Employment of command and control information technology in the Navy.

The state of automated command and control technology in the Navy today is characterized by a highly diverse employment of modern information technology (basic, functional, communication IT) based on the use of computer assisted communication systems. The Navy has made much progress in developing IT and introducing it in military command and control agencies (MCCA). Three stages can be singled out here:

-- 1958 through 1975: introduction of autonomous general purpose electronic computing machines in the Navy and the creation of information and computing centers at the Navy Main Staff and fleet staffs;

-- 1975 through the 1990s: creation and adoption for operational service of first automated information and computing systems, local automated information systems for data exchange between fixed command and control agencies, automated subsystems for data exchange between submarines and surface vessels at sea, etc.;

-- since the 1990s: the mass introduction at MCCA of automated work stations, integrated into local computer networks, deployment of complex automatic command and control systems in the Navy by integrating the existing and developing automated systems (complexes), and automated systems based on standardized automated facilities integrated into automated telecommunication and communication systems.

Fifty years ago, the leading role in developing and introducing IT at the Navy's MCC agencies was assigned to the Computing Center No. 2 of the USSR Defense Ministry (today the 24th Central Scientific Research Institute of the RF Defense Ministry). Throughout its 50-year history, the Institute's research associates have deployed a lot of effort to develop, upgrade and modernize the scientific methodological apparatus for solving systemic, technical, mathematical, informational and organizational problems involved in designing automated command and control systems for the Navy and adopting them for operational service. Special attention should be given to the development, introduction and support of special mathematical, system and information/linguistic software in the interest of automating command and control of forces, weapons and technical assets in the Navy.

At Stage 1, fundamental research was carried out to identify and prioritize automated command and control activities by naval command officials. This research was carried out as part of comprehensive scientific research projects (at the Naval Academy, the Navy Scientific Research Institute, and fleet staffs).

The study and analysis of command and control activity in the fleets and the central command and control agencies of the Navy helped to identify the basic components subject to automation, specifically: the provision of MCC agencies and command and control officials with information about the situation in oceanic and maritime theaters of operation, the status and actions by own forces and actions by a possible adversary; decision making and elaboration of plans and presentation of proposals for their effective implementation; organization of the fulfillment of set tasks in accordance with operation plans; setting tasks to subordinate forces; the issue of orders, commands, and directives; oversight and verification of the implementation of plans, actions and measures by naval forces; adjustment and adaptation of plans, operations and actions by naval forces; and accountability and reporting on the fulfillment of tasks to superior command.

In order to ensure the successful fulfillment of the tasks involved in automating command and control processes, the 24th Scientific Research Institute of the Defense Ministry (the 24th Institute), the Navy Academy, and the Scientific Research Institute of the Navy worked along the following lines: development of information and computing tasks for general purpose computer systems to be introduced at naval facilities (fleet staffs and the Navy Main Staff); preparation and development of information and linguistic programs (software) for the fulfillment of information and computing tasks at autonomous computing systems and prospective automated systems; comprehensive, in-depth study of information and computing methodology and technology; substantiation and elaboration of methods and models to ensure interoperability between general purpose and specialized computer systems and their compatibility with communication channels and information sources (electronic and technical systems).

Research associates at the 24th Institute and other scientific research centers of the Navy, in close cooperation with the Navy Main Staff and fleet staffs, within a very short time span, developed a number of information and computing tasks and mathematical models for the gathering and processing of information about the situation in oceanic and maritime theaters of operation (including the space, EW, radiation, bacteriological, and chemical warfare situation, and nuclear and chemical strikes), as well as elements of combat service support, special and technical support; specifications, combat capabilities and combat performance standards for the employment of forces, weapons and technical assets of the Navy and the naval forces of other countries; gathering, processing and evaluating physical-geographic, climatic and weather conditions in areas of operation (combat action), as well as other factors in the fulfillment of combat tasks; automation of command and control of special purpose missile carrying submarines; and evaluating the situation and making proposals for the concept of operations (combat actions) and commanders' decision making.

The information and computation tasks that successfully went through testing procedures and received positive appraisal by users, were included in the Library of Navy Methodologies, published by the 24th Institute for broad application. By 1968, it contained more than 100 information and computing tasks for computer systems introduced in the Navy. These scientific methodological materials were widely used in daily activities by officials at the Navy Main Staff and fleet staffs in advance planning of operations (combat actions), organizing and exercising direct command and control of forces and alert duty, as well as in operational training programs (command and staff games). To ensure an effective employment of the Library of Navy Methodologies and to facilitate the work of command and control agencies on the operational level, the 24th Institute developed an automated data distribution system and an integrated computing automation system.

At the same time, the 24th Institute conducted extensive research to developed standardized information and linguistic software (in support of the aforementioned tasks) for automated command and control systems in the Navy. Priority was given to the development of information languages for the presentation of combat and administrative documents and the data recording in computer systems, including syntax, semantics, classification and encoding vocabularies, document formalization procedure, key words for the formalization of the content of operational and intelligence summaries--classification cards, dossier data bank, tabular and others, which are used to date. Much development work was in hand at the 24th Institute on the creation of a "unified information field for the Navy"--the prototype of the modern integrated data bank for the Library of Naval Methodologies. Well substantiated proposals were made for the development of standard software for computer systems that subsequently served as a basis for automated information and search documentary and factographic systems as well as data bank management systems.

The introduction (as of January 1975), at the Navy Main Staff and fleet staffs, of the MVU-B2 (MVU-B2M) and the first BESM-class multi-purpose operational factographic information system (OFIS) in the Navy marked a breakthrough in the use of IT in the command and control process. This system was a joint product by the Central Scientific Research Institute of Integrated Automation Programs (Moscow) and the 24th Institute (B.T. Shreyber, S.I. Vaynshteyn, L.L. Buber, N.G. Nikitin, and Yu.G. Khrabrov).

OFIS software was used for the creation of information systems and information and search systems of the factographic and documentary type. Furthermore, it was used to develop and support documentary and factographic data banks; process incoming documents (messages and queries) formalized in Russian with the aforementioned procedure (for queries); search and retrieval of information in the required format (tabular, text) about the current situation according to set parameters and as formulary display (pads, charts, graphic tablets) for the MBU-B2 system; search and retrieval of data in the integrated computing automation system to fulfill specific computing tasks from the Library of Naval Methodologies, to which end OFIS was used as a platform for a data bank on the forces, weapons and assets of the Navy and the naval forces of a possible adversary, the hydro meteorological situation in oceanic theaters of operation, coastal installations, command and control systems and agencies, combat capabilities and combat performance standards; provision and control of access to data banks for users; provision of user specific access to different sections of data banks and information about particular facilities and their elements; and management and supervision of information processing.

OFIS software was comprised of a multiple set of procedures on different levels that were automatically integrated for the fulfillment of tasks set in messages or queries. OFIS was executed in the form of a "multi-language system," capable of processing factographic information in several languages, which was ensured by a standardized term codification system.

OFIS was successfully used on an MVU-B2 platform to build a classic information and computing system (see Fig.), realizing information command and control technology.

The introduction of the MVU-B2 system and its modified version (MVU-B2M) and an automated subsystem of data exchange with submarines and surface vessels at naval command and control agencies marked the beginning of Stage 2 in the use of command and control IT. During this period, the 24th Institute was used as a base for the creation of the Center for the Development of Special Mathematical Software and Support Programs for Naval Automated Systems, designed to facilitate the application of MCC technology in the Navy. The joint efforts by specialists at the Center, the Navy Academy, the Scientific Research Institute of the Navy, the Main Staff of the Navy, fleet staffs and industry ensured automatic processing of data on the situation in oceanic theaters of operation, at the Navy Main Staff, fleet staffs, flotillas and naval bases. At the same time, much work was in hand to develop and present to command and control agencies urgent tabular reports (operative and intelligence summaries and documents on the alert status of naval formations and documents on the composition and status of weapons at naval depots and arsenals) and to ensure "machine to machine" exchange of information between automated command and control systems on different levels, as well as the automated transmission of command and control and background (reference) information to warships at sea. Furthermore, much effort was deployed to develop and introduce an automated task planning, combat and alert duty monitoring and control complex. In addition to the existing tasks and procedures, the following was developed: sets of tasks for the substantiation of different scenarios in the employment of forces in maritime operations (combat actions), different types of operational, combat service support and technical support, planning and combat employment of intelligence, communication, EW and air defense operations by naval forces (combat actions). At the same time, a special emphasis was placed on upgrading the set of tasks on automating command and control and support procedures to ensure the operational stability of strategic submarines.

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Furthermore, the Navy command decided to create central (at the 24th Institute) and regional (at the Navy Main Staff and fleet staffs) software and technical support facilities. A target specific program for the development of special mathematical and program support for automated naval systems until 2020 was developed.

One distinguishing feature of this period was the development (by specialists of the 24th Institute: Vice Admiral V.S. Babiy, Captains 1st Rank T.S. Chervatyuk, B.P. Bichaev, and Yu.P. Gushchin) of a concept for the creation of a mathematical model simulating two-way combat actions, designed to evaluate the effectiveness commander's decision making and to ensure operational and tactical training of military command and control officials. Subsequently, this mathematical model was developed in several modifications (A.B. Chevalyuk, A.V. Ulanov, and I.S. Kudinova), was successfully tested at the Navy Academy, the Operations Directorate of the Navy Main Staff and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and is now being successfully used in the course of operational and tactical training exercises and constantly upgraded based on proposals from its users.

In 1990, the work began on the comprehensive automation of naval command and control procedures, based on the existing automated command and control complexes, newly developed automated command and control systems, personal computers and local computer networks and modern automated telecommunication systems. This work is part of the general effort to build an integrated automated naval command and control system. Command and control IT and the developing integrated data bank (integrated information space) are the principal components in designing prospective target specific systems and subsystems for the Navy.

The 24th Institute has developed a unique methodology substantiating the content and composition of required IT and information resources for the implementation of target specific systems and subsystems in the naval integrated automated command and control system. It is based on a systemic analysis of the functional, systemic and technical architecture of this system (subsystem) and the automated command and control system as a whole. At the same time, much work is in hand on developing an operator adaptable, unique software complex ensuring a highly effective application of functional technologies. It also includes the introduction of modern basic IT in automated systems, above all, e-mail, web technology (including in creating, processing and updating data banks and data bases), the geo-information security system, and functional algorithms.

Capt. 2nd Rank S.Yu. KONDAKOV

Capt. 1st Rank N.G. NIKITIN (Ret.)