By Amy Behrman
Communications Manager, NAVAIR NCW

John Robusto, Director of NAVAIR’s Network Centric Warfare Office, recently addressed a group of industry and government leaders at the annual Research and Development Partnership Conference in Washington, DC.

Robusto spoke about the Navy’s plans and challenges in transforming from a platform focus to a fully integrated, network centric, forward-deployed force. Central to Navy transformation and the CNO’s “Sea Power 21” vision is FORCEnet, a concept conceived by the Chief of Naval Operations’ Strategic Studies Group XXI in July of 2001. Robusto has served as an integral member of the CNO’s OPNAV staff in defining the FORCEnet program.

“We’ve come upon a crossroads,” said Robusto. “Today, every threat is an asymmetrical attack, designed to hit you at your weakest point… We need to prepare our Nation’s warriors to succeed every time and return safely home.”

FORCEnet – Transforming Information into Combat Power
“In today’s environment, combat power requires the integration of data from literally thousands of sources,” said Robusto. “It must be developed correctly and delivered quickly to speed the decision cycle and increase the precision and lethality of combat effects.”

According to the SSG’s most recent definition, published July 22, “FORCEnet is the operational construct and architectural framework for Naval Warfare in the Information Age which integrates Warriors, sensors, networks, command and control, platforms and weapons into a networked, distributed combat system, scalable across the spectrum of conflict from seabed to space and sea to land.”

According to Robusto, the Navy must redirect investments to provide the 21st Century warfighter with integrated, interoperable combat and combat support systems. FORCEnet is the process of making Network Centric Warfare a reality – by integrating sensors, networks, weapons, platforms, information and people to provide agile, lethal, and efficient combat power.

Robusto emphasized that FORCEnet is not all about “networks.” “It is a warfighter-centric, mission-focused capability, designed to deliver absolute combat power to those who desperately need it.”

Transforming toward Network Centric Business
Achieving true Network Centric Warfare capability will require fundamental changes in Navy doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures. Transforming to NCW represents a tremendous departure from the Navy’s conventional way of doing business. It will “require our leaders to excel beyond their comfort levels,” said Robusto.

“Today, we engineer with stove piped systems in mind – not the person performing the mission,” said Robusto. “This mindset must change. We need to assist our warfighters by presenting them with a range of credible options, rather than requiring them to fuse and analyze data under high-pressure, time constrained conditions.”

A fundamental objective of FORCEnet is harvesting innovation and rapidly delivering new technologies and NCW capabilities that are supportable and compatible with emerging battlegroup requirements. Robusto highlighted the fact that only $1.9 billion is spent on innovation today within the Navy, in contrast with the $1.6 trillion combined investment spent by U.S. and European industry. FORCEnet will help industry invest wisely in technologies that will benefit the Navy and Marine Corps.

From a business perspective, FORCEnet represents the analytical systems, methods, tools, procedures, and investments needed to make NCW a reality. “Through FORCEnet, we will refine NCW capabilities through a process of experimentation, modeling and simulation, prototyping, and rigorous analysis that will enable the Navy to prove NCW capabilities before they are delivered to the Fleet.”

Robusto challenged industry to “own Navy and Marine Corps problems” – to harvest and deliver technology to the warfighter faster than previously conceived. “Given today’s standards, anything under 18 years is an improvement… We need to work toward 24-month delivery cycles,” said Robusto.

An industry study is currently underway as a means to establish an early dialogue between industry and the Navy, as FORCEnet requirements are further refined.

Robusto concluded his remarks by reminding the audience that “America’s families have lent us their sons and daughters. These brave young Americans willingly risk their lives to protect the freedoms we hold dear. We have a near spiritual obligation to each of these families, to serve their sons and daughters, and provide them nothing but the best of capabilities to succeed in their missions and return safely home. We do this under the watchful eye of the millions of Americans that have sacrificed their lives in the cause of freedom.”

Located in eight principal sites around the country, NAVAIR provides the US Navy, other Department of Defense services, and allied militaries around the world with precision naval aviation technologies – specializing in sensors, aircraft, weapons, training, launch & recovery systems, and communications systems.