NETWORK TRANSPORT IN A CONTESTED ENVIRONMENTSolution Concept Presentation for the AFCEA Signal Conference 2018

MARCH 2018

PROBLEM STATEMENT

“WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY”

TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

HOW TO DECOMPOSE THE PROBLEM

SOLUTION CONCEPT

WAY AHEAD

AGENDA

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REDUCING EMS SIGNATURE: PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Statement – The Army envisions future command posts that emit minimal electromagnetic signatures, making them harder to detect.

Why this is a problem – The Army has studied the changing character of war and recognizes that command post survivability is threatened in an age of advanced direction-finding and artillery systems threats.

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“WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY”…

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Li-Fi/Visual Light Communication +Lasers/Free Space Optics +Drones +Satellites +Fiber Optics +Software-Defined +Additive Manufacturing

✓ Simple to install, operate, and maintain…

=

TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

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1) low-EMI physical transport media in the Local and Wide Area Network like terrestrial optical transport, free-space optical communication, wideband satellite communication and Light-Fidelity (Li-Fi) visual light communications;

2) software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) devices and orchestration; 3) EM-shielded/protected chassis and containers; and 4) novel physical-layer network device maneuver systems such as low-cost drones to distribute terrestrial optical

fiber rapidly across and throughout an area of responsibility (AOR).

1: Low EMS Media 2: SD-WAN and Automation

3: EM-Shielded Containers

4: Drones and Fiber

HOW DO WE DECOMPOSE THE PROBLEM?

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Principle What does this mean?

Put Soldiers First Speed and Agility: The solution must be simple to install, operate, and maintain.

Ensure Technological Feasibility Risk and Industry-informed; Performance tested; Certified/accredited; Technology Readiness level

Maintain technological relevance COTS are available to enable possible solutions

Integrate DOTMLPF-P Task/Condition/Standard-informed; Traceability.

Provide resources and mandate affordability How many are needed, at what time/place?

Drive cost effectiveness Cost of the capability (to include the materiel)

Hold people accountable for results Experiment and fail fast; Conditions-based

Contextually relevant Synchronize the solution in space and time: Europe vs. SWA; Urban vs. Desert;

ASSUMPTIONS

• “contested environment” - is limited to theater-level environments such as Europe, Pacific or Southwest Asia.

• “network transport” - OSI layer 1 through layer 4 solutions at Company echelon and above.

• “contested” - risk to stationary U.S. assets increases significantly over short periods of time.

• “competitive” - multiple adversaries are vying for access to and freedom of action within multiple

domains (land, air, cyber i.e. electromagnetic spectrum).

• “congested” - multiple actors are actively participating within multiple domains in the contested

environment.

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SOLUTION CONCEPT

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• V-band Constellations• X and Ka Band

Satellite

Li-Fi/Visual Light Communication

100 Mb/s

Free-Space Optics (Optical Wireless Terrestrial Networks)

EM-Shielded Case/ConduitAdditive Manufacturing / Coating

Diverse Path Optical Fiber

SD-WAN Controller• Multiple connection types• Dynamic path selection • Load sharing and resiliency• Simple interface that is easy to configure

and manage• Support for VPNs, WAN optimization

controllers, firewalls and web gateways

Threshold: 30 minutesSpc. Donte Cromety, information technology specialist, 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element

WAY AHEAD

Booz Allen is investigating a solution demonstration in our facilities in Belcamp, MD (near APG) and Alexandria, VA (near Fort Belvoir).

- Assessing COTS vendors and identifying feasible/ready products- Capturing requirements via Digital Engineering using Models to assess trade space- Implementing DevOps and Secure Systems Engineering to iterate

Contact

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Patrick WardSenior Associate

ward_patrick@bah.com+1-401-216-9273

Felix YaoPrincipal

yao_felix@bah.com+1-703-559-6024

BACKUP SLIDES

MISSION COMMAND NETWORK CAPABILITIES

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COMMAND POST CAPABILITIES

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ABSTRACT

• Description: The Army today has an immediate requirement to ensure flat, fast, mobile, and protected network transport in contested environments. Contested environments exist within operational theaters today. Contested means the risk to stationary U.S. assets increases significantly over short periods of time. Today, commercial-off-the shelf technologies can be combined to deliver highly-available, high-capacity transport in a contested environment. These technologies must be simple to install, operate, and maintain and resilient in a denied/degraded electromagnetic and space environment. One possible solution concept combines: 1) low-EMI physical transport media in the Local and Wide Area Network like terrestrial optical transport, free-space optical communication, wideband satellite communication and Light-Fidelity (Li-Fi) visual light communications; 2) software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) devices and orchestration; 3) EM-shielded/protected chassis and containers; and 4) novel physical-layer network device maneuver systems such as low-cost drones to distribute terrestrial optical fiber rapidly across and throughout an area of responsibility (AOR). This solution concept would provide high capacity, resilient, low-EMI common network transport over a geographical area. Individually, each of these COTS systems is somewhat complex and has certain operational vulnerabilities. When combined, they offer multiple options for commanders and Signal staff to provide flat, fast, mobile, and protected network transport in a contested environment.

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