Government approval is now anticipated in FY 2014-15 for the
final phase of DEF 7013 Joint Intelligence Support System (JISS), delays to
which have enabled it to more thoroughly encompass its whole-of-government
ambit.
Phase 4, estimated to cost less than $100 million, was
forecast in the December 2010 update to the 2009 Defence Capability Plan (DCP)
to achieve final approval in 2011-13.
But Air Commodore Steve Roberton, Director General Aerospace
Development in Capability Development Group (CDG), says the rescheduling has
had its advantages.
“We’ve got a lot more clarity now about what we want and
we’ve got much stronger relationships with our partners in the DMO and the
Intelligence and Security Group,” AIRCDRE Roberton explained to ADM.
“Indeed, the technology and information architecture
associated with this Information Technology project has largely been resolved
and fielded by others in the group and the technical risks have been
significantly reduced. The key issue for us still is to chase down sustainment
and support.”
DEF 7013 is intended to provide the ADF’s intelligence staff
and units with specialised tools and access to shared databases and support
applications. These are networked between organisations that have an
intelligence role at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of command.
Phase 1, completed in 1995, delivered the initial network
and high priority databases. Phase 2, completed 10 years later, expanded JISS
to a fully operational capability with the addition of a mature infrastructure,
the development of information repositories and the evaluation of analytical
tools.
Phase 3B by the end of 2011 had extended to the tactical
level the deployable capability delivered by Phase 3A, while Phase 4 will
further evolve JISS to take account both of the ADF’s migration to a federated
intelligence network, and of the increased demands on intelligence assets to
perform effectively within shorter decision cycles.
Work on Phase 4 is at a peak, in preparation for the
approval process and involves detailed design, validation by the stakeholder
community, comprehensive implementation planning, architecting support
arrangements and final high level committee checks. The phase will be
implemented in a number of prioritised tranches.
At the broadest level, DEF 7013 is central in delivering a
networked intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability,
outlined in Defence’s 2009 network-centric warfare roadmap. As such, it’s not
an infrastructure project but it does rely on other projects, including JP2047
(Defence wide area communications network); JP 2096 (surveillance enhancement),
and JP 2008 (strategic and tactical satellite communications).
“So it utilises those projects and it leverages off the existing
databases we’ve got across the Australian defence organisation in achieving
those network centric objectives,” AIRCDRE Roberton said. “The broad number of
organisations and stakeholders involved means it’s really approaching a
whole-of-government challenge that we’re facing, especially when you factor in
the need for consistency with the national cyber security policy.
“But we know all the different sorts of data that we want to
share and where it goes to and who needs to see what.”
The lesson to be drawn, he says, is the recognition in the
14 years since Australia’s first involvement in East Timor that the value of
such a system goes beyond a single service and beyond the ADF to a range of
government agencies.
“Likewise, we’ve also realised that any meaningful education
of your senior leadership needs to go well beyond the borders of your own
organisation, not just to establish relationships but to understand the type of
challenges that will emerge.”
He also acknowledges that successful implementation of DEF
7013 depends not just on the integration of new and legacy systems but also on
overcoming cultural sensitivities. In practical terms, deployment of JISS down
to tactical level means to a forward or brigade headquarters or equivalent,
Task Groups and to key naval and air units.
A Service Oriented
Architecture-based design provides the backbone for the system and access to
the data bases that support the intelligence function. Deploying this technology
will mean that some ageing legacy systems will be replaced to facilitate JISS
integration.
“We have those challenges already and will continue to have
them, though there are very few problems in a phase like this which is largely
software-based that are not resolvable
if you’ve got the time and money,” comments AIRCDRE Roberton
Nevertheless he’s confident that Initial Operating
Capability will be achieved about a year after final approval for the project.
The project is currently being progressed by a 10-strong team drawn from CDG
and other stakeholders.
The eventual prime contractor, according to the DCP, is
likely to be an established Australian entity with experience and expertise in
the field of business intelligence and IT services – a broadbrush description
which should ensure vigorous competition when Phase 4 goes to tender.
