SMALLER, FASTER BITES STREAMLINE ACQUISITION
IMPROVING THE UPDATE PROCESS Combining two approaches has led to more user satisfaction and a sense of buy-in from the operational user community: using smaller, more frequent updates to the core software capabilities described in JWARN’s and JEM’s first requirements-definition packages; and targeting integration with the individual services as their systems are ready to receive the updates. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, both from operational users at user feedback events and training sessions, and at the services’ stake- holder level in the integrated capability teams that represent the services to the Joint Requirements Office.
Tat positive feedback and increased demand was captured by a memo from the Army Staff’s G-8 on Sept. 25, 2017, requesting that the fielding of the new version of JWARN be expedited to Eighth Army on the Korean peninsula. Furthermore, the develop- ment of a cloud-based capability for JWARN and JEM has made the software available to users even when their service’s native command-and-control systems are not available—for example, when units are back home in garrison. Users are now able to see meaningful progress in software development and can use the functionality that is ready now, even as they wait for enhanced functionality to be introduced later.
AN APP FOR FIXED AND RUGGED SETTINGS
All of the services need the capabilities JWARN and JEM provide to warn of, report and map chemical, biological and radiological attacks. But each service has a different architecture of computer hardware and software, and deploys it differently—from mobile command posts to stationary setups on ships. (Photo courtesy of the authors)
and form a collaborative group called an integrated capability team. Tis team meets regularly to talk about what has been deliv- ered so far, the services’ priorities for features still to be built, and feedback from everyone involved—whether it be the operational forces using the capability or those at the Pentagon who are over- seeing and funding the program. Tis working group is able to hash out the best path forward, and then take those recommenda- tions to an approval authority at the O-6 level, rather than staffing the updates up to the general or flag officer level. Te program office and developer can begin to tackle the requirements that are known and stable while other requirements might still be in flux. Te end result keeps the product relevant while minimiz- ing the bureaucracy and delay.
38 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2019
Perhaps the clearest example of the benefits of this streamlined approach can be seen in the transition of the products to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) milCloud. Te milCloud provides a platform for users around the world to access JEM and JWARN software. Because it is a cloud-based software platform, users are able to see a hierarchical list of CBRN events being updated by themselves and other users around the world. Sites exist on both an unclassified and a secret network, and there are lists of events on a training site and an operational site for each security level (unclassified and secret).
Integrating JEM and JWARN with the services’ command-and- control systems—which provide command-post personnel with situational awareness of friendly force disposition, neutrals and threats—is still an important requirement. However, in DISA’s milCloud, the program office has control of that environment and is not beholden to the services’ development schedules for its individual command-and-control systems.
Previously, an update to a third-party software application like JEM or JWARN might have been ready for months (sometimes a year or more) before the service would be ready to update its command-and-control system with new or updated software applications. Now, when a new capability drop is ready, it can be
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