Military Communications and Information Technology: A Trusted ...

Chapter 1: Concepts and Solutions for Communications and Information Systems
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These projects have developed approaches to the use of open systems architectures
that can be applied throughout the MOD.
II. Context: The aspiration for openness in MOD systems
The design and procurement of network equipment in the MOD has changed
significantly over the decades. In the past, the MOD focussed on the functionality
and capability required to fulfil a specific aim; this led to systems built on
custom standards that performed the function they were designed for, but which
were completely incompatible with other hardware or software which had not
been specifically designed to interoperate. The support of these systems had to be
managed by the MOD itself and could not be outsourced due to the knowledge
of the systems only being contained within the MOD or specific partners. Systems
such as these, and those made in commercial industry, which are designed to proprietary
standards and do not interoperate with other hardware and software, are
often called ‘closed systems’.
This method of systems procurement could only be sustained with a large
expert workforce within the MOD, and a large budget. Once the MOD’s funding
started to decrease it became ever harder to compete on a cutting edge technological
basis with commercial markets and hence it became less viable to design all military
systems internally. The MOD therefore, in the more effective management of risk
and delivery of programs, adopted a prime contractor model, outsourcing design
and manufacture. This option enabled the MOD to choose off the shelf solutions,
which was cheaper, but which allowed less flexibility. Defense suppliers often used
proprietary technologies and solutions, and this has resulted in problems arising
because different UK systems cannot interoperate, or in some cases even be operated
in the same space due to conflicting technical requirements. Occasionally,
the technical understanding of a particular system is tied up with the original
supplier, meaning costly support contracts are required to ensure the equipment
can be operated until it reaches out-of-service date.
Most recently, ‘smart-procurement’ has loosely described an approach in which
network design is treated as service delivery, with separate off the shelf products
being integrated in a system of systems architecture. An acknowledged drawback to
this approach is the continued lack of interoperability across the network (without
custom-made gateways) and vendor lock-in for minor issues due to proprietary
information within off the shelf technology.
It is thought that the service delivery approach currently favoured for the MOD’s
network procurement may be significantly improved by requiring openness from
discrete network elements. Open protocols would reduce the burden of ensuring
network wide interoperability, avoid vendor lock-in and provide a far greater
understanding of the technology used within the MOD. Such an approach would
also ensure that suppliers can be compared more effectively, and can be selected