UK VMF IMPLEMENTATIONS UK IDLS 18-04

Transcription

1 UK VMF IMPLEMENTATIONS UK IDLS

2 Adrian Cottam IA6d INTEGRATION AUTHORITY Defence Procurement Agency Larch 3a #2308 MoD Abbey Wood Bristol, BS34 8JH United Kingdom

3 CONTENTS Introduction. The Problem/Opportunity. UK initiatives (Provide it/prove it/enforce it). Benefits. Conclusions.

4 INTRODUCTION About 10 years ago TSG was aware of the growing importance of VMF and started to attend the US VMFSG in order to ensure coalition interoperability. Why would the UK need to take notice? We need to operate with the US. We could buy equipment with VMF. The JCA/JSF gave IA6 it s first official raison d etre to do more than keeping a watching brief.

5 INTRODUCTION Since MIL-STD 6017 has been agreed, is there anything else to do? Why has IA6 produced a UK National Document Set? What are these documents and what else does the UK need to do? Who benefits from all this effort? Target is to achieve true interoperability.

6 THE PROBLEM MIL-STD 6017 is just a (K series) message set. It is a dry technical publication. The devil is in the detail and there are three MIL-STDs to note The Bearer (MIL-STD ) Application Header (MIL-STD ) What are the actual Information Exchange requirements. Users are not fully catered for Operating Procedures. Training and Guidance. Project Managers are not fully catered for need specific advice and direction. System Implementers are not fully catered for need specific assistance to ensure cost-effective implementations that meet customer requirements.

7 THE OPPORTUNITY We can LFE from the L16 environment. We can exploit the rare opportunity of getting it right first time. NEC, what it truly means: From the L16 environment we learnt the need to produce National documentation set.

8 UK VMF DOCUMENTATION SET Provide it. Complementary to the existing MIL-STDs The UK has four National Documents: VMF SLIRS Single Link Interface Requirements Specification (SLIRS as per TULIP) Based on 6017 for the K-series messages, at the moment it concentrates on CAS and SA. Based on for the message header. Each VMF Message Case is broken down into 2 transactions Tx and Rx Each transaction contains processing data e.g. conditions, Receipt/Compliance (R/C), defaults, security, precedence etc. All fields are implemented (Tx and Rx)

9 UK VMF DOCUMENTATION SET A detailed message map is then provided for each transaction. SLIRS also contains general rules and requirements for: Data Conversion algorithms Periodicity Symbology Accuracy Data Recording URN Look-Up table The SLIRS is the UK VMF equivalent of the bible. Thou shall not add or take away

10 UK VMF DOCUMENTATION SET VMF SMOPS System Management and Operating Procedures (SMOPS). A VMF system like any DL system needs operational management. SMOPS gives non-equipment specific guidance about how the system should be used equivalent to NATO Allied Data Publication concept (eg ADatP-33). BDD Bearer Definition Document (BDD) Based on MIL-STD Does not lend itself to the SLIR (transaction) concept BDD does the following: States which options UK platform shall/shall not use Interprets the MIL-STD (it can be difficult to understand) Provides guidance on communications issues Needs to be up issued to version D

11 UK VMF DOCUMENTATION SET VUG VMF User Guide (VUG) A user orientated system description and user guide. The intent is to make this a one stop shop so that this becomes a web enabled front-end incorporating all the other documents. This one stop shop is intended to address the needs of all potential users, from operators to managers and implementers.

12 VMF SLIRS A few points to note LFE TULIP was initially developed to reverse engineer the lack of interoperability in the L16 environment. Simplistically the SLIRS was the National gold standard and each project would identify the differences between what it had implemented to that gold standard. These differences were documented in a PIDD. The key point is that this has created a process whereby project managers and implementers can still develop non-interoperable systems, ie they PIDD out the difficult bits. It has been decided that for UK VMF Systems, the PIDD can only clarify and add to the VMF SLIRS. The UK will enforce the concept of a Minimp and Functional Area Requirement Specification (FARS), eg CAS.

13 VMF SLIRS The Minimp is: K01.1, K01.2, K04.1, K05.1, K05.19 The CAS (FARS/Minimp) is: K02.28, K02.33, K02.34, K02.35, K02.57, K02.58, K02.59.

14 Prove It An essential element to ensure interoperability will be for platforms to prove compliance to the SLIRS (ie the Minimp and appropriate FARS). Without the means to Test and Certify compliance to the SLIRS. The documentation could become somewhat academic. The first option is to expect every UK platform to prove interoperability, by testing multiple interfaces and forcing each platform to reinvent the wheel The other option is to provide a readily available test tool which proves conformance to the SLIRS. IA6 reviewed the capabilities for an existing Link 16 test tool to be modified to meet UK VMF test requirements. Whatever the test tool that may be provided, the tool must allow simulation and stimulation of VMF Hardware (eg IDMs). Also, recording, analysis and configuration management of test results, and will provide a repository of data for newer systems interoperability testing. MOD will be better placed to perform an impact analysis of changes to standards.

15 So What? Provide It: We have the requisite documentation. Prove It: We will have to test conformance. What will stop any project from declaring UDI? You can lead a horse to water And then the horse says it s going to cost too much, or take too much time or it s not a requirement, or where s the policy for it to drink. There is a need for an Authority to force a stovepiped horsey to drink. Usually such Authorities belong to the all too difficult or not enough real authority class. The single recent change which mitigates against these short term myopic tendencies is NEC. An Authority has been created to manage Data Links as a key requirement for NEC This authority determines the networthiness of any project with a Data Link requirement and has the authority to deny FUNDING if networthiness is not met. This authority is the DL NAA

16 Enforce It Data Link Network Acquisition Authority (DL NAA) DEC including DEC CCII JDN (Cust 1), TDL IPT, Joint Data Link Management Organisation (Cust 2) and also: Integration Authority IA6 Data Networks Secretariat, DL NAA Assessor, TDL Standards, TDL interoperability IA7 UK / US IA8 Architectural Services MODAF

17 BENEFITS TO THE MOD Increased Coherence. Effective use of MoD knowledge and resources. Single test data Repository and single source for VMF. Create a One-Stop-Shop for VMF. Ensure VMF Interoperability. Understanding the impacts of Communications Requirements Tradeoffs in terms of delivered capability (Systems of Systems views).

18 BENEFITS TO INDUSTRY Reduce risk. Development costs/risks are reduced. Industry can concentrate on Value-Added services. Use of the documentation (and possible test facility) open to all Industry working on relevant MoD programmes. Documentation and (hopefully) test facilities available free of charge.

19 BENEFITS TO ALLIES They will know what the UK is doing. Coalition forces can test interoperability prior to any deployments. Subject to release conditions our allies are allowed access to all the UK VMF documentation.

20 CONCLUSIONS The MoD will continue to Provide a UK National Documentation Set aligned with the US VMF MIL-STD biennial update cycle. A Test and Certification tool will Prove it and the DL NAA will Enforce It. These three pillars (Provide-Prove-Enforce) be the basis to ensure true interoperability of UK platforms implementing VMF. Target is to achieve true interoperability. Or you may say floccinaucinihilipilification

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22 Additional Issues Update cycle 2/4 yearly. URN lookup table and URN management (JDLMO/DLNAA). IA6 funding for VMF is best endeavours. Post MG changes and DLNAA oversight. COI participants.

23 VMF CONEMP Due to a perceived lack of MOD centre debate on the use of VMF. IA6 decided to produce a draft CONEMP to progress such a debate. IA6 was not best placed or funded to produce a CONEMP, but had to produce a draft to engage the MOD with the essential work that IA6 was producing wrt the VMF Documentation set.