Achieving digital overmatch in the modern battlespace
Major defence forces know they need to address the challenge of multi domain interoperability of systems, equipment and devices to achieve the mission-critical advantage for warfighters of a secure, digitised battlespace.
Numerous development projects are underway, but will they offer comprehensive digital interoperability of all legacy, current and future military assets (one of the key assurances of 2iC’s digital interoperability solution)?
Situation
Many defence forces lack a functional tactical Communications and Information System (CIS) that offers the full digital interoperability they need in the modern battlespace.
In-service solutions, such as they are, lack capability for data exchange below battlegroup and are typically used for voice exchange only. At battlegroup level and above, data exchange is almost exclusively chat messages and the emailing of Microsoft Office documents.
Furthermore, there is often no offering for dismounted users. Yet the growth in technology use in the battlespace is most noticeable by the dismounted soldier.
Data capable radios (such as PRC163 and MPU5) combined with ATAK have made Blue Force Tracking (BFT) and digital chat popular. The use of small drones has added capability and expanded the scope of the dismount. All of this has been brought into sharp focus with the conflict in Ukraine.
Problem
Various defence forces, bodies and contractors have started to address the need for battlespace digital interoperability, but with solutions being developed independently and not in an integrated manner.
Over the next few years multiple solutions are likely to surface, but with no single “winner”.
What is clear is that relative inaction in the CIS space has a significant impact on defence personnel.
Due to the pace of technology change, the tactical CIS environment is evolving to a heterogeneous mix of applications, systems and radios. To date, however, defence forces have been used to acquiring and working in a much more homogeneous environment.
Impacts
The lack of a credible tactical CIS for defence forces will have a considerable impact on the ability of a force and its allies to achieve information superiority and digital overmatch in the battlespace.
These impacts include:
Deployed forces can only work at the pace of voice. Voice communication is slow and error prone. This means that tactical forces cannot operate at the necessary tempo, putting them at significant increased risk of mission failure.
Inability to achieve digital overmatch with peer or even Tier 2 adversaries. This limits forces to COIN (Counter-insurgency) Operations and prevents evolution to meet the ever-increasing global threat.
An increasing gap between forces’ procurement of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) solutions versus COTS procurement by their adversaries. This results in slower, more costly development and increased risk to lives and mission success.
Adversaries with superior real-time situational awareness, with a consequent emboldening of those adversaries.
Failure to incorporate new capabilities such as Uncrewed Platforms and Edge AI, and continued over-reliance on voice communication.
Flawed logistics based on just-in-time supply (which requires clarity of what is needed and when). A capable tactical CIS with digital interoperability of assets allows for the automated resupply ratios necessary to maintain the pace of modern kinetic military operations.
2iC software: the architecture for the digitised battlespace
Modern defence is a truly heterogeneous environment that will continue to diversify and expand, presenting more challenges and more impacts. All can be addressed rapidly with the 2iC software solution, which delivers secure, open, meta standard interoperability.
The key characteristics of a tactical CIS for the modern battlespace are as follows:
C2 (Command and Control) Agnostic Battlespace Management System providing a consistent Blue Force picture with mapping.
FMV (Full Motion Video) from various sources, and two-way communication with reliable chat and data.
Communication bearer agnostic.
Flexible cross domain solutions to address multi domain/MDI (multi domain integration and multi domain interoperability) challenges.
Works in Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, Limited (DDIL) communications environments.
MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) compliant to enable iteration and the ability for parts to be added and removed as required, and vendor independent acquisition of components to allow use of best-of-breed.
Wherever possible it uses COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) solutions and MOTS (Modified Off-The-Shelf) solutions to allow rapid fielding.
The 2iC solution meets all of the above needs with a unique COTS product that delivers the open standards digital interoperability infrastructure on which a modern, future-proof tactical CIS can be founded.
Offering rapid time to market and less risk, it’s the secure, scalable, cost-effective architecture of choice and meta standard for digital interoperability in the battlespace.
