NAVAIR IT

Abstract

Navy Cybersecurity - Cyber Warfare consists of many different aspects to include sabotage of our weapon systems, networks as well as enablement of missions. Nation and non-nation state actors are acquiring and employing more advanced cyber-attacks in order to exploit our networks and aviation systems challenging our technological edge. The threats and capabilities are real and range from exploiting capabilities, overloading weapons systems and logistics supply chains, to jamming signals or taking control of weapons systems. We must defend against adversarial cyber attacks while contributing to the exploitation of cyber warfare capabilities. To meet these challenges and address the Chief of Naval Operations priorities and tasking, these R&D efforts are specifically focused on Naval Air Systems Command weapon or control systems and programs to ensure warfighting effectiveness as part of integrated / multi-platform kill chains. These research and development efforts will strengthen our cyber posture by developing research, development, test and evaluation capabilities and solutions to deter, detect, and mitigate cyber threats and safeguard classified naval aviation systems and platforms from "cradle to grave." These solutions will be integrated into the acquisition of weapons systems to enhance security, increase lethality, and improve resiliency in the expected operational environments. Our weapon or control systems are unique in the aforementioned environments and mission, but also in the presence of numerous non-traditional access points and trusted cyber relationships required for operational environments. Further, this line sustains Naval Aviation's Red Team capability to research, identify and validate nation-state exploitable cyber susceptibilities and vulnerabilities in both deployed and next-generation warfighting platforms. Through it, these efforts improve Naval Aviation's mission survivability by developing and demonstrating operational TTPs within the cyber contested environment. The team partners with Naval Aviation programs to certify theorized cyber weaknesses and thus to prevent denial, degradation or disruption of safety, readiness, and mission. The Red Team's assessment products support CYBERSAFE certification of platforms and systems, and likewise supports PMAs and OPNAV with validated threat data prioritizing systems security engineering (SSE) investments. The team leverages national-level cyber warfare experts, all-source intelligence, and technology research to assess NAE operational technology, fleet exercises, support equipment, enterprise logistics systems, and supply chain. Digital Thread (DT) - Funding provides a Naval Enterprise Solution to manage technical data required for weapons systems to promote workforce automation, resource optimization, and process standardization for program lifecycle management and to integrate acquisition with the warfighter. This will support future state for Logistics IT and enhancing Readiness in providing an enterprise solution with Naval Product Lifecycle Management (N-PLM). N-PLM is integral to Digital Log IT, supporting the Naval Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (N-MRO), Naval Supply Chain Management (N-SCM). Digital Thread (DT) is the capability providing digital process integration with complete, secure and authoritative data, coordinated as part of approved Navy LOG-IT. DT integrates the product life cycle to provide universal access to authoritative data and workflow automation, enabling configuration management of data, implementation of closed loop quality, and consolidation of engineering products including digital enablement of additive manufacturing. Connecting these processes using standardized digital tools and data accelerates the product development cycle and lowers costs for support and new capability integration. The Digital Thread capability includes development and demonstration of cyber security architectures for sustainment information systems, and development of a digital/additive manufacturing data architecture and repository. DT capability will benefit the speed to the Fleet with reduction of active legacy systems that stakeholders (PMAs, Squadrons, Depots, OEM, and Shipyards) are accessing for authoritative data. Digital Production Floor (DPF) - Initiative modernizes Navy Aviation Depots by removing paper from the Production floor and integrating key Quality elements to support a true digital North Star ensuring viability and alignment with broader Naval Logistics IT (LOG-IT) enterprise initiatives to realize a fully unified digital sustainment capability. This capability aligns and leverages ongoing Digital Thread /Aviation Product Lifecycle Management (AvPLM) efforts to transform our existing way of doing business and align us with commercial best practices for digitization of business processes. Current paper based processes have demonstrated inefficiencies and administrative delays in performance, degraded quality of product, and increased Depot level repair turnaround times. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - Digital tracking infrastructure enabling enhanced inventory and asset tracking capability with real-time or near real time visibility of fixed and rolling assets for accountability. Signed DD200s document lost tagged assets, therefore, each of these assets are large enough to be tagged. This capability will reduce the amount of DD200s by approximately 95%. By digitizing this capability, labor man-hours spent manually performing inventory tasking requirements will be reduced by ~33% overall. This initiative will provide the necessary foundational infrastructure and enable expansion to other use cases such as tool control, parts tracking, and HAZMAT tracking. Moving from manual, labor-intensive (~30 man-years) inventory method for fixed and rolling assets to an automatic digital method will provide real-time or near real time visibility into asset location throughout the facility, alerts when assets that are taken out of a geo-fenced location, and the ability to perform frequent inventory inspections; therefore, providing enhanced asset management. This will be accomplished by the implementation of compatible and integrated solutions via a blended technology approach (i.e. RFID, GPS, etc.) that is in direct support of the objective to realize a full Digital Production Floor at the Aviation Depots. Additive Manufacturing (AM) - Provides for the development of the Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing Process, Material Verification and Qualification to support deployment of Additive Manufacturing capability to Fleet Depot and Level II Maintenance level facilities, as well as provides for the Qualification, Validation, Testing and incorporation of private industry Additive Manufacturing initiatives across the Naval Aviation Enterprise to include NAVSUP and DLA. Additionally Additive Manufacturing funds Cooperative Research and Development Activities (CRADAs) support with Industry Partners and next generation AM studies. This effort will fund the development, test and approval of additional Polymer Material Data Curves, Polymer material certification for aviation applications and System Documentation/Training updates of additional high strength Polymers for use on deployed Additive Manufacturing systems. This will support deployed systems in producing Critical parts for Aircraft, Support Equipment and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment, while enhancing Naval Aviation Readiness and Lethality allowing point of need part manufacturing to mitigate supply support shortfall, dramatically decreasing Mean Logistics Delay Times (MLDT) and increasing aircraft availability.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 2903_0605013N_5_1319_PB_2024

Tags

Fields of Study

• Computer science

Readers

• Cybersecurity.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Cyber - Quantum
• Space