Single Picture of Force Projection
JOINT FORCE PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROVIDES SHARED AWARENESS OF CRITICAL FORCE PROJECTION INFORMATION.
Imagine a combatant commander who is unable to track the status of forces planned to arrive in theater. This commander is unable to see and share vital information with other supporting units located around the world. His awareness of these forces flowing into the theater of operations is a critical element of information that drives his decision on whether or not to proceed in executing this mission. Knowing the status of one’s own forces is crucial to the outcome of any conflict.
Warfighters are hindered by the inability to track the status of forces from the time of request through the time of arrival in the theater of operations. Today, there are various disconnected information systems around the world that operate within a small community of interest. The information flow process is fragmented from beginning to end, which makes it nearly impossible for commanders at the operational and strategic levels to see the full operational picture of the deployment planning, movement and integration within the theater.
Joint Force Projection (JFP) is an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) initiative that understands the joint perspective. This ACTD empathizes with the warfighter’s need to develop a single integrated force projection picture from end to end. This application has the ability to link operators and logisticians at the service, joint and agency levels by using real-time, Web-based, and network-centric information systems.
JFP will provide a solution to the challenge posed by the various disconnected information systems by providing the warfighters with a strategic planning tool. This tool will enhance the warfighter’s ability to manage and provide greater visibility to the information flow process in the execution environment. In addition this tool is very intuitive and user friendly.
U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) is a strong advocate of JFP, which it has described as a “responsive and adaptive knowledge-based process that enables decision makers at all levels the ability to make timely, accurate decisions and risk assessments for global force projection.” JFP provides the joint warfighter with an integrated set of capabilities to conduct net-centric, end-to-end joint deployment planning, analysis and execution activities during joint force projection operations.
In addition, JFP will display technologies and operational concepts that are necessary to provide combatant commanders with the tools, decision aids and processes needed to support the analysis, planning, execution and assessment of force projection for a joint capabilities-based force.
JFP has many capabilities that make this ACTD an exceptional tool. As one user has said, “I’ve got to admit, we were impressed by what you’ve got thus far. It looks like it will tie into the big vision perfectly so long as we can ensure that the input mechanism is settled. No doubt that the utility is exactly where it needs to be.”
Once fielded, JFP tool enhanced capabilities will analyze, plan and assess force projection at the strategic and operational levels by integrating computeraided decision support tools, concept of operations (CONOPS), and joint tactics technique and procedures (JTTPs) into an integrated Web-based, process-driven portal. JFP produces a “bridge seam” between current systems and legacy systems to give joint commanders visibility of all force and sustainment sourcing, deployment and integration information.
SEMANTIC PORTAL
The enterprisewide integration of processes, systems and information via a semantic portal driven by Web-Ontology Language (OWL) eases this bridging process. JFP developed a foundation for semantic Web services. Leveraging OWL and other semantic structures has provided the ability to show the implicitly related messages, in addition to the explicitly defined references.
JFP is a near real-time serviceoriented architecture (SOA), Web-based, net-centric information system providing accurate, actionable asset visibility as part of an integrated force projection picture, effectively linking operators and logisticians across joint forces, services and supporting agencies. By customizing systems that are using Web services as the primary means for exchanging information, the flexibility, reliability, scalability and long-term sustainment costs are all vastly improved over conventional interface methods.
JFP also provides a Web-based solution to many adaptive planning requirements. It allows near-continuous collaboration in virtual space, multiple users Web-based views of the same data simultaneously. This enhances the senior-subordinate consultation process. These features allow JFP users to access these views from multiple levels of the command while analyzing the same data. JFP permits tailored visualizations of a variety of functional plans and associated data by users at different echelons. It provides a one-stop view of all plans, orders and messages associated with the selected organizations and operations. This is also known as Web-based data networking.
JFP functionality has the ability to establish a connection with any authenticated user and browser. It is accessible through a single Website. The advantages to the JFP user are the simple-looking graphics produced by JFP that aggregate information and present visualizations in seconds, which normally take users hours to produce manually. In this capacity, JFP users will have a timely and comprehensive understanding of deployment and distribution information. This tool will also increase the users’ ability to see and influence the identification, sourcing, projection and integration of force capabilities employed to achieve operational effects in a theater joint operations area.
The JFP ACTD will provide planners at the strategic and operational levels with a single integrated force projection picture. This picture links operators and logisticians at joint, service and agency levels by using real-time, Web-based, and network-centric information systems. Using the JFP tool will result in a significantly higher degree of certainty that required forces, equipment and sustainment will arrive where needed, on time and prepared for employment.
The joint planning community is excited about the JFP tool. A common reaction from this community is, “I am really, really excited about this one. Can I have it next week?”
The JFP ACTD provides shared awareness of critical force projection information. It provides commanders and key staff officers greater insight into the status and capabilities of U.S. forces. The ACTD will help ensure mission success across the spectrum of conflict. ♦
