Ensure our Armed Forces Can Communicate Securely

From Air Force cadet through senior advisor to leading Washington, DC think tanks, in my 35 years of wargames and postmortem analyses, the one consistent findings is that communications are critical to warfighting success. Our increasingly interconnected world and the rise of great power competition again with China, Russia and others underline the need for the United States to remain connected and secure in the 21^st century battlespace.

Smartly, in 2020, the Department of Defense released its data strategy, a framework that stresses the need to “transform the Department into a data-centric enterprise.” This brings me to the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). Last year, the U.S. Army and Air Force also signed a two-year collaboration agreement in the development of JADC2. This is a great first step towards recognizing the need for this interface, but there is much more work to be done.

JADC2 will transform how we manage, secure and leverage data as a strategic defense asset. Connecting messengers to recipients is necessary for any operation, but especially in war. Leveraging JADC2 will ensure military messages, strategies and tactics are disseminated quickly and efficiently, without interception. VADM Jeffrey Trussler, the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, said the Navy needs to "get out of the 19th Century" to compete with adversaries.

Understood, secure and centralized communications are paramount to an effective JADC2 program. This program has one core focus – getting the right information to the right people at the right time. While simple, this is critical to effective battle solutions. Without a centralized communications program, there are too many risk factors that could delay the dissemination and processing of urgent information.  JADC2 will bring an interconnected and joint approach to defense solutions, but it is crucial that the communications are secure.

Cybersecurity threats are also a very real possibility and must be thwarted. A top U.S. Air Force general said that “the real challenge facing commanders in the next war will be sorting through the overflow of information coming at them as they struggle to act faster than the enemy.” 

Hence, while technologies such as AI and 5G now serve to further heighten the need in designing and developing the JADC2 program, it is imperative that decision makers look to those U.S. entities that have experience and the ability to deliver the services. While it may be tempting to look to other providers, such as those that operate in the business space, we must be vigilant about cybersecurity and remember that the more touchpoints a corporation has to the commercial sector, the more risk is posed for the security of the JADC2 program.

The issue of ensuring effective and secure communications among our armed forces is not going unnoticed. Recently, Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense for policy and managing partner at WestExec Advisors, has called on the Biden administration to prioritize investments in the Joint All Domain Command and Control initiative to ensure that the U.S. military maintains its battlefield advantage. Flournoy said the country’s overinvestment in legacy systems and underinvestment in capabilities such as artificial intelligence and unmanned systems would eventually lead to the military losing its edge over adversaries.

JADC2 will revolutionize the way communications and data are transferred among our defense programs. Without a secure communications interface and a reliable company at the helm, we will fall even further behind our foreign adversaries. It is imperative that our military leaders and Congress make the necessary investments in these programs and entrust the development of this important technology to those that can handle it and will deliver a product worthy of our country’s needs.

Gregory T. Kiley, former senior professional staff member, Senate Armed Services Committee and U.S. Air Force Officer.