Programs Pull Korea Into Communications Future

The U.S. Army is overhauling its communications in Korea to update decades-old infrastructure. Three major projects will offer commanders better information for their decision-making processes and put in place an architecture that enables necessary capabilities for the next 10 to 15 years. Some phases of the work are complete, and others will continue through 2012.

The Korea Optical Fiber Backbone Replacement (KOBR) program, the Korea Optical Transmission Network (KOTNet) program and the Digital Microwave Upgrade (DMU) program are being implemented in the U.S. Forces Korea area of responsibility through a partnership between the Regional Chief Information Office-Korea, which is part of the Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command, and the Product Manager, Defense Wide Transmission Systems (PM DWTS). The product manager is part of the Army’s Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems’ Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems. Soldiers, airmen and civilians from the 1st Signal Brigade, 251st Signal Detachment, 6th Signal Command, 36th and 41st signal battalions and 51st and 8th communications squadrons also assist the programs.

Operating together, KOBR, KOTNet and the DMU provide the architectural framework for an integrated telecommunications system, traversing a meshed transmission system through the Korean peninsula. They create the telecommunication architecture from the Demilitarized Zone at the North Korean border south to BusanCity, west to Kunsan Air Base and east to CampMujuk. Together, the programs create the capabilities necessary in the region and allow U.S. warfighters to have physical cable diversity and ultra high bandwidth throughout the peninsula.

Chief Warrant Officer Jose Gilbert, USA (l), and Sgt. Jonathan Luke, USA, check the status of synchronous optical network equipment that the Product Manager, Defense Wide Transmission Systems installed at Camp Walker, Korea, under the Korea Optical Transmission Network program.

KOBR provides the architectural framework to replace and build out the fiber optic cable backbone connectivity and installation survivability among U.S. Forces Korea installations. The program includes the installation of fiber cable designed for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) ultra high bandwidth capacity. This cable supports all classifications and speeds of U.S. Forces Korea voice, data and video communications.

The KOTNet program optimizes the usage of the KOBR fiber. It allows dedicated through-paths, ultra bandwidth client signals, any-to-any connections and terabit aggregate signals. The KOTNet program provides the architectural framework necessary for optical transport and switching across the transmission infrastructure among the U.S. Korean installations. KOTNet encompasses the optical network equipment while KOBR serves as the optical fiber backbone.

KOTNet replaced the aged 1980s optical equipment with synchronous optical networking (SONET), DWDM and Raman amplifiers, which boost the signal in an optical fiber by transferring energy from a powerful pump beam to a weaker signal beam. The DWDM adds an overlaying, transparent, photonic layer to the existing infrastructure by pushing the SONET layer deeper toward the edge of the network while simultaneously maintaining all the efficiencies and benefits of the optical networking.

As the network evolves, the DWDM will be equipped with reconfigurable optical add and drop multiplexer technology that enables systems administration to configure the networks as a ring and physical/logical mesh architecture. “Thus, the DWDM equipment provides a core underlay for higher-level protocols to be transported,” explains Lt. Col. Clyde Richards, USA, product manager for the three programs.

The DMU program integrates with KOTNet and also offers survivability through the meshed telecommunication architecture. The program replaces aged 1970s-vintage microwave radios with state-of-the-art digital microwave radios that are capable of multiple OC-3 (155 megabits per second) uplinks. It transports all levels and forms of U.S. Forces Korea communications.

Microwave transmissions can be used where fiber lines cannot be installed. Microwave, unlike fiber, does not require personnel to dig and lay the infrastructure for its use. Tying in microwaves with fibers overcomes geographical barriers that inhibit the establishment of fiber lines. They also make survivability important in the systems because of the difficulty in reaching them for repair work.

Though KOBR includes separate fiber lines so security and redundancy is built in, use of microwaves in Korea serves as a bridge to reach beyond the fiber implementations and provides increased redundancy. If troops lose fiber optic cable communications, they can switch to the microwave infrastructure to continue missions. The three programs together offer a meshed integrated total solution.

The total transmission system offers connectivity among U.S. installations and sites allowing for the transport of all U.S. Forces Korea information in real time. The up-to-the-minute data enables leadership to react better to aggression or catastrophic threats, and component services will obtain the command and control to process necessary intelligence.

In addition to the work in Korea, PM DWTS constantly upgrades technology to keep it state of the art and performs work in other locations around the globe such as Southwest Asia. The organization is responsible for implementing long-term solutions for the wide area and providing communications. In addition, it maintains responsibility for some products that it acquires and fields to necessary Army tactical organizations.

Once all phases of KOBR, KOTNet and the DMU are complete, PM DWTS will transfer control of them to U.S. Forces Korea.