20100210_NGW_Section_J_Attachment_B_Afloat_Background_FINAL.doc

Section J, Attachment B Military Sealift Command (MSC) Next Generation Wideband (NGW) Afloat Operations Background Information

TABLE OF CONTENTS

11.

Overview

22.

MSC Background

22.1.

Worldwide Shore Locations

22.2.

Fleet Support Units

22.3.

Mission Areas

22.3.1 Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force

32.3.2 Special Mission

32.3.3 Prepositioning

42.3.4 Sealift

52.4.

Command Relationships

52.5.

Workforce

52.6.

Navy-Maritime Relationship

63.

Current Bandwidth Efficient Satellite Transport (BEST) System

63.1.

BEST Capabilities

63.2.

BEST Deficiencies

73.3.

Afloat Services Supported

73.4.

BEST Operational Challenges

73.4.1 Ship Movements

83.4.2 Fleet SATCOM Equipment Sustainment

83.5.

BEST System Funding

83.6.

System Infrastructure Diagrams

83.7.

BEST System Bandwidth Utilization

9Appendix A. Best System Infrastructure Diagrams

16Appendix B. Best System Bandwidth Utilization

Table of Figures 2Figure 2-1. MSFSC Ship Support Units Worldwide

9Figure A-1. Original Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

10Figure A-2. Current Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

11Figure A-3. Regional Beam Lease Satellite Footprint

12Figure A-4. BEST Model

13Figure A-5. BEST Functional Diagram

14Figure A-6. BEST NOC Telephone and T-1 Connections

15Figure A-7. BEST System Network Topology

16Figure B-1. Outbound Throughput – Total (Bits Per Second/Time)

17Figure B-2. Inbound Throughput – Total (Bits Per Second/Time)

18Figure B-3. Outbound Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

19Figure B-4. Outbound Pre-Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

20Figure B-5. Inbound Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

21Figure B-6. Inbound Post-Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

1. Overview The “Bandwidth Efficient Satellite Transport (BEST) Wide Area Network (WAN) Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Concept of Operations (CONOPS)” document provides industry with background information on:

· The Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet characteristics and operation

· The currently deployed BEST WAN Satellite Communication (SATCOM) infrastructure capabilities, deficiencies, and operational challenges

· Mobile Sealift Operations Centers (MSOC) CONOPS

The intent of this document, when combined with the Statement of Objectives (SOO), is to equip industry with the knowledgebase necessary to propose an effective NGW systems solution for MSC.

2. MSC Background

2.1. Worldwide Shore Locations

MSC is headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, and operates subordinate commands worldwide. The Military Sealift Fleet Support Command (MSFSC) in Norfolk, VA, crews, trains, equips, and maintains MSC’s Government-owned, Government-operated ships across the globe. In addition, operational commands called Sealift Logistics Commands (SEALOG) operate in the Atlantic, Pacific, Europe, Central, and Far East areas.

2.2. Fleet Support Units

To best serve MSC ships deployed around the world, MSFSC has Ship Support Units (SSU) in Naples, Italy; Manama, Bahrain; Singapore; Guam; Yokohama, Japan; and San Diego (see Figure 2-1). These SSUs provide local support to ships in their areas of responsibility.

Figure 2-1. MSFSC Ship Support Units Worldwide

2.3. Mission Areas

MSC is organized around four mission areas:

1. Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF) (refer to Section 2.3.1)

2. Special Mission (refer to Section 2.3.2)

3. Prepositioning (refer to Section 2.3.3)

4. Sealift (refer to Section 2.3.4)

2.3.1 Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force

The 40 ships of MSC NFAF are the supply lines to U.S. Navy ships at sea. These ships provide almost everything that Navy ships need, including fuel, food, ordnance, spare parts, mail, and other supplies. NFAF ships enable the Navy fleet to remain at sea, on station, and combat-ready for extended periods of time. NFAF ships also conduct towing, rescue and salvage operations, and serve as floating medical facilities.

All NFAF ships are Government-owned and crewed by civil service mariners. Some of the ships also have a small contingent of Navy personnel aboard for operations support, supply coordination, and helicopter operations.

2.3.2 Special Mission

MSC’s Special Mission Program has 25 ships that provide operating platforms and services for a wide variety of U.S. military and other U.S. Government missions.

Oceanographic and hydrographic surveys, underwater surveillance, missile tracking, acoustic surveys, command and control, and submarine and special warfare support are just a few of the specialized services provided to:

· Commander, Navy Installations Command

· Commander, Submarine Force

· Commander, Undersea Surveillance

· Naval Sea Systems Command

· Naval Special Warfare Command

· Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Office

· Oceanographer of the Navy

· U.S. Air Force

· U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Fleet Forces Command

Most special mission ships are operated by civilian mariners who work for private companies under contract to MSC. Only three ships, USS Emory S. Land, USS Mount Whitney, and USNS Zeus, are crewed by MSC civil service mariners.

2.3.3 Prepositioning

MSC’s Prepositioning Program is an essential element in the U.S. military’s readiness strategy. Afloat prepositioning strategically places military equipment and supplies aboard ships located in key ocean areas to ensure rapid availability during a major theater war, a humanitarian operation or other contingency. MSC’s 30 prepositioning ships support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Defense Logistics Agency.

Prepositioning ships provide quick and efficient movement of military gear between operating areas without reliance on other nations’ transportation networks. These ships give U.S. war fighters, who are flown into a theater of operations, the assurance that they will have what they need to quickly respond in a crisis — anywhere, anytime.

Most of MSC’s prepositioning ships are able to discharge cargo pierside or while anchored offshore by using shallow-draft barges, called lighterage, that are carried aboard. This allows cargo to be ferried to shore in areas where ports are non-existent or in poor condition and gives the nation’s military forces the ability to operate in developed and undeveloped areas of the world.

Prepositioning ships include a combination of U.S. Government-owned ships, chartered U.S.‑flagged ships, and ships activated from the Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force. All prepositioning ships are crewed by U.S. civilian mariners who work for ship operating companies under contract to the Federal Government.

While most active ships in MSC’s Prepositioning Program strategically place combat gear at sea, there are other ships, including:

· Two high-speed vessels that transport U.S. Marines, their combat vehicles, and their associated gear in and around the Far East.

· A chartered offshore petroleum distribution system ship that can deliver fuel from up to 8 miles offshore.

Two aviation logistics support ships that are activated as needed from reduced operating status to provide at-sea maintenance for Marine Corps fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

2.3.4 Sealift

MSC’s Sealift Program provides high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective ocean transportation for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other Federal agencies during peacetime and war. More than 90 percent of U.S. warfighters’ equipment and supplies travels by sea. The program manages a mix of Government-owned and long-term-chartered dry cargo ships and tankers, as well as additional short-term or voyage-chartered ships. By DoD policy, MSC must first look to the U.S-flagged market to meet its sealift requirements. Government-owned ships are used only when suitable U.S.-flagged commercial ships are unavailable.

MSC owns three Champion-class T-5 tankers that transport refined petroleum products for DoD. In 2007, MSC awarded a contract to replace its Government-owned T-5 tankers, which are expected to reach the end of their service lives in 2010. Two new chartered tankers, expected to be delivered in 2010 and 2011, will replace the T-5 tankers.

Nearly all peacetime DoD dry cargo is carried by U.S.-flagged commercial ships. But during wartime or other contingencies, MSC has the flexibility to charter ships to move cargo as needed.

A key part of MSC’s surge sealift fleet includes 11 Government-owned, contractor-operated large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) ships that support the U.S. military in times of peace or war. Each LMSR is capable of lifting more than 300,000 square feet of cargo and can travel at up to 24 knots. Each ship is capable of carrying the equipment requirements of an Army air assault or armored battalion of 1,000 soldiers.

With a shrinking U.S. merchant fleet, the importance of ready and available surge vessels increases each year. Fifty Ready Reserve Force (RRF) ships owned and maintained by the Maritime Administration provide a resource to offset the shortage of militarily useful U.S.-flagged ships. The RRF consists of fast sealift ships, roll-on/roll-off ships, lighter aboard ships, modular cargo delivery system ships, heavy lift ships, crane ships, and Government-owned tankers.

2.4. Command Relationships

MSC reports through three distinct and separate chains of command:

1. To U.S. Fleet Forces Command for Navy transport matters;

2. To U.S. Transportation Command for defense transportation matters; and

3. To the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition for procurement policy and oversight matters.

2.5. Workforce

MSC has a workforce of more than 9,000 people worldwide, approximately 80 percent of whom serve at sea. Civil service mariners who are Federal employees comprise more than half of MSC’s workforce. The remainder includes commercial mariners, civil service personnel, and ashore and active-duty and reserve military members. MSC has access to 1,000 selected reservists in MSC reserve units across the United States. When mobilized, these reservists quickly take charge of establishing MSC port offices to assist with sealift operations wherever needed.

All MSC ships, unlike other U.S. Navy ships, are crewed by civilians, and some ships also have small military departments assigned to carry out communication and supply functions.

2.6. Navy-Maritime Relationship

The Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA), a partnership between the U.S. Government and the maritime industry, was introduced in the mid-1990s to provide joint planning and assured access to commercial shipping at pre-agreed rates during a national emergency. The agreement makes it possible for the DoD to use the ships and shore-based transportation systems of ocean shipping companies in time of war. In return, the companies receive a subsidy from the Federal Government or are awarded peacetime defense cargo movement contracts. Thus, the companies and their assets become an integral part of military contingency planning.

3. Current Bandwidth Efficient Satellite Transport (BEST) System More than 75 MSC vessels/mobile platforms currently have their voice and data networks connected to the MSC Ashore Enterprise via the BEST WAN SATCOM infrastructure.

3.1. BEST Capabilities

BEST capabilities include:

· Centrally managed, ship-specific uplink “guaranteed” bandwidth allocation (non-shared, 96 Kbps maximum).

· Ship-specific dynamic data rates set up for the ship uplink through the Bandwidth Management Console (BMC) server located at each Stratos Land Earth Station (LES) or through the remote user interface (RUI) client located at each MSC point of presence (POP).

· Ship-specific uplink data rates are prepared in advance via transmission plans, which are then applied as required.

· Shared broadcast ship downlink (896 Kbps current maximum).

· Frame-over-satellite network architecture; for each ship, a separate permanent virtual circuit (PVC) is assigned for each security enclave (Nonsecure Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet), Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet)) to enhance security and allow for Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD)-based enclave-specific quality of service (QoS) adjustment.

· Voice traffic is supported via voice-over-frame and is terminated from the Afloat Network Operations Center (ANOC) to the local San Diego Public Switched Networks (PSN). There is a per-ship maximum of four simultaneous voice connections. Voice traffic always has priority over data traffic.

· Utilizes leased Inmarsat L-Band satellite assets to provide assured access for worldwide (excluding poles) maritime coverage.

· Fixed cost 24 x 7 connectivity for all shipboard voice and IP data networks. Up to 80 IP hosts supported per ship.

· Expands networks accelerator infrastructure to maximize data traffic bandwidth utilization.

· KG-175 Tactical Local Area Network Encryption (TACLANE) devices are incorporated to meet Type I encryption requirements.

3.2. BEST Deficiencies

BEST deficiencies include:

· The Nera Saturn B SATCOM terminal equipment has reached end-of-life.

· The Inmarsat Generation II leased satellite infrastructure is reaching end-of-life.

· Inmarsat leased global beam coverage has ended for the ocean regions covered by the 25E and 98W satellites, requiring the conversion to regional beam service to fill the ‘gap’ created (see Appendix A, Figures A-1, A-2 and A-3).

· The expanding MSC mission requirements for fleet bandwidth have exceeded the available Inmarsat leased bandwidth. The current uplink bandwidth allocation per ship is 16-45 Kbps.

· The number of ships currently supported has exceeded BEST design specifications.

· Everything-over-IP (EOIP) is not supported.

3.3. Afloat Services Supported

Afloat services utilizing the BEST infrastructure to conduct ship’s business include:

· SIPRNet

· NIPRNet *

· Internet access via the NIPRNet infrastructure *

· MSC network data center application services

· Classified voice via secure terminal equipment (STE)

· Unclassified voice and fax *

· Messaging (email and chat) *

· Dedicated IP links to meet sponsor-driven requirements

· Remote IT administration and maintenance, including:

· Software upgrades and patching for network devices, servers, and workstations (operating system and applications);

· Configuration management; and

· Performance, status, and security monitoring and reporting

* Also utilized by the mariner to support quality-of-life activities

3.4. BEST Operational Challenges

3.4.1 Ship Movements

· Regional/wartime conflicts have resulted in the movement of up to 32 MSC ships (with SATCOM requirements) into a SATCOM coverage area.

· Conflict resolution has resulted in up to 30 ships (with SATCOM requirements) moving into the area of the contiguous United States.

· Ships located on the edge between two coverage areas experience degraded SATCOM performance.

· The maximum number of ships that can be supported within a coverage area is directly dependent on the number of modems installed at the associated LES and on the total bandwidth allocated to the coverage area.

· There are approximately 25 ship transitions between coverage areas each month.

3.4.2 Fleet SATCOM Equipment Sustainment

· MSC maintains forward-deployed technicians and spare SATCOM equipment in Norfolk, VA; San Diego, CA; Earle, NJ; Rota, Spain; Naples, Italy; Yokohama, Japan; Bahrain; Diego Garcia; Singapore; and Guam.

· Limited SATCOM equipment spares are maintained aboard some ships.

· Approximately 90 percent of SATCOM shipboard malfunctions result from personnel interacting with the equipment.

· Shipboard SATCOM operators are reassigned approximately every 4 to 6 months.

· All shipboard SATCOM operators also have other unrelated duties to perform.

· Statistics show that shipboard systems requiring no scheduled maintenance have lower failure rates.

3.5. BEST System Funding

For FY2008, approximately $22M was expended for BEST operations and sustainment activities (including bandwidth service, network operations center (NOC) infrastructure, backhaul circuits, and shipboard maintenance).

3.6. System Infrastructure Diagrams

Appendix A (BEST System Infrastructure Diagrams) contains the following diagrams of the current BEST System Infrastructure:

· Figure A-1. Original Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

· Figure A-2. Current Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

· Figure A-3 Regional Beam Leased Satellite Footprint

· Figure A-4. BEST Model

· Figure A-5. BEST Functional Diagram

· Figure A-6. BEST NOC Telephone and T-1 Connections

· Figure A-7. BEST System Network Topology

3.7. BEST System Bandwidth Utilization

Appendix B (BEST System Bandwidth Utilization) contains BEST IP data traffic charts extracted from the Expand Networks ANOC unclassified accelerator. These charts do not include unclassified/classified BEST voice traffic (voice-over-frame) or classified BEST IP data traffic. Classified BEST IP data traffic increases the BEST system data traffic loading an additional 10 percent.

Appendix A. Best System Infrastructure Diagrams

Figure A-1. Original Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

Figure A-2. Current Inmarsat Global Beam Satellite Footprint

Figure A-3. Regional Beam Lease Satellite Footprint

Figure A-4. BEST Model

Figure A-5. BEST Functional Diagram

Figure A-6. BEST NOC Telephone and T-1 Connections

Figure A-7. BEST System Network Topology

Appendix B. Best System Bandwidth Utilization Figure B-1 displays the total amount of data sent from the shore to the fleet (pre-accelerated) and the total amount of data that was actually sent by the Expand Networks Accelerator (accelerated). The difference between the two values represents the Outbound bandwidth Acceleration achieved. The graph enables viewing of the information for the selected Accelerator interface. If peaks were requested, the peak lines represent the maximum throughput achieved for each interval.

Figure B-1. Outbound Throughput – Total (Bits Per Second/Time) Figure B-2 displays the total amount of data received from the fleet (accelerated) and the total amount of data that was actually sent by the Expand Networks Accelerator to the shore (post-accelerated). The difference between the two values represents the Incoming bandwidth Acceleration achieved. The graph enables viewing of the information for the selected Accelerator interface. If peaks were requested, the peak lines represent the maximum throughput achieved for each interval.

Figure B-2. Inbound Throughput – Total (Bits Per Second/Time)

Figure B-3 is the application outbound accelerated bandwidth distribution pie chart. The graph displays the applications as they are sent from the shore toward the fleet, while all the other applications are accumulated and displayed as “Other.” The graph enables viewing of the summary application information for the selected Accelerator interface.

Figure B-3. Outbound Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

Figure B-4 is the application outbound pre-accelerated bandwidth distribution pie chart. The graph displays the applications as they are sent from the shore toward the fleet, while all the other applications are accumulated and displayed as “Other.” The graph enables viewing of the summary application information for the selected Accelerator interface.

Figure B-4. Outbound Pre-Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

Figure B-5 is the application inbound accelerated bandwidth distribution pie chart. The graph displays the applications as they are received from the fleet toward the shore, while all the other applications are accumulated and displayed as “Other.” The graph enables viewing of the summary application information for the selected Accelerator interface.

Figure B-5. Inbound Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application

Figure B-6 is the application inbound post-accelerated bandwidth distribution pie chart. The graph displays the applications as they are received from the fleet toward the shore, while all the other applications are accumulated and displayed as “Other.” The graph enables viewing of the summary application information for the selected Accelerator interface.

Figure B-6. Inbound Post-Accelerated Bandwidth Distribution – Top Total Application 109 East

142 East

98 West

98 West

T

Backhaul

320 KHZ

Forward Carrier

512KHZ;

adjustable

To T

700 KHZ

600 KHZ

25 East

25 East

MSC AFLOAT

NOC

T

Backhaul

Auckland

Burum

Laurentides

500 KHZ

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Section J, Attachment B: Afloat Operations Background Information v 3.0 iii

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