures into a standard, flexible, and central architecture. The three task orders include Core Services, DTRA Integration, Test and Experimentation Center and Enterprise Architecture. The orders call for enterprise IT services that include help desk, end user support, network engineering, IT installation and administration. Lockheed Martin will also be responsible for design and engineering, knowledge management and usability engineering. The overall IDIQ contract has a period of performance of five years, plus one five-year option period, with a ceiling of $475 million. Under the Agency-wide IT Services and Support contract, Lockheed Martin will create a centralized, controlled office automation and networking backbone infrastructure including networks, servers, routers, and telecommunications equipment. The work will be performed principally at Fort Belvoir, Va. Lockheed Martin will work to provide a seamless transition as it moves to create a set of flexible standards based on desktop and mobile computing environments, ensuring the outcome of one cohesive enterprise IT solution. DTRA is a combat support agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, assigned the mission of safeguarding the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction (WMD - chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive weapons) by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat and mitigate its effects. SAIC Awarded $11 Million Task Order for JIEDDO's Enterprise Management System
September 18, 2008
SAIC announced today that it has been awarded a task order by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to support the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the JIEDDO Enterprise Management System (JEMS). Formerly the JIEDDO Collaborative Tool, JEMS is a system which will integrate the people, processes and technology of the JIEDDO to provide an agile, process-managed, net-centric, service-oriented, collaborative environment in which to more effectively and efficiently execute its mission. JIEDDO coordinates efforts among DoD and international agencies to defeat the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices against U.S. and coalition forces. Under the contract, SAIC will provide program and project management, application development, hosting, operation, information assurance, acquisition, and training services for JEMS. "We are pleased to bring our systems engineering and integration as well as program lifecycle management expertise to JIEDDO," said Peter Dube, senior vice president and business unit general manager. "Defeating the threat of IEDs in the war theater is a top priority for the Department of Defense, and we are committed to doing whatever we can to help ultimately save the lives of warfighters in the field." This task order has a one-year base period of performance, one six-month option, and a total contract value of more than $11 million if the option is exercised. The task order was awarded under the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions - 2 Services (ITES-2S) contract. Lockheed Martin Wins DLA Contract to Track Auto Parts September 12, 2008
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to support land-based vehicle sustainment for all of DoD’s land-based vehicles over 10 years. The Defense Logistics Agency awarded Lockheed Martin initial funding for the four-year base period to commence work on the Fleet Automotive Support Initiative-Global (FASI-G) program. The contract has a potential value of up to $5.6 billion over the next decade. FASI-G is part of the DoD’s initiative to improve logistics and sustainment support to forces around the world, at the user level, through performance based logistics. Lockheed Martin will use its SCM+™ supply chain management solution, designed to provide total asset visibility, information and progress-tracking metrics. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will use leading indicators from military commands around the world, as well as predictive analysis, to establish a supply chain that guarantees delivery of needed maintenance and replacement automotive parts to warfighters in a defined period of time while minimizing inventory and using a highly efficient distribution network. GeoEye-1 Satellite Has Successful Launch September 9, 2008
GeoEye-1, the world's highest resolution, commercial Earth-imaging satellite, was launched over the weekend aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The satellite is part of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s NextView program, which is designed to ensure that NGA has access to commercial imagery in support of its mission to provide timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national security. GeoEye won a $500 million NextView contract in September 2004 and was able to build and launch GeoEye-1 without contract cost overruns in less than four years after contract award. GeoEye-1 will simultaneously collect 0.41-meter ground resolution black-and-white (panchromatic) images and 1.65-meter color (multispectral) images. Designed to take digital images of the Earth from 423 miles (681 kilometers) and moving at a speed of about four-and-a-half miles (seven kilometers) per second, the satellite camera can distinguish objects on the Earth's surface as small as 0.41-meter or 16 inches in size. Due to U.S. licensing restrictions, commercial customers will get access to imagery at half-meter ground resolution.
General Dynamics Completes AEF IT Migration to Randolph September 9, 2008
General Dynamics announced today that the company completed a critical milestone in its support to the Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) program by migrating the AEF network infrastructure from Langley AFB to Randolph AFB.
The company first redeployed AEF’s Unclassified but Sensitive Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet) applications in May 2008. Then, General Dynamics migrated AEF’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) applications in June 2008. According to the company, the integration to the infrastructure was transparent to users and did not interrupt operations. The migration also included installation of a new server suite to enhance application response times and provide added redundancy.
Since September 2001, General Dynamics has worked closely with the Air Force under a $50 million task order to support Air Force major commands in planning and executing AEF operations. FCS Network Central to Army Force Modernization September 4, 2008
The Army last week released its 2008 Modernization Strategy, a blueprint for the future of the service's force modernization efforts. The document calls for incorporating new technologies derived from Future Combat Systems (FCS) research and development as they become available, most notably the FCS network.
FCS is the core of the Army’s modernization effort and consists of a family of manned and unmanned systems, connected by a common network. The FCS network will provide soldiers with key situational awareness and communications capabilities. The network is not only for battlespace awareness, according to the 2008 Army Modernization Strategy, but will also allow soldiers to receive and transmit a variety of real-time data.
“Networks have become part of our daily lives and by extension warfare,” states the Army strategy. “Rarely will a person leave home without a cell phone, blackberry, or GPS. It should be no different for a soldier. Except their capabilities will be fully integrated into a single system e.g., a soldier should not have to look up an address in a cell phone and enter that address into his GPS. The network will provide the soldier this solution – integrating the components is key.”
The FCS network has five layers – standards, transport, services, applications, and sensors and platforms – that, when combined, is designed to provide “seamless delivery of both data and knowledge” and requires the integration of all five layers to provide greater situational awareness, sensor fusion and networked fires.
“Current force units are severely hindered by the lack of real time situational awareness,” the Army document states. “FCS provides redundant, scalable and tailorable networks on the move. The capabilities currently resident in division and brigade headquarters will be distributed to platoons and companies, allowing for unprecedented situational awareness for the soldiers and leaders who make contact with the enemy.” AKO/DKO Portal on Track; RFP Expected in Q2 of 2009
August 21, 2008
Northrop Grumman proudly displayed Army Knowledge Online/Defense Knowledge Online (AKO/DKO) in its booth at this week's LandWarNet conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. AKO/DKO is an online portal that is designed to empower knowledge dominance, ensure synchronization of resources, and enable situational awareness and operational security. The current AKO/DKO task order was awarded to Northrop Grumman in March 2007 against the Air Force’s Network-Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) contract and has a not-to-exceed limit of $267 million. If the final option period is exercised, the task order will expire in March 2010. The Army has spent $425 million on the program to date. AKO/DKO was built on the AKO enterprise portal, the Army-wide intranet for transforming the service into a knowledge-based organization. In 1997, AKO was initiated as a pilot project and was mandated for the entire service. DKO is the DoD version of AKO. In a secure environment designed to improve information sharing, AKO/DKO provides net-centric enterprise services, including online collaboration (Web conferencing, instant messaging and chat), a people directory/white pages, and improved search capabilities. The AKO/DKO service-orientated architecture (SOA) dashboard uses enterprise service bus technology to transport information, and provide timely, enterprise-wide, decision-making information to stakeholders. AKO/DKO has launched a wiki pilot program. Clearspace software will be evaluated on the unclassified portal, while Intelepedia will be tested on the classified network.
The AKO/DKO Project Office is currently scheduled to issue a request for proposals to industry in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. They are looking for vendors to provide “best of class” web portal services that are secure, interoperable, and scalable for both SIPR and NIPR DoD networks. Boeing Wins Shipboard Network Communications System Contract from Navy August 5, 2008
Boeing has been awarded their second contract this year by the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren to install the Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System (GEDMS) on destroyers. The $5.4 million firm, fixed-price contract is for an updated shipboard network communications system for the USS Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer (DDG). In January, Boeing won a contract to supply the GEDMS system for DDG 111 and 112, which are under construction.
The awards are part of the Navy's DDG modernization program, under which new shipboard network communications technologies will be retrofitted in DDG 51-class destroyers during service overhauls and installed as new destroyers are constructed. GEDMS is a complete information-transfer system that enhances reliability, maintainability and survivability by managing data from the ship's navigation, steering-control, damage-control, machinery-control, combat and internal-communications systems. The system replaces the miles of point-to-point cabling, signal converters, junction boxes and switchboards associated with conventional cabling. The GEDMS work that Boeing has secured on DDG 51-class destroyers could be just the beginning of even more business from the Navy. In late July, the Navy said it would stop the DDG 1000 destroyer class at two ships and re-start the procurement of DDG 51 class destroyers, proposing 8 ships in their 5-year plan beginning next year.
The DDG 51 is capable of multiple missions, from anti-submarine warfare to cruise missile strike warfare to area air defense. The ship can also serve in a ballistic missile defense role. The DDG 1000 can't. Fifty three DDG 51s are currently in the fleet, nine more are in various stages of construction. Companies Win Contracts to Vie for $5 Billion to Support DoD Healthcare Programs
July 31, 2008
General Dynamics this week announced that DoD has awarded the company and 22 other firms TRICARE Evaluation, Analysis and Management Support (TEAMS) contracts to provide program planning, execution and support for defense healthcare programs. The 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts have a $5 billion total potential value among all awardees if all options are exercised.
Under their contract, General Dynamics will provide planning and management services including requirements analysis, acquisition support, budget planning and management, business process engineering, technical management, program planning and execution support (“Category 2” support) to the Military Health System.
General Dynamics supports other DoD IT health programs including the Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) program; the Defense Health Information Management System (DHIMS); the Defense Blood Standard Support program; and the Defense Health Services Systems’ Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS).
Lockheed Martin Continues ABCS Development Work
July 25, 2008
Lockheed Martin earlier this month announced it has been awarded an extension to continue developing portions of the Army Battle Command System (ABCS), which the company has supported since 1994. The follow-on ABCS contract worth $36 million includes design, development, integration, test, training, and field support.
ABCS links 11 different Army systems such as the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below, Global Command and Control System-Army, Maneuver Control System and All Source Analysis System. This “system of systems” provides a virtual view of the battlefield, including real-time information on friendly and enemy forces. ABCS also provides battle planning, fire support coordination, and airspace coordination. It was only a few years ago that ABCS suffered from integration and interoperability problems. However, ABCS has proven itself in Iraq and Afghanistan as a force multiplier. DISA's Croom Retires, Hight Becomes Acting Director Navy RADM Elizabeth A. Hight
July 23, 2008
Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles Croom retired from the Air Force and stepped down as director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) on July 22.
Navy Rear Adm. Elizabeth Hight, DISA vice director, will serve as acting director until a replacement for Croom is selected and confirmed by the Senate. Hight had been nominated to replace Croom, but the Senate refused to confirm her because of a conflict of interest – Hight’s husband is a vice president at Northrop Grumman.
So, what do we know about Hight?
From all indications, Hight has enjoyed a distinguished career deeply rooted in the military communications arena, with demonstrated leadership in net-centric operations and field command. In her role as Vice Director of DISA (a position she held since early 2007), Hight led a worldwide organization of more than 6,600 military and civilian personnel responsible for planning, developing, and providing interoperable, global net-centric solutions that serve the needs of the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, and other DoD components.
Prior to taking her position as vice director of DISA, Hight was DISA’s Principal Director for Operations and Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) from 2006 to 2007. As Principal Director, she was responsible for providing command, control, communications, computer and intelligence support to the nation’s warfighters.
Hight joined the Navy in 1977 and her first duty station was Naval Communications Area Master Station WESTPAC, Guam, where she was the high-frequency receiver site division officer. She graduated from Huntingdon College as a triple major in psychology, sociology and social work. Hight is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, the Naval Post-graduate School with a master’s degree in telecommunications systems, and George Washington University with a master’s degree in info systems.
Air Force to Get New CIO
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