Dismounted Urban Tactical Communications Assessment / Urban Spectrum Management Joint Urban Operations Office U.S. Depar

1. Dismounted Urban Tactical Communications Assessment / Urban Spectrum Management Joint Urban Operations Office U.S. Department of Defense Executive Agent for Joint Urban Operations Mr. Darrel P. Johnson April 2008 Distribution Statement C Distribution authorized to U.S. Government Agencies and their Contractors, and Representatives of BEL, BGR, CAN, CZE, DNK, EST, FRA, DEU, GRC, HUN, ISL, ITA, LVA, LTU, LUX, NLD, NOR, POL, PRT, ROU, SVK, SVN, ESP, TUR, GBR, ALB, ARM, AUT, AZE, BLR, HRV, FIN, GEO, IRL, KAZ, KGZ, MDA, RUS, SWE, CHE, TJK, MKD, TKM, UKR, UZB, ISR, JOR, MAR, KOR and their contractors Administrative/Operational Use 8 Feb 07 Other requests for this document shall be referred to: Joint Urban Operations Office U.S. Joint Forces Command 1562 Mitscher Ave., Suite 200 Norfolk, VA 23551-2488 Attn: Mr. Darrel P. Johnson Phone: 757-203-3511

2. Assessment Purpose • Purpose is to minimize/reduce communications problems in the urban environment by examining current systems capabilities, their integration with programs of record that are in development, and advanced technologies to resolve communications issues without the costs, time and effort of initiating new programs • Part of a series of technical assessments conducted by the United States Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Joint Urban Operations Office (JUOO) • - Augments the JUO Joint Integrating Concept (JIC) and its associated Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) by identifying communications limitations to be mitigated in order to successfully support urban operations in the 2015-2027 timeframe • - Reflects interoperability capabilities included in the NATO Allied Command Transformation Combined Joint Urban Operations Concept

3. Operational Environment The commander requires the ability to communicate effectively with his forces and coalition partners. Specific to the urban battlespace, operations take place at the lowest tactical level with teams, squads, and platoons moving among back alleys and buildings. The need for forces to operate on-the-move, outside the fixed tactical operations center, has limited these “first tactical mile“ units to a combination of low throughput voice and data terminals, largely supported by older line-of-sight radios and, to a lesser extent, low data rate single channel satellite communications. The various urban missions complicate command and control requirements. That is, missions involving combat, intelligence collection, security, stabilization, reconstruction, and humanitarian aid distribution all call for slightly different information exchange requirements.

4. Airspace External Space Super-surface (External) Top Top Stories or Levels Super-surface (Internal) Stories or Levels Surface (External) Internal Spaces The multi-dimensional urban battlefield Internal Spaces Subsurface The Military Problem The urban warfighter faces significant command and control challenges exacerbated by degraded communications transmission, reception, and information presentation. Current tactical communications capabilities and joint command and control procedures do not support the warfighters ability to communicate reliably and effectively in the urban environment. A combination of coordinated, joint material and non-material approaches are required to optimize command and control capabilities within the limitations of near and mid-term technological advances.

5. Gaps • - High level gaps that have been identified in the information transport, information assurance, and network management capability areas closely reflect those detailed in the Net-Centric Operational Environment Joint Capabilities Document • - Urban comm gaps are an intersection of the functions of the required • capabilities and the current or future material and non-material • Solutions. Gaps: • - Ability to securely communicate information end-to-end • - Ability to share/exchange voice/data with higher, lower, and adjacent units • - Ability to gain/maintain situational understanding, to include position and timing • - Ability to enable system and link information assurance measures • - Ability to maintain and optimize network functions and resources, to include frequency spectrum

6. Risks • - The following list identifies risks associated with implementing actions proposed in this assessment: • - Implementation of horizontal communications linkages in an already electromagnetically degraded and frequency challenged environment • Increased dependence on information processes, systems, and technologies may add vulnerabilities that, if not adequately defended by trained personnel, could be exploited by adversaries • Security risks associated with employing Type 1 and AES encryption systems in such close contact with the enemy • Virtual elimination of intermediate command echelons and the ability to monitor force activity at a high level of detail may lead to micromanagement • - Overwhelming levels of information, whether correctly prioritized or not, may lead to increased decision times or the inability of leaders to locate and identify decision-relevant information • - Capability and interoperability gaps with coalition forces in training, equipment, physical interfaces, and doctrine may pose operational risk

7. Transformational Systems • Joint Tactical Radio System • Foundation of DOD’s future tactical radio communications • Will have the ability to operate on multiple channels simultaneously • For example, a four-channel radio set intended for a ground vehicle could be programmed to have channels dedicated to SINCGARS, Air-to-Ground HAVE QUICK II UHF, Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW), and the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW). Data can also be transferred from one channel or network to another through a translational gateway implemented through hardware and software. • JTRS hardware is based upon a designated “form factor” • Linear dimensions and configuration of a device • Original 26 form factors were reduced to 13 after program restructuring

8. Transformational Systems • Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) • DARPA effort to leverage recent successes on the XG program (dynamic spectrum and policy control), and the Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) program • Addresses operations in dense/stressed RF environments • Self-forming/self-healing ad-hoc network • IP dynamic address request and assignment • 4-channel/10 Mbps wireless radio/network node • Objective unit price of $500 • 900 MHz – 6 GHz; finds open spectrum, avoids interference • VoIP, chat, web • Every soldier a fully capable, wirelessly connected, network node • Beginning development and initial demonstration phase • Interim demonstrations leading to FY10 operational demonstration

9. Recommendations • The following recommendations provide a basis for continued focus to mitigate urban communications and command and control shortfalls. The JUOO’s C4 Roadmap will use the list as a basis for its periodic revision. • Key to making high value improvements is the need to socialize the efforts across joint, Service, and multi-national communities. • An active JUO communications Community of Interest is vital to ensure information is distributed to those with a part in the improvement efforts, i.e., COCOMs, Services, agencies, S&T community, Service labs, concept development organizations, etc.

10. Recommendations • Non-Material Approaches: • - Doctrine: Modifications must consider a standing set of courses of action for urban communications employment • Organization: Existing organizational relationships must be examined to determine the impact of urban operations on current formal command and control reporting channels • Training: Technical training for system maintainers and net-centric operations training for operators • Leadership and Education: The urban environment increases the level of responsibility down to the lowest tactical echelon, requiring a change in leadership culture for both junior and senior leaders • Personnel: Standardized communications professionalization, entailing a broad level of communications technical competency, must spread to the lower echelon units • Facilities: Testing and training areas must replicate as closely as possible the RF environment that exists in urban areas

11. Recommendations • Programs of Record (POR). Systems that operate in the urban environment must enter a legacy assessment process that gauges their ability to support operational tasks at the sub-tactical level. One objective is to advocate for the convergence of systems to minimize the various system types and configurations, to minimize interoperability issues. Efforts must continue to ensure that the operator’s perspective is at the forefront of these valuable initiatives. • Science and Technology (S&T). The S&T community is at the forefront of addressing urban communications challenges through internal S&T efforts and collaboration efforts with industry. Specific initiatives such as OSD’s Wolfpack and the Army’s Air Assault Expeditionary Force (AAEF) are being used to influence and provide critical assessments.

12. Recommendations - Advance Concept Technology Demonstration / Joint Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD/JCTD). The ACTD/JCTD program seeks to highlight, validate, and transition promising capabilities to the operational force in a shorter amount of time than through the traditional acquisition cycle. These demonstrations integrate various technologies to solve specified operational problems. JUOO advocates for those technologies that directly support the urban environment or otherwise influence mission outcomes at that level. - Community of Interest. An Urban Communications COI is required to socialize joint, COCOM, Service, science and technology, and NATO communications DOTMLPF-P aspects. The goal is to ensure that information critical to operational success, standardization, and capability improvement is available to those who need it.

13. Recommendations - Joint Command and Control Board of Directors (JC2 BoD). The JC2 BoD works to ensure that operational level command and control capabilities are reviewed and synchronized, to ensure acquisition decisions are informed. The JUOO works to ensure that these operational level capabilities are “linkable” to the sub-tactical urban level, where appropriate. - Joint Capability Integration and Development System (JCIDS). The JUOO monitors JCIDS documents and related Functional Capability Board (FCB) presentations to ensure urban equities are recognized and understood. This is especially applicable to Net-Centric, C2, and Battlespace Awareness FCBs where enabling communications systems are reviewed and assessed for potential acquisition actions.

14. Recommendations - Joint Urban Operation Joint Integrating Concept. The JUO JIC “provides an operational-level description of how a joint force might conduct urban operations circa 2015-2027. Joint urban operations are all joint operations planned and conducted across the range of military operations on, or against objectives within, a topographical complex and its adjacent natural terrain where manmade construction or the density of noncombatants are the dominant features. - NATO Combined Joint Urban Operations (CJUO) Concept. The NATO concept acts as a companion document to the JUO JIC using the Understand, Shape, Engage, Consolidate, and Transition construct. It directly addresses urban communications challenges through the capability “assure C4 interoperability for friendly forces”. The emphasis on the need for interoperable communications is common across these documents.

15. Urban Spectrum Study Conclusions • Adversaries constantly adapt commercial communications devices to meet their needs. • IEDs causing significant casualties, ECM devices fielded with little or no compatibility and interoperability testing causing major operational problems and increased need for careful frequency management • Many military systems experienced interference from civilian systems • unregulated long range cordless telephones and radios, • pirate television, radio broadcast stations, and commercial satellite • international relief organizations and media representatives fusing their own facilities. • Rapid expansion of the Iraqi mobile telephone network and ever increasing frequency demands of government and non-government agencies.

16. Urban Spectrum Study Conclusions • The major impacts of EMI incidents and key challenges were found to be: • Unreliable and mutual interference among C2 Communications and tracking systems • Potential loss or curtailment of UAV sorties because of interference from civilian devices. • Enhanced Position Locating and Reporting System (EPLRS) operated in an Iraqi civil band that was used for wireless local loop. • The existing loadset structure could not accommodate the large number of NET IDs required by EPLRS and existing SINCGARS users • Greatest increased demand for bandwidth came from the intelligence community and local commanders “need” for full motion video (FMV) from UAVs. • The fixed frequency bands by nearly all of the 26 categories of the UAVs were also used by other platforms, • “Everyone” wanted FMV (17-20 MHz of bandwidth) for those “needs”.

17. Urban Spectrum Study Conclusions • Existing SM processes are inadequate in this environment. • Need to deconflict more than 24,000 individual frequencies • SXXI became increasingly less accurate (has only ~ 50% of actual users within Iraq) • Local spectrum managers needed to manually analyze SIGINT databases • Numerous communications equipment/systems entering theater without being vetted for spectrum compatibility, i.e., not following the prescribed spectrum support process. • Overall Network Management is poor: • Little visibility at Brigade and Battalion level • Network tools still do not allow sufficient visibility of the network • Separate service and other component networks were set up

18. Urban Spectrum Study Conclusions • Key urban aspects • The dense packing of urban structures leads to absorption and scattering of radio signals that can lead to significantly decreased reliability in communications and in sensor performance. • The urban population density leads to significantly more sources of interference

19. Urban Spectrum Study Recommendations • The JTF J2, J3, and J6 (with subordinate components) need better tools to help ensure better cooperation and coordination of spectrum needs during mission planning • Communications and sensing needs • Needed EW support • AND helps commanders in prioritization of spectrum and network usage • -- CJSMPT addresses only some of those needs – GEMSIS program should address other aspects sooner rather than later. • New systems should offer: • A wide range of spectrum bands options, wide selection of frequency uses within each of those bands, and offer functional flexibility that impact spectrum use, such as bandwidth selection, modulation selection, radiated power management, data and image compression and radiated direction control (e.g., directional antennas) • Compatible with the legacy systems and follow the Netcentric principles. • All key DoD organizations should be re-informed about the need to have systems complete the spectrum supportability process especially to address compatibility and inter-operability issues prior to systems being sent into the field

20. Urban Spectrum Study Recommendations • Network management and spectrum management activities should be better integrated. • CJSMPT and more advanced R&D efforts should include addressing complex urban environments • Consideration should be given to utilizing UAV, relatively stationary aero-platforms (e.g. balloons) or even systems on top of tall buildings to act as communication relays. The JFCOM JUOO is encouraging, monitoring, and supporting all of these activities