Joint Synergy: Engineers optimize Coalition radar network, clear data highway in war against ISIS

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel
  • U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar --  It is not every day that less than a handful of Service members have a direct impact on the pace of war.

With innovative thinking and a can-do spirit, however, a small lead team of guardsmen and reservists at the Combined Air Operations Center solved a problem that baffled aviators and system technicians.

To bridge the vast distances of the U.S. Central Command region, a sophisticated array of U.S. and partner-nation radars help look beyond the horizon and provide the complete air picture and digital communications for commanders.

“Our Coalition partners have always been an integral part of our operations within the CENTCOM Theater,” said Lt. Col. Terry Brennan, the former deputy U.S. Air Forces Central Command JIC officer with the 609th Air Operations Center. “Every day, Coalition radar systems are used to bolster the aerial situational awareness and tactical advantage for our warfighters and the data link is integral to maximizing the execution speed of the command chain.”

Seeking optimization

Internationally sourced radar information is first collected at the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, also known as "Kingpin," at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. An intricate network of interlinking systems then synthesizes the data to leverage the strongest radar feeds for an up-to-the-second picture of air operations. Due to the amount of data however, the overburdened network created self-defeating data loops, which drastically increased processing time and impacted operational planning.

Embedded at the CAOC, the joint interface control cell monitors the operational picture to ensure that air battle leaders have complete situational awareness. Instead of continuing to work around the interruptions, the team decided to get to the bottom of the problem.

“The systems clearly were not running optimally,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Tschida a watch officer with the 609th AOC JIC cell. “We listened to feedback from the warfighter and after going through the documentation could see ways we could make it faster and more reliable.”

The team knew that while skilled Airmen were able to deal with corrections and system reboots, operators required the best possible solution during mission-critical decision making. Meanwhile, repairs and replacements to the existing system were estimated to cost the Air Force more than $500,000.

“While many agencies and personnel were actively looking at the problem, we were lucky to have a few very skilled and knowledgeable experts here,” Brennan said. “The team understood the problem and had what it takes to find a solution that eluded many for a long time.”

Taking a new approach

Together with operators and contractors at Al Dhafra AB, the engineers spent one week designing and discussing potential options for new data paths and equipment configurations to facilitate optimal routing of the numerous data feeds. They thoroughly reviewed equipment user manuals and directives to find what caused the system’s state of constant overdrive.

“It was important our contractors and crew came together and found the solution as a team,” Brennan said. “It was important everybody (at Kingpin and the CAOC) had an understanding of the datalink, how the code was written and had ownership of the solution so that we can continue on this path to success.”

As the team delved deeper, Tschida said their scope broadened to consider the whole datalink infrastructure from start-to-finish -- to include complex interoperability effects they’d create. Tschida and his Army wingman knew that by pulling certain systems out and reconfiguring the network they could leverage existing capabilities more efficiently without additional cost.

“We not only optimized the system, we also brought in additional capabilities that were already available, but not fully utilized,” Tschida said. “We redesigned internal architecture and how the data was going to be processed and forwarded. This changed how people can connect externally and throughout CENTCOM.”

Going live

Before going live with their arrangement, they had to pull the plug on the current system and thus taking the aerial picture on the operations floors, which are normally observed around the clock, off line.

“It was a little bit daunting because every piece of equipment was 100 percent operational,” said U.S. Army National Guard Warrant Officer 2 Nick Cornelius, an Army liaison with the team. “There was no way to test our theory without actually going live with it. So we had to take down the operational system and live network, implement our changes and operationally trouble shoot, while seeing how it performed.”

The result astonished critics and supporters alike.

“We looked at how the data was processed within the system, how it was recognized, forwarded out to all the other players,” Cornelius said. “Instead of a single-lane highway, we were able to open a four-way express, and routed data point-to-point, where it needed to go based on who needed it.”

After the engineers completed the rearrangement of all components, 179 datalinks as well as several hardware equipment items that were previously used to the max could be unplugged.

“We were able to put positive control on the information and provided data integrity,” Tschida said. “That allowed us to balance the load and information was able to flow in a consistent way.”

By creating a leaner system, the engineers freed up massive amounts of data on vital communication channels, while reducing redundancies, delays and system processing time. The new coding also reduced the occurrence of data loops and link crashes by 82 percent, offering a steady, accurate and actionable air picture with pinpoint accuracy to operators on the combat operations floor at the CAOC and aviators in cockpits throughout the region.

The leaner system now allows flawless use of the “J” series tactical data links used by all branches of the U.S. military and several NATO countries. The system enables, among other functions, text message-like communication, freeing up aviators’ radio communication channels for easier transmission of complex information to the cockpit. And communication to and from the pilots is booming.

Since implementation of the new codes, message traffic within the link has already increased by over 93 percent. For over a month, the revamped system and new internal architecture have been in place -- both Kingpin and CAOC personnel haven’t looked back since.

"This is a significant achievement to increasing situational awareness between operational and tactical warfighters,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Joshua Conine, the director of the Combat Operations Division at the CAOC. “The team's refinement of the architecture helps aid CENTCOM's common operational picture by fusing over 330 vital information links from 27 Coalition nations and aiding top-level leaders make rapid target engagement and strike decisions."

In the fight against ISIS, the new datalink now means more reliable, accurate air picture and messaging capabilities for the entire theatre. The changes already proved integral for the situational awareness during the recent air-to-air engagements, Brennan said, and will add a level of comfort for aviators who know they’re seeing a reliable air picture.

Joint synergy gives new perspective

At the center of the team’s success, Brennan said, was the determination to succeed and the opportunity to capitalize on the unique combination of total-force skillsets of the guardsmen and reservists who frequently leave their civilian positions to support expeditionary operations.

“We have a lot of experience in the Guard and Reserve -- and our enlisted and warrant officer community is exceptionally talented,” Brennan said. “This all wouldn’t have happened without our small team of experts. Having the right people, in the right spot, willing to work together, made all the difference.”