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Force Templates:

A Blueprint for Coalition Interaction within an Infosphere

Lt Col. Robert E. MarmelsteinJoint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) Information DirectorateAir Force Research Laboratory

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Applications,Systems, Sensors

(JBI Clients)

Global Grid, SIPRNET, Internet,….

Introducing the JBI

JBI RepositoryJBI QueryBroker

JBI SubscriptionBroker

JBI Management

Services

JBI Platform (Core Services)

Metadata

ACCESS

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59

JBI-CLIENT FLEX-1765A

OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG

Time-stamp: 06222001

SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N

<CAMPAIGN-ID DECISIVE-HALT-2001>

<MSGID ATO/TACC>

<AIRTASK RECONNAISSANCE>

<TASKUNIT 63-TRS/KXXQ/DET-1-FOL>

<MSNDAT AF0025/-/PHICO-10/1RF4C/REC>

<RECDATA 8AA001/PRY:2/301500Z/-/SLAR>

<TRCPLOT 420035N0153545E/RAD:50NM>

<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

?OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59

JBI-CLIENT FLEX-1765A

OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG

Time-stamp: 06222001

SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N

<CAMPAIGN-ID DECISIVE-HALT-2001>

<MSGID ATO/TACC>

<AIRTASK RECONNAISSANCE>

<TASKUNIT 63-TRS/KXXQ/DET-1-FOL>

<MSNDAT AF0025/-/PHICO-10/1RF4C/REC>

<RECDATA 8AA001/PRY:2/301500Z/-/SLAR>

<TRCPLOT 420035N0153545E/RAD:50NM>

<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

OBJ-ID: TBMCS-59

JBI-CLIENT FLEX-1765A

OBJ-TYPE: ATO-MSG

Time-stamp: 06222001

SECURITY: UNCLAS

GEO: 167/34/27W-45/22/57N

<CAMPAIGN-ID DECISIVE-HALT-2001>

<MSGID ATO/TACC>

<AIRTASK RECONNAISSANCE>

<TASKUNIT 63-TRS/KXXQ/DET-1-FOL>

<MSNDAT AF0025/-/PHICO-10/1RF4C/REC>

<RECDATA 8AA001/PRY:2/301500Z/-/SLAR>

<TRCPLOT 420035N0153545E/RAD:50NM>

<INGRESS-ROUTE >

<COMMAND-GUIDANCE >

Metadata

Metadata

TBMCS

GCCS

??

PublishSubscribe

Fuselet

QueryPublish/

Subscribe/Query

Force Template

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JBI Stand-Up Issues

– How are units registered with the JBI?

– What is the minimum set of Information Objects (IOs) needed to integrate new units into a JBI?

– Who publishes, or subscribes to, a given IO?

– What conditions are associated with the above?

– How are fuselets introduced into the JBI?

– How are publisher access controls specified and managed?

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Information handshake between the JBI and a combat unit (defines the subscribe and publish data to JBI).

Two purposes: integration and control

Standardization for templates for like units.

Force Template defines (at a minimum):

What information does the unit require? Example: Imagery with an Area of Interest

What information can the unit provide? Example: Weapons pod camera

What are the constraints on that information? Example: Photos published between 1400Z and 1500Z

Force Templates

Force Template

JBI

New Unit

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Force Templates vs. Passes

Purpose

Activation Prerequisites

JBI Interface

Content Characteristics

Minimum Contents

Force Templates Passes

Register entities with the JBI Register clients with the JBI

Approval of JFC or parent theparent entity

Registration of owner entity’sforce template with the JBI

Force Template Controller Client Adapter

Distributed, Hierarchical, Decomposable

Consolidated--cannot bedecomposed

• Entity Information Requirements and Products; • Related Constraints;• Passes for clients owned by the entity

• Info Object Advertisements• Subscription Requests• Client-level Constrains

Entities Clients

CINC

JTFJTF

Unit Unit Unit

• Represent platforms, systems, or individuals• Interact directly with the JBI• Do not decompose further• Use Passes to register with the JBI

Theater-levelForce Template

JTF-level Force Template

Unit-level Template

Unit

• Represent units or organizations• Reflects Joint Force ‘building blocks’• Decompose into clients & other entities• Register with JBI using Force Templates

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Problem - Rapidly Forming Ad-hoc Coalition Teams

CoalitionMilitary

JTFNGO

LocalCivil

Authorities

USState Dept

The Challenge:

Barriers to Team FormationDifferences in:

• Doctrine• Policy

• Processes• Vocabulary• Command Structure

Quickly Enabling Disparate Parties to Cooperate and Interoperateto Solve a Common Problem

Each Team Member Provides:• Information• Services

• Personnel• Assets

• Infrastructure• Trust

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Force Template Composition

Necessary Desired Speculative

SecurityCredentials

Entity Description

Fuselets

Info Pedigree

Info RequirementsInfo ProductsRelated Constraints

Ontologies

Business Rules

Process Models

Agents

Web Services

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Entity-Client ModelAssumptions

The JBI platform has visibility and control over its inputs and outputs

Entities use Force Templates to maintain nominal control over their clients Consistent with JFC policies Consistent with JBI Information Staff directives Some conflicts may need to be externally resolved

Force Template may change during the mission In response to top-down or bottom-up requests A given change request may impact multiple force

templates (subscriber & publisher)

Pass

FT Controller

Unit SideUnit Side JBI SideJBI Side

RequestRequestResponseResponse

FT Controller

(parent)

UpdatesUpdates

Adapter

The Force Template contains passes for associated clients

The Pass contains valid advertisements and subscriptions for a given client

The Controller is the gatekeeper for making changes to the Force Template

The Adapter propagateschanges resulting fromclient requests to theForce Template thoughits Controller

Change RequestChange Request

FT

ConflictConflictUpdateUpdate

Force Template AuthorityForce Template Authority

This individual has the power to approve force template changes for a given Entity

JBI ClientJBI Client

Clients can request permission to publish, or subscribe to, new information objects

InformationBroker

The Broker forwards the change request to the appropriate Authority

ResponseResponse

Change RequestChange Request

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Summary

The JBI represents the way ahead for supporting Coalition C2 operations

Force Templates are a mechanism for: Quickly integrating units into the JBI Exercising control over JBI clients

Force Template complexity will grow as JBI must support increasingly diverse, ad-hoc coalitions

Entity-Client interaction model is first step in defining requirements for Force Templates Model is in early stages of development Critical to overall JBI systems engineering effort