By Geoff Fein
The Navy was hard at work in 2008 implementing open architecture into its aviation, space, submarine and weapons systems domains, as well as Marine Corps programs.
Aside from conducting workshops, online OA training courses, and participating in naval OA conferences, the Navy has begun to reap the benefits of efforts to increase competition, lower the cost of procuring systems, and keep pace with technology change.
According to documents provided to Defense Daily, last year the Navy witnessed a reduction in computer acquisition timeline for the E-2D Hawkeye, from seven to two-and- a-half years. The Navy has also been able to employ 70 percent software reuse from the E-2C mission/display computers.
The Navy has also implemented a new process in trade studies to include open system assessments before hardware/software technology refreshes and obsolescence upgrades for both the MH-60 R and S.
Additionally, the Navy has “incurred a 75 percent reduction in man hours and a 50 to 90 percent improvement in defect closure rate by incorporating High Order Language mission computer software compared to legacy mission computer software development for the F/A-18E/F,” the documents said.
For the EA-18G, “mission computer software is approximately 90 percent common with the F/A-18E/F and 82 percent common with the EA-6B Prowler ICAP (improved capabilities) III ALQ-218.”
The electronic warfare self-protection systems program office developed interface control documents that are now provided as government furnished information (GFI) in all new request for proposals (RFP) packages, according to the document. “The defined interfaces enable an environment where a variety of material solutions.”
Under the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprises Services (CANES), PEO C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) is reducing four separate shipboard networks into one. The Naval Space and Warfare (SPAWAR) Center is expected to issue a RFP for CANES later this month.
The Navy has also identified areas where open architecture could be used in the communications at speed and depth science and technology program.
The Navy has reused 128,000 lines of its own code and 25,000 lines of Army-owned code to deliver new capabilities to the Advanced Digital Network System (ADNS).
SPAWAR 02, the organization’s contracting office, is developing a logical decision tree to determine requirements for inserting OA language into solicitations and standard contract data requirements lists.
Additionally, 65 assistant program managers, contracts specialists and other personnel have been trained on OA.
The Navy has included OA language in the hosted payload statement of work for delivery of design artifacts and interfaces to allow efficient integration of future secondary payloads in the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) program.
OA principles have been incorporated into the MUOS science and technology concept of operations to delineate a clear process for vetting, prioritization, selection and execution of space science and technology efforts, the document says.
A memorandum of agreement was also signed with the Naval Postgraduate School to establish a Space Systems engineering and acquisition chair to expand opportunities to instill OA principles in the education of future Navy space cadre, the document said.
The submarine world, which was the first to adopt OA under the Acoustic Rapid COTS (commercial off the shelf) Insertion (ARCI) program, now has its Submarine Sensor Systems Program Office (PMS-435) joining with the Submarine Acoustic Systems Program (PMS-401) and the Submarine Combat System Program Office (PMS-425) in adoption of the submarine ARCI model to open up systems both technically and programmatically, the document said.
TeamSub is setting precedence by adapting a common business strategy by participating in a joint contracting approach across two program offices (PMS-401 and PMS-425), the document added.
In the Littoral Combat Ship mission modules program, Program Executive Office for Littoral Mine Warfare (PEO LMW) has developed an OA business model plan and technology transition development plan to enable rapid technology insertion.
Additionally, PEO-LMW is conducting new OA assessments on modules and is identifying key interfaces at component level to enable “plug and play” at the lower level.
PEO-Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) has released the Surface Navy Combat Systems Development Strategy and Acquisition Management Plan (AMP) and the Architecture Description Document (ADD). “The AMP provides an executive level plan of the Surface Domain’s OA strategy. The ADD begins the process of providing a definition of future surface combat systems architecture to a level sufficient to guide the transformation of PEO IWS Combat Systems into a single product line. Both documents have been made available in PEO IWS’ Software Hardware Asset Reuse Enterprise (SHARE) repository for review and commentary from government entities and qualified industry partners, both large and small,” according to the document.
PEO IWS held an open competition for the Common Display Systems (CDS) in support of Aegis Modernization and DDG-1000. CDS is a family of displays that will be implemented across platform systems on Navy surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. Display consoles provide a common human machine interface to the Platform Open Architecture Computing Environment. General Dynamics [GD] Advanced Information systems (GD AIS) was awarded the CDS contract.
The Navy is also in the midst of an open competition for the Common Processing Systems (CPS). Competition is expected to be completed in early FY ’09.
The USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) is in the midst of receiving the Aegis ACB 08/Technology Insertion 08. This effort not only separates the hardware from the software but introduces COST based hardware infrastructure. Bunker Hill will begin Combat Ship Qualification Trial in April in San Diego.
The Navy has also begun incorporating Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) Mk 2 Open Architecture Computing Environment (OACE) that uses a distributed, open system design. Introduction to the fleet of SSDS Mk 2 began with USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in FY ’08.
“SSDS Mk 2 employs COTS electronics in rugged cabinets; Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) Compliant Operating Systems (POSIX is an industry open standard); distributed processing using COTS devices and commercial standards; and modularized software adhering to software engineering layering principles. Additionally, the software for all ship classes employing SSDS comes from a single source library that allows reuse across all SSDS ships,” the document said.
The Marine Corps has also incorporated OA specific review items into pre-milestone review checklist materials provided by Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) Assistant Commander Programs.
The service is also evaluating portions of the Army’s Future Combat Systems for OA that show potential for integration into Marine Corps programs, the document said.
The Marine Corps has conducted a formal OA review of products in support of Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) command and control systems and applications service oriented environment.
MARCORSYSCOM and PEO Land Systems are exploring potential OA partnership for future efforts related to next generation of Marine Corps aviation command and control.
Additionally, the MAGTF Command and Control incorporated components from eight other programs developed by two other domains, the document said.