US Army electronic support capabilities will take an important step forward with the realisation of the Integrated Sensor Architecture.
The US Army’s Integrated Sensor Architecture (ISA) first emerged in the public domain in 2014. In the words of official US government documents explaining ISA, the architecture is “an interoperable solution that allows for the sharing of information between sensors and systems in a dynamic tactical environment.” Sensor fusion and intelligence sharing is a vital element of the US Department of Defence’s (DOD) ongoing Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) initiative. CJDAC2 is the manifestation of the DOD’s embrace of the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) philosophy. Disparate sensors can plug into ISA and share their information. Information shared with ISA can be fused into intelligence and distributed to those who need it.
Programme goals
The ISA effort is managed by the Army’s Programme Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEWS). PEO IEWS documents seen by Armada summarised the existing challenges concerning Army sensor data sharing. Firstly, sensors might use different proprietary protocols to move data from the sensor to the user. This can create stovepipes as information shared using one protocol might not be easily compatible with another. As the PEO IEWS document notes, data may be encoded in Variable Message Format (VMF), Joint Interface Control Document 4.2 (JICD 4.2) or CMOSS languages to name three. CMOSS translates as the Command, Control, Communications, Computer and Cyber Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Modular Open Suite of Standards. JICD 4.2 is used for intelligence sharing by the Five Eyes nations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. VMF is a tactical military information message format used by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). Connections between sensors and command and control systems might not always have redundancy should links become congested or contested. Sensor data protocol security classification levels may also differ.
These concerns are being addressed by ISA’s realisation which will develop sensor data sharing protocols that are, in the words of the PEO IEWS document, “modular and adaptable”. Encryption and authorisation will help enhance sensor data security, sensor alerts and dynamic data processing. The later relates to the pace at which data can be received, analysed and shared. At the heart of the ISA approach is a desire to improve sensor-to-shooter response times. The documents stress that the ISA approach will be suitable for all sensors, including those collecting Signals Intelligence (SIGINT).
Work is underway getting ISA capabilities into the hands of troops. In early January QinetiQ was awarded a task order worth $31.5 by the PEO IEWS to advance the ISA sensor and system interoperability. The company told Armada, via a written statement that the “ISA is fundamentally a data model and application programming interface framework that allows for sharing sensor and system data dynamically across networks.” Essentially, ISA “operates with a single semantic data model across all sensor types and security enclaves, enabling sensors to be interoperable without requiring point-to-point connections. This provides dynamic discovery of sensor capabilities without requiring pre-knowledge of the systems.” The gooddata.com website provides a useful definition of semantic data models which “describe objects in a database and their relationship to one another in their specific application environment.”
Into service
PEO IEWS documents continued that ISA’s full operational capability is expected in 2025. QinetiQ said it will support “the design, development and integration activities for the ISA programme.” Specifically, “we are collaboratively working to enhance sensor management, collection management, data reduction, and intelligent processing capabilities that enable seamless data sharing across battlefield networks. The task order is expected to last five years and will be responsive to US Army needs: “The work will evolve based on the needs of the U.S. Army customer and future requirements for enhanced data sharing across battlefield networks.” The company added that it will perform this work in the United States in conjunction with the US Defence and Counterintelligence Security Agency.
The ability to easily federate and distribute disparate data from disparate sensors marks an important step forward for US Army sensor fusion, particularly regarding SIGINT data. Accelerating the pace at which this data can be captured and shared is vital if hostile emitters are to become aimpoints. ISA’s realisation will be an important capability in the quest for operational and tactical electromagnetic superiority and supremacy.
by Dr. Thomas Withington
