Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance - Spawar

The eXtensible Tactical C4I Framework (XTCF)
LCDR Mark V. Glover, USN
SSC San Diego
BACKGROUND
The Department of Defense has embarked on a major effort to transform
the management of information to enhance operational decision-making,
improve combat operations, and realize intelligence advantages. This
new, net-centric approach will incorporate network and communications
enhancements to support operational users at all levels. A key aspect is
making reliable data equally available to users at all levels, from headquarters
to the "edge" of the network.
The current approach to command and control of operational forces is
based on using the Common Operating Environment (COE) to provide
a set of common services and adding mission-specific applications. The
Global Command and Control System (GCCS), which is the present
Joint command and control (C2) system, allows Operational
Commanders to maintain dominant battlefield awareness through a
fused, near-real-time picture of the battlespace. GCCS provides
Operational Commanders with integrated imagery and intelligence,
situational awareness, indications and warnings, collaborative planning,
course-of-action development, and intelligence mission support. GCCS
consists of hardware, software, procedures, standards, and interfaces for
connectivity worldwide at all levels of command, and it supports and
integrates a wide assortment of mission-critical, joint, service, and siteunique
applications, databases, and office-automation tools.
A key capability in GCCS is the Tactical Management System (TMS).
TMS is the tactical database management and correlation engine for
COE-based systems including GCCS, the Maritime variant (GCCS–M),
the Army variant (GCCS–A) and Intelligence Analysis System (IAS),
and the Air Force Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS).
TMS facilitates the ability of command and control systems to receive,
display, correlate, fuse, and maintain locational information on friendly,
hostile, and neutral land, sea, and air forces and integrate it with available
intelligence and environmental information.
The current TMS implementation is based on a client–server architecture
that provides data replication and synchronization services across a
multi-layered network distribution topology. The TMS database consists
of a large number of pre-defined track types, each with rules for correlation,
association, and data field promotion. TMS also serves as a tactical
event notifier that allows mission applications to register for and receive
track update, change, merge, and delete events in order to provide operational
users with a current tactical track picture.
ABSTRACT
This paper describes a development
project for the Office
of Naval Research (ONR) to
provide a new framework for
integrating current and emerging
tactical data sources seamlessly.
The eXtensible Tactical
Command, Control, Communications,
Computers, and
Intelligence (C4I) Framework
(XTCF) will transform software
development in the next
generation of command and
control tactical data management
services. XTCF will provide
a common information
management framework that
will enable multiple data
sources, transformation
services, analysis tools, and
data management services
to cooperate in producing a
common tactical information
network service.
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