Take lessons learned from joint exercises and turn them into capabilities

Project Convergence and Valiant Shield are teaching joint and coalition forces how to connect systems, share data, and exchange intelligence. The next step is to take lessons learned and apply them to actual warfighting capabilities.

We discussed the challenges, opportunities, and use cases for interoperability with Bradford Powell, president, C2I&E division, Ultra Intelligence & Communications.

Breaking Defense: A primary focus of DoD experimentation like Project Convergence has understandably been on foundational interoperability. The next phase will focus more on how they can take advantage of the interoperability that’s in place versus worrying about the interoperability. Explain.

Powell: As interoperability strengthens across joint and coalition forces, we must shift our focus from merely ensuring connections to fully harnessing the resulting connectivity and visibility. The services and coalition partners initially had to solve the challenge of linking systems, sharing data, coordinating tasks, and exchanging C2 and intelligence across the joint force — a complex and demanding effort. But as you pointed out, that’s only the beginning. The next step is to actively leverage this interoperability.

Ultra I&C is focused on integrating not just the systems we have in place today, but on integrating advanced, specialized, even exquisite and experimental technologies. The real advantage comes when we show how all these systems – legacy, new, next generation and cutting edge – can work together in the battlespace. We can’t stop at just connecting things. We must use the connected systems, platforms, and command and control assets in a more flexible, more innovative way. That’s where interoperability goes from being useful to being game-changing.

What are the use cases for interoperability in combined arms operations, air and missile defense, and multi-domain operations, to name just three?

Interoperability is essential for all those kinds of operations because it helps us make better decisions faster, especially in tough situations. So, when systems and platforms can’t talk to each other easily, it slows down how quickly we can act and react. But beyond that, when in a contested environment and an adversary disrupts a central gateway, having a distributed network that allows systems to continue to communicate is a differentiator, even if one node goes down.

Data is the key to everything. Enabling systems to share data across different forces, countries and across land, air, sea, space and cyber domains is what will make quick decision-making possible. Interoperability at scale is what creates a bigger, more effective response.

One key use case is ensuring our legacy systems and coalition partners benefit from the rapid advancements the joint forces are fielding every year. While we often discuss the incredible capabilities our fifth-generation aircraft bring to the fight, we don’t talk about how to get the data they generate to coalition forces or legacy U.S. systems that may be operating on tactical data networks that were first fielded in the 1970s.

This is something we enable every day. Achieving interoperability between future and legacy systems will be critical to ensuring effective cooperation in each of the mission areas you mentioned.

How has Ultra positioned itself and its products to enable those use cases when the Army is ready to move in that direction?

Ultra I&C is incredibly good at unlocking data, even proprietary data sets. We deliver interoperability solutions that work even in environments where data sharing was never envisioned or supported. We firmly believe that data is the key to true interoperability across land, air, sea, and even space.

However we recognize our products don’t operate in a vacuum and must be easy to work with. To achieve that, we developed the Unity Adapter. It’s a single, easy-to-use interface that follows open standards, to allow third parties to easily use our products to connect disparate systems for data sharing, which makes it much simpler to deliver new mission capabilities.

This is one example of many where Ultra I&C is embracing and leading with open architectures. We’re working across the enterprise from true open system standards and protocols to connect new formats and systems with the ones we already have.

For example, we’re already working to integrate TCMP – an emerging protocol data type for space strategic multicast connectivity – to connect with all the others we already support. Our north star is to create a flexible network that gives the U.S. and allied partners the edge in decision-making and keeps us ahead of the threats we collectively face.

Final thoughts?

Ultra I&C is focused on solving today’s interoperability challenges while also preparing for the future of warfare. By using open architectures that leverage open APIs and tools like the Unity Adapter, we’ve made it easier for legacy and cutting-edge systems to talk to each other and bring innovation to the way we fight. This kind of connectivity is key to making faster, better decisions, especially in tough, high-pressure situations.

The second takeaway is that Ultra I&C is already geared up for what’s coming next, like net-enabled weapons, crewed/uncrewed teaming, and AI-driven combat ID. This is the ability to not just have a track on the screen, but also be able to specifically identify what platform the track represents. An example would be a track for a U.S. F-15 flying in an exercise. Without combat ID capabilities, it will just return a radar hit and make a track. By enhancing the track with exquisite capabilities, we now know it’s an F-15 and we can enrich the track so that everyone knows what the platform is.

With our track record in joint and coalition operations we’re set up to help the Army handle future missions that need more connected, adaptable solutions. In short, we’re making interoperability the easy button solution for smoother and more effective solutions for the challenges ahead.