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U.S. DOD Mandates New Software Architecture

The new architecture improves cybersecurity.

A Marine radios in after contact with a simulated enemy during a training exercise in Shizuoka, Japan. The Defense Department has mandated a new software architecture standard for tactical radios. Credit: Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson

The Department of Defense Joint Enterprise Standards Committee today has listed the Software Communications Architecture (SCA) version 4.1 as a mandated tactical radio standard in the department’s Information Technology Standards Registry (DISR) and retired SCA version 2.2.2.

The SCA is an open architecture framework that defines a standard way to instantiate, configure and manage waveform applications running on a radio hardware platform. The SCA decouples waveform software from its platform-specific software and hardware, facilitates waveform software reuse and minimizes development expenditures.

Version 4.1 increases cybersecurity, improves performance, enhances software portability and affords opportunities to reduce development costs of SCA-compliant products. The new version is also backwards compatible, meaning that version 4.1 radios can run version 2.2.2 waveform applications.

The Defense Department instructs program managers and developers to use the standards in the DISR for information technology system development, acquisition and procurement to promote interoperability, information sharing, reuse, portability and information security.

A paper on the benefits of version 4.1 is available online.

The SCA and additional tactical radio standards are available from the JTNC resource catalog.

As part of the Defense Department, and under executive management of the Army’s Program Executive Office, Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), the standards committee ensures interoperable, secure and cost efficient waveform and wireless communications in support of service, multiservice and coalition forces.

Headquartered in San Diego, the standards committee executes its mission by developing standards in collaboration with government and industry partners; conducting compliance and certification analyses in accordance with department policies; and maintaining a waveform information repository.

For more information, visit: http://www.public.navy.mil/jtnc.