At the 14th Annual C4ISR & Networks Conference, I participated in a panel to discuss the digital transformation in C4ISR by sharing a vivid example of how the open digital ecosystem for consumers operates seamlessly as technologies and new apps are introduced.
To derive this type of value for government and military organizations, a shift to simpler, modular, and truly open architecture among industry developing apps and services for maximum reuse across the enterprise is critical.
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The key to such a holistic shift is secure interoperability (built, designed, and fielded) as an absolute requirement from the beginning with an eye toward its interdependent role in the larger C4ISR ecosystem. Stovepiped systems are no longer an affordable or sustainable option if our warfighters are to successfully execute their missions.
Empowering and incentivizing program managers through education (beyond cost, schedule, and performance) is necessary to overcome impediments in the sclerotic acquisition process.
Corresponding themes arose at a subsequent AFEI Industry Day, particularly around agility and notion of “small ball” in identifying the right capabilities (smaller, simpler, agile, common and shared) with cost effective solutions to quickly respond to changing warfighter needs. To that end, open source standards are necessary, but often not sufficient, for interoperability because they end up trying to appease all parties and become subjective. In turn, stovepipes are created inadvertently as greater engineering rigor is required to properly document and test open source standards with how to implement correctly.
Also, tighter controls of interfaces that adhere to defined specifications so all parties are doing it the same way across the enterprise is essential.
All in all, strides are being made through a number of leading DoD initiatives (e.g. Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E), Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise (ICITE)-Commercial Cloud Solutions (C2S), Joint Information Environment (JIE)) that are paving the way for the ecosystem to come to fruition. More progress remains to be made.
Greg Wenzel is executive vice president and lead of digital solutions/C4ISR within Booz Allen Hamilton’s strategic innovation group.
