Wherever the United States fights next, its armed forces will battle alongside partners and allies. Some will be old and trusted friends, others perhaps only temporary comrades to counter a shared threat. Either way, ensuring the rapid and accurate digital exchange of key combat information among partners could mean the difference between victory and defeat. To that end, the geographic combatant commanders are working in conjunction with the services and Department of Defense (DoD) agencies to pioneer communication capabilities. Here in the Information Age, a multinational force in a very fluid battlespace may not succeed without a digital edge.
As part of this effort, the Joint Staff director for command, control, communications, information, and computers/cyber (J-6) is supporting the development of common U.S. information system mission capabilities known as the Mission Partner Environment (MPE). MPE is a common language command-and-control (C2) information operating system at a security classification level releasable to all mission partners. Various MPE solutions are being developed and evaluated to support rapid information exchanges that optimize maneuver and maximize lethality across all domains in the battlespace. For example, the Federated Mission Networking (FMN) framework established by NATO already has demonstrated the ability to rapidly share military information among coalition partners.
The Joint Staff J-6 has used the FMN framework since 2015 in its Bold Quest series of events to demonstrate and assess combat capabilities. FMN provides an opportunity for spiral development of military communications and information-exchange capabilities, with each spiral building on capabilities and lessons learned from previous implementations. Early spirals focused on core network services (email, chat, voice, video), but current and future spirals are adding military-specific information exchanges to support combat capability in areas such as common operational picture, digital C2 of surface and air fires, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
Lessons from Bold Quest 2019
The most recent event, Bold Quest 2019, took place at various sites in Finland, with secondary sites across Europe and North America. The Bold Quest FMN/MPE supported numerous combat capabilities in representative operational environments. Key successes included:
• Establishing a federated network of 16 enclaves from five partner nations, including enclaves supporting maritime and special operations forces.
• Federating core services to allow almost seamless exchange of email, chat, video, and voice among the various mission enclaves.
• Developing join-up, membership, and exit instructions for the Bold Quest Mission Network, including the first operational-security requirements statement to codify cybersecurity responsibilities for each federation partner.
• Providing network support to a replicated NATO ISR processing, exploitation, and dissemination process with U.S. combined joint task force (CJTF) and combined forces land component commander representation. Systems and data types supported include NATO coalition shared data servers, satellite imagery, full-motion video, and ground moving target indicator.
• Demonstrating ground-to-air situational awareness systems, including Global Command and Control System–Joint (GCCS-J), Force Tracking Advanced Management System, Android Tactical Assault Kit, and various coalition system information exchanges employed by troops maneuvering in the field.
• Validating simulated and live digitally aided close-air support training, systems, and tactics, techniques, and procedures for coalition partners.
• Conducting simulated and live surface fires missions.
• Implementing applicable cross-domain solutions to support the operational mission threads (for example, Radiant Mercury and Battlefield Information, Collection, and Exploitation System Federated Trusted Network Environment Infrastructure).
Beyond all these accomplishments, Bold Quest 2019 reinforced two key aspects of FMN/MPE operations. First was the understanding that any coalition endeavor—building and operating FMN/MPE included—is a collaborative event. Participating network partners must coordinate closely with their counterparts and the operators they are supporting to establish networks in time to maximize operations. Second, multiple domain operations are necessary, despite the advantages of centralizing C2 functions on a single security domain. Often, the information needed to conduct military operations does not reside within the common network security domain. In Bold Quest 2019, the coalition exchanged classified FMN/MPE information with U.S. classified and unclassified networks using approved cross-domain solutions. As with any other DoD communication capability, FMN/MPE design and implementation will be dictated by the operational requirements of units using this capability to fight.
The Next Step: A Load Test
While FMN/MPE has demonstrated its potential as a framework for rapid, effective operations, especially for episodic events at and below the CJTF level, it still has to be proven operationally. The missing element is an objective, quantified assessment of operational capabilities and military utility. The Joint Staff has demonstrated that an FMN/MPE can support critical military functions and operations, but as yet there has been no opportunity to conduct a load test—that is, an assessment of an FMN/MPE employed by military units conducting the full range of military operations.
Operational units, program offices, combatant commanders, and other interested parties need to attend Bold Quest and participate in an FMN/MPE event, or at least observe it. FMN/MPE can provide a ready-made framework to rapidly establish coalition information environments at and below the CJTF level, but the Joint Staff needs feedback from operational units to advance development and make it viable. Participation enables units and organizations to hone their skills in establishing coalition networks and gives them opportunities to test emerging military capabilities and train operators. FMN/MPE must have focused, realistic, and objective operational testing and evaluation to make it a suitable environment for winning future wars.