Pentagon faces challenge in creating armed services information network
The Defense Department faces strategic challenges as it works to create a joint information network that allows war-fighters to communicate across the armed services, military officials told lawmakers on Wednesday.
In prepared testimony, Major Gen. Marilyn Quagliotti, whose division oversees work on joint communication capabilities, told lawmakers that the department must address two problems to create a global network: It must organize the forces to support, and it must view the networks as an integral part of war-fighting and solve inter-branch communications snags.
Quagliotti added that only solving technical issues would not "achieve the end state of network-centric warfare." The framework for change, she said, includes issues of doctrine, organization, training, material leaders, facilities and personnel, among others.
"Actions must be accomplished in each of these areas for network-centric warfare to become a reality," she said in testimony before the House Armed Services Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee.
John Stenbit, assistant secretary of defense at the Pentagon's networks and information integration division, said in his testimony that the military's "information vision is to empower users through easy access to information anytime and anyplace, with attendant security."
To achieve that goal, the department is employing a global information grid that the department defines as a "globally interconnected." He said the architecture includes many systems that work with each other to provide the "right information to the right places." Stenbit compared the system to a private Internet address.
"In the same manner that the [Web] is transforming industries and societies on a global scale, the [grid] will support the transformation of our war-fighting and business practices," he said.
Rear Adm. Thomas Zelibor, deputy for integration and policy at the Navy, said the architecture has helped Defense make progress on technology initiatives, such as expanded bandwidth, a transformation satellite, joint tactical radio systems and network-centric services. Zelibor also noted challenges with directing resources toward advanced joint architectures.
"The Navy's challenge continues to be synchronizing the integration of our existing systems into joint architectures while ensuring we remain connected to our allies and coalition partners, as well as Homeland Security agencies, such as the Coast Guard," his testimony said.