Power in the Pacific Brings New Challenges, Responsibilities

TechNet Asia-Pacific 2014

The SIGNAL Magazine Online Show Daily

Day 1

Quote of the Day:

“For mobility, we have to start thinking intercollaborability.”—Terry Halvorsen, Defense Department acting chief information officer

As the only trusted major power in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States literally finds itself at the heart of all coalition networking activities. Amid the pivot to the Pacific, the nation also is striving to modernize the force while it confronts budgetary uncertainties domestically and abroad.

The theme of “Assured Interoperability” headlined the program for TechNet Asia-Pacific 2014, being held December 9-11 in Honolulu. The conference’s first two speakers addressed that theme directly in their breakfast and luncheon remarks.

Gen. Vincent Brooks, USA, the commanding general of the U.S. Army, Pacific, declared that the United States is at the nexus in any ad hoc coalition built in the region. This is especially vital because “there is not a lot of trust among nations” in that region, as many have especially long memories with regard to each other. “If we are going to have friends who will not talk to one another but will talk to us, then we are the network,” he stated.

But this responsibility leads to another problem that vexes any future coalition. The United States is moving at full speed to modernize its information technologies through efforts such as the Joint Information Environment (JIE). This is widening the technology gap between the United States and its potential coalition partners, which in turn risks losing interoperability with small but vital coalition allies. Potential adversaries are closing the military technology gap with the United States, so the nation must push ahead with efforts to maintain a cutting edge technology advantage over countries that might challenge the United States and its partners.

Gen. Brooks offered that the United States must lay the groundwork for interoperability before the coalition call goes out, and helping ensure that other nations do not fall too far behind is part of that effort. He explained that the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) has adopted a methodology it calls twinning. This entails matching a U.S. force with an equivalent in another country to build the pillars of interoperability. He cited an example where the command twinned a U.S. Army Apache helicopter unit with an Indonesian Apache unit even before the archipelago country received its helicopters. By working with their Indonesian equivalents ahead of time, U.S. forces are helping lay the groundwork for operations with the two countries’ helicopter forces in a future coalition.

Among the technologies needed for PACOM forces are easily configurable networks that can accept a variety of technical capabilities with secure links. The general wants reliable communications on the move irrespective of platform. He would like to have the same communications when he leaves his desktop, boards a helicopter or an aircraft, and then joins forces maneuvering on the ground a long distance from his point of origin. The U.S. Army, Pacific needs “a reliable command, control and communications network on the move,” he declared. The Army would need the ability to stretch the network “in advance of operations no matter where we are,” he emphasized.

The push for coalition interoperability is entering a new phase that now has its own newly coined term—intercollaborability. Terry Halvorsen, Defense Department acting chief information officer, used the term to describe the combination of collaboration and interoperability. He explained that cooperation happens when people want to protect their piece of the pie, while collaboration occurs when people think there is more of the pie.

This capability expansion would apply not only to coalition interoperability, but also to technology modernization at large. It could be the guiding element for many information technology activities that will change the way the department networks and communicates. For example, Halvorsen said that mobile connectivity must be pushed to the tactical edge, and that will require changes such as adoption of commercial capabilities and bring your own device (BYOD). “For mobility, we have to start thinking intercollaborability,” he stated.

But for true intercollaborability, the department would need to include the full spectrum of capabilities such as video and satellite relays to the desktop. “The technology is doable,” he said. “Can we get there culturally and financially? I think we can do it,” he concluded.

Halvorsen emphasized two key developments on the horizon. On Monday, December 15, the U.S. military services will be notified that they no longer have to go through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for cloud services, he stated. Monday’s memo will tell the services they have the authority to buy cloud services without DISA’s approval.

Halvorsen emphasized that this does not indicate any negativity toward DISA. The information agency is good, he said, but it needs competition. Under the new guidelines, DISA will be one of the cloud providers that the department will consider from an economic standpoint.

He stated the department would be moving its unclassified data to the cloud as part of an effort “to go more commercial.”

Halvorsen’s other development is the introduction of a wireless network into the Pentagon. On December 23, a test network will be switched on to help lay the groundwork for departmentwide wireless connectivity. The department was late in its adoption of wireless, Halvorsen stated, and he offered that a wireless network can be tuned to meet security needs. Halvorsen credited Adm. Mike Rogers, USN, director of the National Security Agency and head of the U.S. Cyber Command, with changing the information assurance policy to enable the department to adopt wireless networking.

Another pilot project soon to enter the Defense Department will be for bring your own device, or BYOD. It will begin in Halvorsen’s CIO office, although its implementation will not be immediate. He does not expect a departmentwide BYOD program within the next three years.

For the JIE, Halvorsen emphasized the importance of the Joint Regional Security Stacks, or JRSS. Describing it as his office’s top priority for JIE, Halvorsen offered that the JRSS will give the department the ability to use disparate pieces in a common way. It will put the department in a better position to build interoperability, he added.

However, achieving full JRSS capability will require acquisition reform, Halvorsen stated. He said the department needs both acquisition reform and capability requirements reform.

On Day 2 of TechNet Asia-Pacific: An address by Lt. Gen. James K. McLaughlin, USAF, deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command; and panels on cyber intelligence and leveraging science and technology