Vanguard Magazine

www.vanguardcanada.com DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 21 Sponsored Content This is exasperated by rapid advances in commercial IT, fueling a constant increase in user expectations. Despite this, the cur- rent system can provide a foundation for future evolution, an evolution that will be fielded through the SSE Initiative 42 proj- ects, coordinated with continued annual NP investments. looking to the future The ambition of the SSE Initiative 42 and related projects, with its multi-billion dol- lar price tag, provides a significant oppor- tunity but also a significant management/ programmatic challenge. The Army, led by its Technical Authority and supported by Canadian industry, has an opportunity to field an integrated C4ISR capability over the next 5-10 years, a system that, through managed updates and enhancements, will continue to meet its C4ISR needs into the future. Taking a systems view, based on a deployed brigade, matching Canada's stat- ed level of ambition, will lead to an integrat- ed solution based on operational priorities. This evolution starts with the current Land C4ISR Support Contracts providing a solid baseline; this step is currently being imple- mented. This baseline will be driven largely by what is technically available and not nec- essarily Army requirements and priorities. As deficiencies are identified, they should be fed into the system engineering process already in place where they will be priori- tized and options identified. Options could include an engineering change through NP or a capital enhancement funded through an SSE 42 project. This will work best if the Army, wider government and industry work coopera- tively to field new capabilities. Working cooperatively will increase staffing capac- ity allowing each part of the partnership to focus on what it does best: the Army sets requirements and priorities to ensure these are identified and met, wider government ensures other government priorities such as those identified through the Defence Pro- curement Strategy are met, while industry provides the technology and together they ensure an integrated solution is fielded. For industry to fulfil its part, it needs meaningful direction, not vague uncon- strained questions about the art of the pos- sible. Engagement is essential throughout including during the options analysis (OA) phase, a phase industry are currently large- ly excluded from, as this is where industry will be conducting its own R&D and plan- ning, an investment that the Army could leverage. Looking at today's system, one of the major deficiencies is the ability to pass data around the battlefield. The Army, like all modern institutions, has an unlimited ap- petite for data, whether it is C2 data from a battle management system, sensor data within a ground based air defence system or 'old school' voice communications, the network continues to be the central nervous system of a deployed force and must be the priority for modernization. The network also provides the link or connection for interoperability, internally between dismounted, mounted and HQ elements and externally to coalition part- ners, another essential element of Canada's defence policy. Network capacity will be a limiting design factor for other SSE proj- ects, deploying separate networks to sup- port individual combat capacities is ineffi- cient and expensive, both to procure and to operate. Another factor that cannot be ignored is the soldier, whether it is the signaler managing the system or the combat op- erator who relies on the system. For the signaler, SSE Initiative 42 must deliver effective planning and management tools and minimize the human burden to plan, deploy and manage the system. For the combat operator, the C4ISR system is a tool that must be as intuitive as possible, allowing them to focus on their combat mission. For all, a realistic and sustainable training system must be an integral part of the fielded solution. The Network (bandwidth) is only one of many high level capacities but it high- lights the need for a systems approach to the implementation of the SSE 42 projects. Other capabilities include: C2 tools, JIMP interoperability, automated support to fires, Cyber and EW operations, defensive and offensive, ISR systems and Institution- alized training, simulation and education. Conclusion Now that the Army has acquired its next generation combat vehicles and many of its support vehicles, it is time to focus on its C4ISR capability, the glue that ties it together to form an integrated combat capability. Despite the past investment in Army C4ISR capability over the past three decades, with some significant past suc- cesses, the Land C4ISR System needs a major upgrade to meet the current and fu- ture demanding operational requirements. Considering a brigade as a platform and taking a systems engineering approach to this platform, fully engaging and leverag- ing the capacity of Canadian industry and wider government collaboration, will lead to fielding of the next generation Land C4ISR system through the SSE Initiative 42 Projects that will meet the Army's re- quirements and priorities into the future. Col (Ret'd) Richard fawcett omm, Cd Director of Business Development, Land and Joint Solutions General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada PersPeCtive

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