Sensors Focus Area

OBJECTIVE

FOSTER THE CREATION OF SPECIFICATIONS, EXTENSIONS TO SPECIFICATIONS, AND MODELS OF SENSORS TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL FOR REUSE AND INTEROPERABILITY.

Modern operational environments, whether military or civilian, are heavily reliant on the broad range of sensor technologies that is constantly being expanded and enhanced as new and improved sensors are regularly introduced. While it is often necessary to introduce or enhance the computer software drivers that enable the use of new or improved sensors that is specific to the sensors themselves, the interfaces to those drivers and the sofware that manages the sensors, collect data from them, and validates the data must be standardized to enhance their usability and applicability.

Generic Sensor Interfaces Work Area

Problem Space

The dual-use principle can be applied in the case of almost all systems in the C4I area that are primarily intended to for non-military purposes (standard office applications and databases, medical systems, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) systems, logistics, banking, computer games etc.). In most cases these systems can be applied directly or with minor enhancements e.g. leading to increased resolution, accuracy, or performance.

Nevertheless, there are some areas in the Defense domain where civilian systems are not to be expected. One of these areas is sonar (an acronym for Sound, Navigation and Ranging) system. The civilian maritime business is almost entirely focused on surface cargo and passenger ships. In this case the information technology onboard usually covers navigation and communication as well as vessel management and maintenance task. There is no explicit need for sonar systems: i.e. for security and navigation purposes the commonly used radar systems are sufficient. Civilian maritime applications could, of course, use sonar to avoid collisions with underwater obstacles: examples are (1) avoiding of collisions with icebergs and (2) maneuvers on littoral waters in the neighborhood of harbors and channels. However, at the moment it is more cost effective to apply other solutions (radar, nautical pilots, etc.) than to invest in sonar systems.

The design principles of a sonar application can be found in the information brochures of any sonar vendor as well as in the related professional magazines. The number of interfaces in this kind of system is large. However, one can, in general, divide the "generic sonar system" into two high-level groups or classes:

• The sonar core system or sensor; and,
• The integrated sonar system (which includes the sonar core system and the logical applications built on top of it).

This classification is general and therefore applicable for all sonar systems. There are different understandings or definitions as to what belongs to the core sonar system, and even more differences of what belongs to the integrated sonar system. Different vendors have their own point of view on the system design. It is also common that these definitions vary not only from vendor to vendor but also from project to project by a single vendor. Consequently, the customer is forced to use unique products with a correspondingly high cost of ownership.

There is a possibility to specify vendor independent interfaces in both classes of sonar systems. Obviously they will be generic so that a specific sonar system may support broader interfaces depending on its physical characteristics (in the case of the sonar core system) and tactical functions (in the case of the integrated sonar system).

Statement of Need

There is a logical possibility for setting generic sonar standard on different system layers without interfering with vendor solutions. As the result vendors will be able to:

• Provide products that are based on a common interface providing standard functions; and,
• Still offer extensions for special features that make their product specific and better suited for various application areas then other ones.

The definition of the sonar standard is very important step for the OMG C4I group. It will be the first step where defense industry will overcome the current standardization problems. This standard will be an important point on the C4I roadmap. This will be the first step on the way towards interoperable military systems required in the 21st century. Behind this "technical" target stands the strategic objective to ensure world peace by international cooperation also on military area.

Relation to Other OMG activity

Aspects of this work may be related to the work in Modeling and Simulation (M&S).

Progress to date

Generic Sonar interface RFI
February 2001
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

Finnish Navy Response to the Generic Sonar Interface RFI
Formats: RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word

Active RFIs & RFPs

Generic Sonar Interface RFP
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

Generic Radar Interface RFI
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

SENSOR TASKING, DATA COLLECTION, AND DATA VALIDATION

Problem Space

The rapid resolution of sensor cues into meaningful tactical and strategic information about the coalition operational area is critical for the full dimensional protection of a force. For example, the rapid and accurate identification of units in the coalition operational area as friendly, hostile or neutral will enhance the ability of a force to conduct dominant maneuvers with precision engagement and achieve full spectrum dominance. To date, a coalition and control system with user ability at all levels of conflict (strategic, operational and tactical) to access and verify shared information among coalition partners is not available.

Multi-National forces within a Coalition Warfighting/Peace-Keeping environment bring specific “National” and organic collection assets to the Operational Area. Each of these Coalition participants also brings with them a set of Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) for the tasking, collection, evaluation, production, and dissemination of information from the sensors. Although coordination processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) exist and or are developed ad hoc to share information between Coalition participants, this sharing of information gravitates at the Operational Level (Combined Task Force and Component Commanders) and is not fully accessible by the Tactical warfighters in a timely manner.

The “National” and organic collection assets of the Coalition participants may be task-organized under a Coalition Command and Control hierarchy, but are tasked and operationally deployed by the owning country. Information produced by these sensors is first filtered by national information security procedures and then placed onto an agreed upon Coalition information dissemination network. This database can be accessed by all those who have access to the Command and Control system.

Coalition partners at present do not have the ability to cross task other coalition partner’s sensor platforms. This lack of re-tasking and/or dynamic re-tasking ability limits the coalition commander in rapidly identifying Battlespace objects within his/her areas/s of responsibility.

Coalition partners must wait for each of the national intelligence cycles of collection, analysis, production and dissemination to occur before non-owned and non-organic sensor information is received.

At present, the utility and reliability of shared coalition information on an agreed upon Command and Control system for use in developing solid target solutions and the successful completion of mission, is suspect at best. A Coalition Common Operational/Tactical Picture is at best only a delayed representation that there is multi-national participation in the overall coalition force structure. Reliance on this common information to make decisions in the progress of an operation is non-existent.

Statement of Need

Coalition participants must agree upon a set of sensors from which information will be shared. A common understanding of the output of the selected sensors must be agreed upon. Once data output is agreed upon, a common set of information objects, which make up the sensor output must also be agreed upon. Once the common objects of information are developed, they may be catalogued into an accessible database. Within this common objects of information, a validation of the origination source will be vital in allowing Coalition partners to make decisions off the sensor cuing received into a Command and Control systems.

Policies on the distribution of the common objects of information must also be created and agreed upon. A set of accessibility rules must be established for all level of participants so focused and relevant objects of information can be provided to individual consumers at the same time providing the Coalition as a whole a common picture of the Battlespace. A common picture, which is devoid of conflicts based on overlapping fields of collection coverage or phase lines of national responsibility in the Battlespace.

A Requirements Management System for Coalition Operations requires development. Such a system would allow:

• Commanders of collection assets at the tactical, operational and strategic levels to continuously input results from collection activities into a centrally located database which is accessible by all sensor owners in the Coalition force
• Commanders to deconflict redundant collection areas, correlate Requests For Information (RFIs) to specific missions, and better utilize collection assets to meet collection emphasis requirements for all levels
• Quicker validation of collection missions along with, in the end, allowing the warfighters to have a clearer picture of the Battlespace which is common and shared by all Coalition participants
• Coalition partners to have a better understanding of the sensor capabilities of other Coalition partners along with a sense of optimal employment of those assets in the Battlespace.

Relation to other OMG Activity

Joint action will be with the Space DTF relative to space-borne sensors. Current activities of the space task force that are off interest include:

Space System Monitor and Control Service RFP
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

Ground Operations Automation Language RFI
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

Space Ground Segment Resource Scheduling RFI
Formats: ASCII, RTF, PostScript, PDF, Word
This document is available to the general public.

progress to date

This is a planned activity for which no C4I DTF activities have taken place to date.

Active RFIs & RFPs

NOTE: RFIs and RFPs both have due dates for responses. In the case of RFPs these dates are binding. In the case of RFIs, the C4I DTF has declared that the due date is the most desired date, but RFI responses will be accepted at any time prior to the RFIs topic being included in an RFP. After that event, no further responses to that RFI will be accepted.

None

Work in Progress

None

Planned work

None

Sources of Additional Germane Information

Sensor Web Enablement and OpenGIS SensorWeb™ in the Open GIS Consortium

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