Open Architecture,
The Critical Network Centric Warfare Enabler

Preface 

    A tremendous amount of ink as been expended over the past several years, describing Information Technology (IT) based warfare concepts.  Predominately, the debate has been aimed at the technology or business drivers that reflect the enhancements that IT technology offers.  When the argument does wander into the lexicon of warfare, it is mostly in the context of top level notions of the Global Information Grid (GIG) and FORCEnet.  Most senior military leaders exhibit little patience grappling with the acronym laden, technical jargon used in IT.  This paper describes the imperatives of the modern battlefield that demand Network Centric Warfare (NCW) and why Open Architecture (OA) is the most critical enabler.  It attempts to place the constructs of GIG and FORCEnet into warrior context and terms that relate.  Finally, an effort is made to describe how the current family of integrated combat systems the U.S. Navy is being transformed so they can be maintained and improved with the flexibility required in an uncertain world. 

CAPT R.T. Rushton, USN
Chief, Network Systems and Integration Branch (N766)
Surface Warfare Directorate (N76)
Chief of Naval Operations Staff (OPNAV)

 

“The truly transformational things, conceivably, might be in information technology and information operations and networking and connecting things in ways that they function totally differently than they had previously…Possibly the single most transforming thing in our force will not be a weapon system, but a set of interconnections and substantially enhanced capability because of the awareness it provides.” Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld,  Town Hall Meeting, Washington DC, August 9, 2001

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