![]() "To make the data more manageable, we broke it up into smaller chunks and fed it to the users on an as-needed basis, so that you're only pulling down the pertinent information and not eating up bandwidth with a lot of data that you're not going to use." "We had a huge amount of mapping information that had to be transferred and managed in a limited bandwidth environment," DeLalla said. "We opened up the interface so they can use that tool within the AOC today," he said, adding that required doing it out of the planned cycle, which was justified based on the heightened need and demand for the application. DOD personnel tested the MAAP Toolkit during an exercise earlier this year and immediately asked that it be included in the AOC, complete with TBMCS data, as soon as possible, Shafer said. One example of a "patch" that was built into Spiral 1.1.1 is the Master Air Attack Planning (MAAP) Toolkit, which enables military planners to use electronic maps, rather than paper, so that they can graphically develop their plan on a computer. He added that a new software spiral can now be completed in about two hours as opposed to several weeks, which is "tremendous for folks in the field." TMBCS also features a "patch" upgrade process that makes installing new software components faster and easier, and does not disrupt the day-to-day operations of the AOC in the field, Shafer said. Essentially, the new architecture allows for easier 'plug and play' capabilities with new or existing C2 technology." "The information services layer uses Java-based technology to allow external C2 applications to talk to the TBMCS database even if they speak different languages. "Usually, you have to teach the application to talk to the database, and that takes a lot of custom engineering work that can get time-consuming and costly," DeLalla said. Spiral 1.1.1 also includes an enterprise application server that supports the deployment of advanced Web-based AOC applications using XML, HTML, servlet technologies, Enterprise JavaBean (EJB), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and other tools. "We're trying to avoid point-to-point interfaces with a more open architecture so anyone with the proper access can tie in without accessing the database," Shafer said. TBMCS now provides increased Web access to new applications and provides "information services" for Web-based data exchange using Extensible Markup Language (XML). TBMCS has also been referred to as the "engine" for the Air Force's Air Operations Center (AOC), and Spiral 1.1.1 includes features that are enabling changes within the AOC in response to warfighters' needs, Shafer said. "Air Force officials can now access TBMCS through an Internet-ready PC or laptop and, through a standard Web browser, view a timeline chart of mission information, manage airspaces, view air battle information on a Web-based map, and conduct remote planning from virtually anywhere in the world," DeLalla said. John Shafer, deputy program manager for TBMCS, agreed and said the ongoing migration "from Unix servers and clients to a PC-client scenario.has decreased the system administrators' burden in the program."įrank DeLalla, TBMCS program manager for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, said the latest spiral is a major step forward in realizing the Air Force's Web-based vision for the system. ![]() "It's now point-and-click instead of hand entry," Norton said, adding that makes everything from execution management to mission planning faster and more manageable for commanders. ![]() ![]() is developing TBMCS under a six-year, $375 million contract. ![]() In its latest point in the spiral development process, TBMCS Spiral 1.1.1 is easier for military personnel to use, thanks to a greater Web-enabling of the system, Norton said. That means TBMCS is now authorized as the official system to be used by all of the DOD's combatant commanders conducting air operations. The Defense Department's Joint Configuration Management Board (JCMB) last month designated the Theater Battle Management Core Systems as the "system of record," said Darcy Norton, TBMCS program manager at the Air Force's Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. The migration from a Unix server environment to one that is more PC- and Web-based is one of the main enhancements in the latest version of the military's main command and control (C2) system for air warfare. ![]()
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