Leading Edge Pilot Information Technology

Abstract

The Leading Edge Pilot Information Technology program supports the warfighter at all levels. It provides the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and Inter-agency participants with critical focus on the long-term warfighting operations by bringing together technology, security cooperation, and education. The program components support preparation for future joint and coalition initiatives through development and integration of a full range of data services and advanced IT applications to support practical aspects of approved cooperative activities of the United States and its coalition partners. These emergent capabilities are not new systems; they are technologies that can be rapidly infused into existing tools. The goal is to make supporting technology for today and tomorrow a reality for the warfighter, and to achieve interoperability and integration in concert with joint, allied and coalition forces to effectively counter terrorism and enhance homeland defense and security. The program utilizes four key mechanisms to streamline the process of fielding emergent requirements: (1) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTD)/Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations (JCTD), with OSD/COCOM/Service/Agency teaming; (2) Joint Ventures, with Combatant Commanders/Program of Record (POR) teaming; (3) Risk Mitigation Pilots with POR/Community of Interest (COI) teaming; and, (4) Technology Innovation Investment Fund (TIIF). The JCTD process aligns with the new Joint Capability Integration and Development System developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff by adapting technology and concept solutions to meet pressing warfighter needs. OSD approves new JCTDs annually and on a rolling start basis, and DISA participates in both an operational and transitional managerial role. The JCTDs, along with the Joint ventures and risk mitigation pilots, feature teaming with appropriate offices so that funds and skill sets are leveraged across all participants. The costs are shared, thus reducing the risk to individual organizations. The TIIF concentrates on concept innovation and rapid insertion of advanced data, technology, and knowledge services in the DoD Global Information Grid. Program investments in advanced technology will benefit strategic and tactical users by providing them with a rich, reliable, persistent collaboration and networking toolset, computing on demand, and support for virtual end-user environments and semantic search capabilities -- all of which enhance the decision-making process. Funding will support much needed innovation in the following areas: -Acceleration of commercial Internet concepts and technology (e.g., social networking, persistent chat) that improves collaboration across the DoD and with non-DoD partners; -Improvement of global situational awareness through a shared collaboration architecture; -Expansion of enterprise services to support tactical collaboration, application, data and processing services to deployed operational users; -Development of integrated NetOps services to enable secure management of end-user capabilities and determine the health of network-based services and information sources; and -Development of trusted access, application, data services that enable “anytime, anywhere” capabilities for individual end users. The FY 2011 funding increase is required to perform the engineering of innovative solutions that enable the operational transformation of warfighting. We must be IT-enabled with the ability to out-think our adversary. The program will provide crucial activation and alerting so decision-makers can quickly focus on problems and deliver solutions. They will have the ability to discern situations, specify participants needed in the collaboration course of action planning, and engage in decision-making. It is critical to have an enterprise security model that allows for authentication and attribute-based access into the collaboration environments. The goal is to make supporting technology for today and tomorrow a reality for the warfighter. These capabilities cannot be delivered without the requested funding. The Leading Edge program engages in projects and innovation activities that are cross-functional and provide the best solution for global security. Objectives are to facilitate an understanding that comes with enabling of persistent connection with the web of people and organizations across DOD and Inter-Agency. The ability to activate and alert associated players to focus on problems (reactive) and drive solutions (proactive) is crucial. This funding supports IT-enabling of both information and communications technologies in order to out-think and out-decide the adversary. Persistent collaboration creates an agile and flexible knowledge-based environment. The FY 2011 funding increase also supports the DISA CTO’s mission as concept innovator and rapid enabler of advanced data, information and knowledge to quickly provide POTUS, SECDEF, CJCS, COCOMs, and other agencies with critical solutions to innovate, operationalize, and mature flexible, agile technology and concepts. Program benefits include the ability to anticipate and preempt actions, to drive and advise on the preferred course of action, and to promote information and sharing in an open environment. DISA cannot provide an IT-enabled information and communications environment with persistent collaboration capability without funding.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2011
• Source ID: T26_0604764K_5_0400_PB_2011

Tags

Fields of Study

• Computer science

Readers

• Defense Technology Research and Development.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.