The integration of open architecture solutions on systems operating on the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) must include considering the overall operating environment on the EMS and threats posed in the cyberspace, according to Army and Navy officials.
Richard Wittstruck, the acting deputy director in the Army’s program office for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors, said at Defense Daily’s annual Open Architecture Summit that OA systems have to be sustainable and adaptable across the EMS, including in cyber, electronic warfare, spectrum management and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
Developing open architecture systems has been getting increased priority in the Pentagon. Open architecture is seen as a way to generate lifecycle savings while making systems more adaptable and easily upgradeable.
But designing open architecture systems cannot only be a discussion of technical issues and standards, Wittstruck said.
“We can talk all day about the standards of open architecture,” Wittstruck said. “What you should be asking is: What is the concept of operations for employment of the architecture? What is the command and control construct? What is the delegation of authority you envision for the prosecution of electromagnetic spectrum operations? And how does this nest into joint and coalition activities while also participating and being adjustable, adaptable and repeatable?”
Troy Johnson, the director of capabilities in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance who is also leading a cyber security task group for the service, said that open architecture helps enable the benefit of interconnectivity, but cautioned that open systems can be more vulnerable. And with greater connectivity cyber intruders can have greater access.
“We have many different things that are inner connected, but, as I said, every interconnection is a vulnerability. So now we have to figure out how we swim with the sharks but not get eaten in the process,” he said.
He urged industry to pursue greater security in open systems.
“As we do this open architecture….we just have to make sure we do so securely,” Johnson said, adding: “OA is a lot easier to talk about than it is to do.”
Michael Johnson, a technical fellow at Northrop Grumman [NOC], echoed the concerns raised by Troy Johnson, saying it is important open systems are designed with resiliency.
“As we add more functions to these architectures there is something on the other side of the scale that needs to be considered,” Michael Johnson said.