Cyber Quest 2022 Enclosure 1 - Focus Areas 30APR.docx

Cyber Quest 2022 Enclosure 1: Technology Focus Areas

Cyber Quest 2022 seeks to assess the integration of network, cyberspace and electronic warfare capabilities into a CEMA cell’s output within a Brigade’s or Echelon Above Brigade’s Tactical Operations Center undertaking Multi-Domain Operations. It looks to provide the CEMA cell with the ability to provide commanders with non-kinetic options to defeat threats while protecting their own capabilities.

Cyber Quest Capability Objectives Below are the experimentation objectives for CQ22. Each objective has been produced by a capability sponsor and aligned with a required capability which will ultimately yield materiel solutions to the Warfighter.

Networks and Services Focus Area Description

DoDIN-A Enabled Cross Domain Connectivity: The Army requires a software defined Zero Trust solution on the DoDIN-A, ensuring access to the right information by the right personnel within a single compute environment that includes multiple classifications of data. This network must be capable of supporting globally networked enterprise computing services to enable expeditionary, highly mobile network capabilities.

· Can globally networked Enterprise Computing Environment (ECE) services enable expeditionary, highly mobile network crosscutting capabilities in units such as the Initial Response Force (IRF) with Chat, Unified Voice, Collaboration, Email, Sensor Alert Distribution, and Unified Data?

Automated Response: The Army’s Unified Network must be capable of quickly – and without error – managing latency challenges, quality of service concerns, and data throughput issues. Therefore, the Army seeks to improve tactical network management by incorporating innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to notify network administrators when these and other problems arise.

Risk reduction and counter-response: The Army must be capable of dynamically and automatically managing and controlling actions on the network. This includes controlling large numbers of network devices, services, topology, traffic paths, quality of service, bandwidth allocation, and speed of service. To do this, the Army seeks to understand how automated Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) planning and execution capabilities can control network actions and leverage threat-based analytics to mitigate potential risk while conducting network management.

Content Staging and Management: In a data-rich battlespace, the Army must ensure data and information is correctly categorized, prioritized, and provided at the required time over a colorless core network, to include the ability to determine efficient paths to transmit large files. It must be provisioned to or from the required entity, then delivered to the appropriate location by appropriate authorities. This will occur during Disconnected, Intermittent, and Limited Bandwidth - Congested, Contested (DIL-CC) network conditions. To address this, the Army wishes to explore Information Dissemination Management Content Staging (IDMCS) and Content Management (CM) capabilities to improve network operations on the Unified Network.

· Demonstrate the ability to determine an efficient path to transmit large files.

· Demonstrate the ability to apply quality of service to individual network resource requests.

· Demonstrate the ability to apply quality of service metrics in a colorless core environment.

Broadband Wireless: The Army requires the capability to transport data from multiple security enclaves allowing extension for mission command information, to include voice, data, and sensor information. This solution would provide network extension and flexibility once connected to the Tactical Network and possibly to the Soldier level.

Tactical Radio Focus Area Description

High Capacity LEO/MEO Communications: Warfighters require beyond line of sight transport for Mission Command Systems - including sensor data. The Army wishes to utilize Low Earth Orbit (LEO) / Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations to provision ruggedized, mobile, beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications capabilities with increased bandwidth and low latency. The system should demonstrate mounted, dismounted and C4ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) compliant versions capable integrating onto existing combat platforms. Desired system characteristics include: high throughput with low latency; low EMS signature; spectrum efficiency; and reduced Size, Weight, and Power-Cost (SWaP-C). Ground terminals should be scalable with common components to support users at the tactical edge to division command posts and above

Resilient network transport capabilities: Soldiers require access to reliable information in contested and congested environments. Improving resilient network transport capabilities using intelligent software defined resources to enable secure, multi-path diversity, whilst minimizing EMS detection. The capability should ideally conform to the following criteria:

· Use Advanced Networking Waveforms (ANWf) & Dynamic Spectrum Allocation Assess technologies that can operate in congested environments.

· Use software-defined radios to utilize distributed power control to mitigate interference based on threat/congested EM environments.

· Enable the network to maintain continuity of operations for each radio in the network.

· Allow intelligent networking between multiple transport systems.

· Use automated Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) using a modular radio frequency.

· Utilizing antenna solutions that enhance Low Probability of Intercept/Low Probability of Detection.

· Develop common Hardware/Software protocols.

Training in a radio frequency/ GPS denied environment: Enable training in a realistic radio frequency or GPS denied environment. Emerging threats will deny or degrade Soldiers’ access to GPS and/or radio communications. Soldiers need an improved method for simulating and training in the scenario. Units need to be prepared for losing access to these critical capabilities or being able to identify when these capabilities have lost some degree of trust. Current methods do not provide live impression of the 2nd and 3rd order effects a denied/degraded enemy capability.

Demonstrate emerging technology to train a Brigade Combat Team (BCT) on operating in a radio frequency/ GPS denied/degraded environment without the use of opposing force (OPFOR) electronic warfare capabilities. The intent is to identify capabilities that enable a BCT to operate in anti-Access or area denial environments. Require solutions that offer an improved way to train Soldiers on how to overcome issues stemming from a denied/degraded environment. The technology should be easy to use and mature.

C4ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS): Today, there are redundant subsystem components; complex, costly and heavy cabling; excessive heat generation; and often limited space on the platform for Soldiers. The Army requires the ability to converge warfighting capabilities into the modular open systems architecture, CMOSS

· Demonstrate ability to converge capabilities using a standard solution like CMOSS and CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF).

· Integrate a standard solution like CMOSS and CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF) in the Tactical Space Layer (TSL) and Aerial Tier.

Cyberspace Operations Focus Area Description

OCO Expeditionary Forces: The Army has a requirement to equip expeditionary cyber forces to support Multi-Domain Operations. Identify emerging cyberspace technologies and procedures to enable expeditionary forces to provide effects against networked and RF-enabled targets in support of offensive cyberspace operations.

· Demonstrate ability to integrate expeditionary capabilities to leverage tactical infrastructure and access

OCO – Exploiting Technologies: The Army seeks to identify new and existing cyberspace technologies and procedures that will allow cyberspace operators to prosecute and tactics and exploits that exist in emergent technologies and protocols.

Integrate new and existing cyberspace technologies and procedures that provide cyberspace operators and planners capabilities that support to mission planning, rehearsal, and execution of offensive cyberspace operations.

OCO - Predictive Analysis: The Army requires the ability to identify adversary areas of interest for cyber attacks

DCO – Machine Learning: The Army requires the ability to augment cyberspace defenders with machine learning and automation to decrease reaction time and decrease adversary time on target.

Cyber [CEMA] SU – Exploiting Technologies: The army requires a capability that ingests, correlates, analyzes, and displays relevant cyberspace data into useful, actionable warfighter information at tactical echelons to enable commander’s situational understanding of his information environment thru:

· Integration of cyberspace threat intelligence data sources.

· Integration EW data sources.

· Correlation and displaying CEMA Overlay into CPCE COP.

· Correlation and displaying CEMA running estimate (e.g. INFOCON, network health, mission impact and risk).

· Displaying Blue Order of Battle (e.g. EW forces, CPTs, etc.).

· Integration Gray Space data sources.

· Display lower and upper Tactical Internet (TI) infrastructure (i.e. network topology with geo location).

· Social Media integration (e.g. persona, POL and sentiment analysis).

Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) Focus Area Description

Integrated EW System: The Army requires organic, integrated EW capabilities to assist in creation of windows of advantage and multiple dilemmas in support of Multi-Domain Operations.

· Test cooperative TDOA geolocation geometry with single and/or multiple “follow the leader” UAS: long endurance (>12 hours) UAS flying in a “follow-the-leader” orbit above a ground vehicle using cooperative TDOA for geolocation against a target SOI at long range.

· Test alternative TDOA time-synchronization approaches for geolocation against target SOI.

· Test ability to sense and locate aerial and ground target systems through the use of passive (bi-static) radar.

· Demonstrate experimental CMOSS and PHOTON-compatible capabilities to inform future EW.

Terrestrial Layer System - Echelons Above Brigade (TLS-EAB): The Army requires the ability to detect, identify, locate, and non-kinetically effect signals of interest at long range from a terrestrial platform.

· Test the ability to use terrestrial DF Angle of Arrival to cue non-kinetic responses at long range.

· Test high-gain beam-formed electromagnetic attack against aerial signals of interest at long range.

· Test the operational and technical characteristics (Receiver Sensitivity, Transmitter Power) required for a Defensive Electronic Attack (DEA) capability to protect ground assets from adversary threats (SSMs/UAS/RF-Proximity Fuzes) at each echelon.

· Test the minimum RF engagement range to create an adequate miss angle for RF or PNT guided threats.

Family of Delivered EW (FDEW) systems: The Army requires a variety of networked, small form factor EW payloads to disrupt adversary operations delivered via UAS or munitions.

· Test coherent distributed electromagnetic attack (multiple lower power transmitters very precisely coordinated to deliver additive J/S on a single target).

· Test networking requirements for synchronization of distributed electromagnetic attack and remote command and control of payloads.

Intelligence Applications (Intel Apps)

Focus Area Description

Data Mining - Observed data mining innovations that specifically target classification values supportive of movement projections for threat formations across the operational environment. Modeled against the threat template as a classifier to support clustering, association, anomaly detection, and feature extraction.

Data Analytics - Interactive AI/ML algorithms that adaptively enable operators’ exploration of qualitative analysis of data in near-real time.

Data Visualizations - Enhanced data visualizations that scale to support the representation of big data analytics with improved graphics performance while leveraging unique entity data abstractions techniques.

Operation Support (EW, OSINT, Information, etc.)

Focus Area Description

Identify capabilities that can support Army Military Information Support Operations using radio frequency delivery methods

GAP: The data outputs from IW, OSINT, PAI, PAO and MISO do not strongly conform to the Object Based Production in practice across the IC. The automated ability for entity objects generated from activates related to IW is very relevant the transformative nature of deep sensing for Intelligence and Cyber operations.

Opportunity: Demonstration of data generated from OSINT, PAI, PAO, CA, and MISO related to the tactical mission set provided over varying means of communication for situational awareness and follow on processing at higher echelons.

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