JEFX-04 is the U.S. Air Force sponsored combatant experiment combining live fly, live play, ground and naval forces, simulations, and technology insertion into a near-seamless warfighting environment. Executed from July 19, 2004 to August 6, 2004, JEFX-04 was a highly focused experiment designed to validate NCCT capabilities that can be rapidly fielded.
At JEFX-04, the NCCT successfully located and identified critically important ground threats, including both time critical targets and targets prioritized by the commander. These threats limited exposure time and used other tactics similar to those observed in recent wars to prevent being targeted. However, through its coordinated and collaborative sensor networking techniques, NCCT provided targeting data to decision makers inside of the deception timelines.
ComCept leads the NCCT ACTD industry team responsible for design and development of network centric collaborative sensing, communications, and real-time networking of multiple airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets. Other participating L-3 divisions include Integrated Systems and Communication-Systems West.
The intent of the NCCT ACTD is to develop an open network-centric architecture and software design that horizontally integrates air, space, and ground assets through machine-to-machine exchanges. In this manner, NCCT supports time sensitive and prioritized targeting operations more efficiently, accurately, and quickly.
During the exercise, NCCT correlated data from Rivet Joint, U-2, JSTARS, surrogate UAV, and National assets into composite tracks, including identification and location, significantly faster than existing systems.
"This demonstration was the first time multiple sensors on multiple platforms were successfully networked in real time," stated Mark Von Schwarz, president of ComCept, "which will change the way current and future ISR systems will be employed to identify and engage targets."
As part of the concept, NCCT integrates common software applications on all sensor platforms to change the way they gather, process and report information with the goal of providing a common correlated picture to all network participants.
All participating platforms and ground stations can exchange data, as well as cue other participants to coherently collect and reveal information otherwise unreported by individual "stove piped" platforms. Sensor data from NCCT platforms are combined to create a more complete view of the Battle Space.
By efficiently networking and synchronizing sensors in real-time and combining multiple types of sensor detections, NCCT significantly increases the probability of detection and identification of fixed, stationary, or moving surface targets while reducing the time required to accomplish these actions by more than 90%.
"Networking is something the military has needed for some time. Up to now, technology prevented us from establishing a true horizontally integrated, machine-to-machine network," said Gen. (Ret) Larry Henry, vice president of Air Force Programs for L-3 Communications.
"NCCT just proved that it could be done. Now it is time for the U.S. Air Force to fund the NCCT program and the data links necessary to get this capability in the field quickly."
During the lifecycle of the ACTD, NCCT will horizontally integrate Rivet Joint, JSTARS, Guardrail, E-2C Hawkeye, space assets, U-2, Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), UK NIMROD, AWACS, and the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC). The demonstration proved "the power of the network" increased with the number of sensors participating. This network is already evolving to include tactical platforms/sensors.