ASAS in Operation:
Joint Warfighter Interoperability Demonstration
by Master Sergeant Michael F. Fallon
The Joint Warfighter Interoperability Demonstration (JWID) allows
the Services to create a worldwide, technologically
state-of-the-art architecture and displays selected critical
automated capabilities and interoperability to support the
commander of the joint task force (JTF, CJTF). The host for the
1995 demonstration was the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF)
Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I)
Battle Lab under the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity
(MCTSSA). JWID 1995 ran from 18 to 29 September 1995 at Camp
Pendleton, California. The All-Source Analysis System (ASAS) played
an integral part in the demonstration.
Demonstration Objective
During the JWID, the Army was in a support role to the JTF
Marine Commander. The Army's mission was to provide the CJTF with
detailed all-source intelligence, imagery products, and
decision-support information. To accomplish this mission, the Army
deployed four elements linked though the "in-place" communications
architecture. The first two were basic structural elements and the
latter two were specifically for the JWID:
- An analysis and control element (ACE) to support the CJTF.
- The deployable intelligence support element (DISE) to support
the Army Forces Forward (ARFOR FWD) at Camp Pendleton.
- The Army provided an ACE (in sanctuary) at McLean, Virginia, to
support the simulated ARFOR 1st Airborne Division.
- A force projection combat brigade (forward) at Fort Gordon,
Georgia. (See Figure 1 for a depiction of the JWID 1995
organizational structure.)
Exercise Procedure
The mission of the ACE and the ASAS was to provide the common
enemy ground intelligence picture to all the commanders. The Army
Commander decided to employ a baseline ASAS in a doctrinal
configuration to demonstrate the actual capabilities of ASAS.
Additionally, this decision allowed the ASAS operators and
developers to focus on identifying specific ways to enhance the
current system's interoperability. The path to success-producing
products for the CJTF rested on ASAS capabilities and
information-engineering concepts.
Figure 1.
The ACE at the CJTF (see Figure 2) was the critical hub for
intelligence fusion and analysis. The ACE mission was to build a
common enemy situation derived from an all-source correlated
database. To support the mission, the ACE employed the ASAS in an
extended configuration. This included
- Two all-source (DEC Alpha) workstations.
- Two single-source (Sun) workstations.
- The CGS-100 which provided a communications interface.
Figure 2.
This hardware is part of the fielded baseline equipment. We added
a Binocular workstation (National Security Agency system) to the
single-source local area network as a capability demonstration.
Demonstrating Connectivity
A well designed architecture allowed the ACE to "push"
intelligence products to many special consumers within and outside
the CJTF by using an Intelink terminal and a TRUSTED multilevel
workstation. The intent was to allow consumers to pull on-demand
from these dissemination points specific standardized intelligence
products. Examples of these standardized all-source products
include a graphic intelligence summary (INTSUM), a graphic
intelligence report, and an enemy order-of-battle report. The
leadership in the ACE concentrated all available human talent and
equipment capabilities to create these products. The concept was to
amplify the product through the use of focused resources and to
support other locations with intelligence as requested. These
additions allowed the ACE to provide timely and accurate
intelligence to the allies and all tactical JTF ground commanders.
A mix of workstations (see Figure 3) to meet the mission and
functions requirements was the basis of the ARFOR FWD. The baseline
ASAS Remote Workstation (RWS) provided the common enemy picture and
products from the CJTF and 1st Airborne Division ACE. One of the
more important missions for the RWS was to send message reports and
products to the ACE for fusion with other data. A Joint Deployable
Intelligence Support System workstation provided the ARFOR FWD
direct links for a "push-pull" capability. Use of several different
types of fielded workstations enabled use of automated terrain,
human intelligence, and tactical exploitation of national
capabilities (TENCAP). These allowed the ARFOR FWD to concentrate
on fighting the battle with a full spectrum of automation support.
We used a prototype ASAS Block II system and a LINCS 5D imagery
server to test and evaluate some increased functions not yet in the
baseline system. This provided the ARFOR DISE with some great
experience with baseline capabilities and a look at emerging
experimental applications.
In this exercise, the soldiers for the CJTF ACE came from III
CORPS and I CORPS intelligence organizations with technical
augmentation from the Project Manager Intelligence Fusion. The 1st
Airborne Division ACE was an element from XVIII Airborne CORPS. The
I CORPS soldiers operated the ARFOR DISE. This satisfied the JWID
mission requirement of having baseline capabilities operated by
actual Army intelligence soldiers and organizations. The
participants and distinguished visitors praised the soldiers for
their outstanding briefings and exceptional demonstrations. The key
to any operation is the selection of the soldiers to make
intelligence happen. These soldiers clearly were Always Out
Front!
JWID Operations
At the start of the exercise, intelligence data and imagery fed
directly into the ASAS single-source workstations or through the
Binocular workstations replicated the intelligence battlefield
operating system (BOS). For sensors that were not reporting due to
simulation or exercise limitations, we manually created the needed
data to stimulate the system and analytical operations. The ASAS
single-source operators assessed the mass of data and then sent
doctrinal products to the ASAS all-source for fusion. The ASAS
single-source added value to combat information by applying human
cognitive ability to create a quality product specifically
engineered for timely fusion. The ASAS all-source fusion is the
ability to combine multiple reports of a single object despite
time, location, and definition differences. Additional key
capabilities demonstrated by the all-source system include an
ability to show an advanced analytical capability through node
maintenance and a robust graphic INTSUM capability. Node
maintenance allowed the all-source analyst to link battlefield
objects and entities and assess enemy capabilities based on
inferential and spatial relationships. This crucial function
facilitated both the production and dissemination of easily
understood graphic INTSUMs to all the elements of the CJTF,
including the allies.
Figure 3.
The vertical integration of the intelligence BOS provided a
common view of the battlefield. The DISE, combat brigade, and both
the ACE organizations continually exchanged data, reports, and
products. This allowed database updates as special events and new
combat information triggered actions or decisions during
operations. The CJTF ACE became the focal point for detailed
analysis and production. This continual operational exchange
promoted both conceptual and detailed understanding of the
battlespace that allowed the CJTF to dominate the enemy.
JWID Results
During the JWID demonstrations, the intelligence elements
performed all objective functions. These functions were
- Push-pull intelligence product movement and receipt.
- Information exchanges with the other Services.
- Links with broadcast, weather and allied systems.
- Enemy situation information provision to Global Command and
Control System.
- Horizontal, vertical, and joint interoperability.
This exercise reinforced one key point repeatedly the
intelligence BOS leaders need detailed knowledge of the
capabilities and operating procedures of the crew-served weapon
system called ASAS. Leaders with this knowledge successfully
accomplished the mission, optimized system capabilities and soldier
abilities, and moved toward mastering intelligence support in a
joint environment.
Master Sergeant Fallon is the Chief Intelligence Sergeant
for the Training and Doctrine Command System Manager-ASAS. He has
a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from the
University of Texas. Readers can contact the author through E-mail
at fallonm%hua1@ huachuca- emh11.army.mil.